What The Champlin Foundation does

The Champlin Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation established in 1932 by the grandchildren of Stanton B. Champlin, headquartered in Cranston, Rhode Island. It operates as a perpetual charitable endowment dedicated exclusively to funding capital projects for Rhode Island-based 501c3 nonprofit organizations across nine focus areas: Arts & Culture, Conservation & Parks, Education, Healthcare, Historic Preservation & Heritage, Libraries, Social Services, Welfare of Animals, and Youth Services. Since inception the foundation has distributed over $737 million to 1,280 nonprofit organizations, with $19.6 million awarded across the two 2025 grant cycles.

The foundation's core offering is a Capital Grants Program that funds equipment purchases, construction, renovations, and real estate acquisition. Two additional programs — a Campership Program for summer camp financial assistance and Challenge Grants requiring a $500,000 minimum total project cost — supplement the capital mission. Grant applications are managed through a web-based portal hosted by Foundant Technologies, Inc., with two annual cycles (December 15–January 15 and June 1–July 1). Applications are evaluated by an eleven-member Distribution Committee, appointed by institutional stakeholders including the Rhode Island Supreme Court Chief Justice, the Federal Court Chief Judge, and the Brown University President, with site visits forming part of the evaluation process.

The foundation is administered by PNC Delaware Trust Company as Trustee and Hawthorn PNC Family Wealth as Investment Advisor, providing professional endowment management. The five-person professional staff (Executive Director, Finance & Operations Manager, Grants & Education Manager, Grants & Systems Manager, and Office Coordinator) handles operations, while strategic decisions rest with the Distribution Committee. Grantmaking is geographically concentrated in Rhode Island, with limited awards to Connecticut (55 lifetime grants) and Massachusetts (143 lifetime grants). The foundation engages the Center for Effective Philanthropy for periodic Grantee Perception Studies to refine grantmaking practice.

Name

The Champlin Foundation

Legal name

The Champlin Foundation

Website

https://champlinfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Champlin Foundation is a Rhode Island-based private nonprofit foundation that funds capital projects for 501c3 nonprofits across nine focus areas, distributing $19.6 million in 2025 from a perpetual endowment administered by PNC Delaware Trust Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation / Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Capital grants funding
• Nonprofit philanthropy
• Community foundation
• Charitable endowment
• Rhode Island grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Cranston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment Distribution: The foundation operates as a perpetual charitable endowment, distributing grants from its investment portfolio to Rhode Island nonprofits. The Trustee (PNC Delaware Trust Company) manages the professional administration, while Hawthorn PNC Family Wealth serves as Investment Advisor. Grants are awarded for capital projects including equipment purchases, construction, renovations, and real estate acquisition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Champlin Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation that awards capital project grants to Rhode Island-based 501c3 nonprofit organizations. Grants fund equipment purchases, construction, renovations, and real estate acquisition across nine focus areas: Arts & Culture, Conservation & Parks, Education, Healthcare, Historic Preservation & Heritage, Libraries, Social Services, Welfare of Animals, and Youth Services. Additional offerings include the Campership Program for summer camp financial assistance and Challenge Grants for matching-fund opportunities.

Product overview

The Champlin Foundation operates as a philanthropic foundation offering grant programs to Rhode Island nonprofits. The primary offering is the Capital Grants Program, which provides funding for equipment, facilities, and construction projects across nine focus areas. Additional programs include the Campership Program for summer camp financial assistance and Challenge Grants for matching fund opportunities. All grants are administered through an online application portal powered by Foundant Technologies, with two application cycles per year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capital Grants Program The Champlin Foundation's flagship program, awarding capital project grants to Rhode Island-based 501c3 nonprofit organizations (3+ years of operating history) for equipment purchases, construction, renovations, or real estate acquisition. Grants are organized across nine focus areas: Arts & Culture, Conservation & Parks, Education, Healthcare, Historic Preservation & Heritage, Libraries, Social Services, Welfare of Animals, and Youth Services. Applications are accepted through two annual cycles via the Foundant Technologies online portal.
• Campership Program Financial assistance grants awarded to select organizations to provide summer camp opportunities for children who might otherwise not be able to afford them. Administered through a separate grant cycle from capital grants.
• Challenge Grants Matching grant opportunities that enable organizations to leverage Champlin funding to secure matching donations from other sources. Available on a limited basis for organizations with existing relationships with the Foundation; requires a minimum total project cost of $500,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,280 nonprofit organizations funded since 1932
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foundant Technologies, Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides the web-based grant application platform used by The Champlin Foundation for all grant applications, reporting, and grant management.
• Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts Grantee Perception Studies on behalf of the Foundation to gather feedback on grantmaking practices and inform approach improvements.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Boston Foundation: Massachusetts-based community foundation serving Greater Boston nonprofits. Comparable in operating model — community-focused grantmaking with a permanent endowment and broad focus areas — but operating in a different New England geography.
• Maine Community Foundation: Maine's statewide community foundation distributing grants across health, education, environment, and community development. Comparable as a New England-focused community grantmaker with similar capital and programmatic priorities, though in a different geography.

Direct peers

• van Beuren Charitable Foundation: A Rhode Island-based private foundation supporting nonprofits in Newport County and surrounding areas across arts, education, health, and social services. Directly comparable as a geographically focused private family foundation serving Rhode Island nonprofits.
• Rhode Island Foundation: The largest community foundation in Rhode Island, distributing grants across the state to nonprofits in similar focus areas including health, education, arts, and social services. Directly comparable as a Rhode Island-focused grantmaker, though organized as a community foundation rather than a family foundation.
• Hassenfeld Family Foundation: Rhode Island-based family foundation associated with the Hasbro founders, supporting child health, education, and community programs. Comparable as a Rhode Island private family foundation with a similar grantmaking approach to local nonprofits.
• Dorr Foundation: New Hampshire-based private family foundation supporting education, conservation, and community needs in northern New England. Comparable as a small, family-established private foundation focused on capital and project grants within a specific state geography.

Broad incumbents

• The Kresge Foundation: National private foundation that supports nonprofits through capital and operating grants across health, environment, education, and community development. Comparable as a private foundation with capital grantmaking and multi-sector focus, but operating nationally rather than in a single state.
• The Ford Foundation: One of the largest private foundations in the U.S., making grants across multiple focus areas including economic fairness, democracy, and education. Comparable as a private grantmaking institution, though operating at vastly greater scale and national/international scope.
• Pew Charitable Trusts: National nonprofit that makes grants and conducts research across public opinion, health, and conservation. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-area private grantmaking organization with a permanent endowment model, though far larger and broader in scope.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Large national private foundation focused on health and healthcare, including capital and programmatic grants to hospitals and health systems. Comparable as a major private grantmaking institution supporting nonprofit health infrastructure, similar to Champlin's healthcare focus area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments76 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Champlin Foundation