Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund
Championing the North Country
One of the largest permanent rural philanthropies in the U.S. is strengthening communities and spreading economic opportunity.
Neil Tillotson’s philosophy was simple: “Be humble, be creative and be kind.”
When he passed away in 2001 at 102, he left the bulk of his assets for charitable purposes. His wife Louise established the donor-advised Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation in 2006. The fund is one of the largest permanent rural philanthropies in the country. It is guided by a local advisory committee and distributes more than $4 million annually. Since 2006, more than $60 million has been awarded to organizations in Coös County and surrounding regions.
It was a bold strike. And it was an act of creativity and kindness for a region that needed both.
The vision of the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund is “to serve as a resource for the people of Coös County and neighboring communities in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and southern Québec to forge their own pathways to well-being and cultivate a region that thrives.” The Tillotson Fund serves as a stable and consistent source of support for the people of the region to:
- Create and enhance opportunity;
- Preserve and uplift the historical and cultural assets that make the region unique;
- Hold the confidence and capabilities to foster strong communities and healthy rural landscapes.
The Tillotsons had wide interests and global connections. In addition to the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund, the Foundation manages the Louise Tillotson Teaching Fellowship, the Neil and Louise Tillotson Scholarship Fund, the Coaticook (Québec) Region Fund, Hereford Forest Fund, Dixville Cemetery Fund and the Tillotson Guatemala Fund.
For more information or to apply for a grant or scholarship, visit the Tillotson Fund website.
We're here to help
To learn more about the Tillotson Fund and our work in the North Country, contact:

- Sonya Salanti
- Director of Tillotson Funds
603-225-6641 ext 205
Email Sonya

- Phoebe Backler
- Senior Community Partner, Tillotson Funds
603-225-6641 ext 247
Email Phoebe

- Christa Hollingsworth
- Tillotson Fund Community Partner
603-225-6641 ext 265
Email Christa