Taylor Home

Taylor Home — legally registered as the parent entity for Taylor Community — occupies a genuinely unusual position in New Hampshire philanthropy that every prospective applicant must understand from the outset. This organization's primary mission and nearly all of its $24.6 million in annual "giving" (fiscal 2022/2023) is directed inward: operating 253 units of independent housing and 126 assisted living/nursing units for elderly residents across four Lakes Region campuses. External community grantmaking is a secondary, discretionary activity with approximately $21,038 distributed to 27 organizations in the most recent filing year.

The giving philosophy is neighborly and deeply local. Grants go to organizations that make the Lakes Region communities where Taylor Community operates — Laconia, Wolfeboro, and now Meredith — more vibrant, healthy, and connected. The grantee list reflects a community stewardship mindset: arts organizations bringing cultural life to residents and neighbors, health nonprofits serving vulnerable populations, civic institutions strengthening regional identity, and youth programs investing in the next generation.

The relationship progression is entirely informal. Taylor Community maintains no published request for proposals, no online application form, and no documented grant cycle. All 63 grants in the historical database carry the identical purpose language — "support of charitable organization" — confirming that decisions are made at board discretion rather than through competitive review. CEO Michael Flaherty, who has led the organization across multiple filing years with compensation rising from $230,128 to $305,526, and the volunteer trustee board chaired by David Pearlman (with Mitchell Jean as Vice Chair, Bradford Cook as Secretary, and Ronald Baker III as Treasurer) appear to drive grant decisions collectively.

First-time applicants should treat this as a civic relationship, not a grant transaction. The most effective entry point is the Taylor Community Development Office (603-366-1482; ggandini@taylorcommunity.org), where staff manage both incoming donations and community partnerships. Organizations with a Lakes Region footprint, a visible community presence, and demonstrated value to the elderly or the broader community are best positioned. The strongest alignment cases include organizations that directly benefit Taylor Community residents or contribute to the cultural and civic infrastructure that makes the Lakes Region an appealing place to live and retire.

Taylor Home's external grantmaking operates at a scale dramatically smaller than its $151.9 million balance sheet might suggest, and applicants who calibrate expectations accordingly will avoid the most common mistake. The gap between assets and grantmaking volume is structural, not an oversight: the organization's priority is funding operations of a major retirement community, and community grants are a supplemental expression of civic commitment.

External grants paid have followed a clear upward trend over the organization's reporting history: $208 in fiscal 2012, $1,100 in 2013, $2,924 in 2014, $600 in 2015, $2,610 in 2019, $6,300 in 2020, $19,685 in 2021, $18,669 in 2022. The most recent IRS filing (2025) shows $21,038 distributed across 27 grants, continuing the upward trajectory that accelerated sharply after 2019. Grant count has grown from 15 in 2022 to 22 in 2023, 28 in 2024, and 27 in 2025.

Across the full recorded grantee database (63 individual grants totaling $69,623), the average grant is $1,105. The historical range spans $85 (Wolfeboro Area Chamber of Commerce) to $8,000 (Wright Museum of WWII and NH Long Term Care Foundation). The most recent filing data shows a tighter current range of $29 to $3,000, suggesting either smaller per-grant amounts or a shift toward broader distribution across more recipients. Grants cluster in three tiers: anchor relationships ($5,000–$8,000 cumulative across multiple years, reserved for 5–6 repeat organizations); mid-tier civic partnerships ($1,000–$3,000 for chambers, leadership programs, and human services); and small tokens ($100–$800 for youth programs, school groups, and service clubs.

Geography is absolute: 100% of recorded grants flow to New Hampshire organizations, with heavy concentration in the Lakes Region. By sector, the portfolio breaks down approximately as: arts and culture (~30%, including Winnipesaukee Playhouse $7,400 cumulative, Belknap Mill $6,600, Wright Museum $8,000, Powerhouse Theatre $5,500); health and human services (~25%, including Gilda's Club NH $7,000, NH Long Term Care Foundation $8,000, Lakes Region Mental Health Center $1,000); community and civic organizations (~25%); and education and youth programs (~20%). Total annual giving has grown from $10.8 million in 2012 to $24.6 million in fiscal 2022/2023, but this reflects operational growth, not grantmaking expansion.

Taylor Home's grantmaking profile is best understood against comparable NH-region funders. The table below compares Taylor Home to three regional funders by scale, focus, and accessibility. Note that peer figures are drawn from public 990 data and published sources; some are approximate.

Taylor Home stands apart from its regional peers in a fundamental way: it is an operating foundation first and a grantmaker second. Its total asset base rivals some of New Hampshire's most significant philanthropic institutions, yet its external grant program distributes less than $25,000 annually — a fraction of one percent of assets. This is not a sign of philanthropic restraint but rather reflects the organization's primary mandate to maintain and operate retirement facilities. Organizations seeking five- and six-figure grants should focus energy on the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation or Agnes M. Lindsay Trust, both of which operate structured, competitive grant programs with published criteria. Taylor Home is best pursued for small, relationship-reinforcing grants of $500–$2,500 that acknowledge a shared Lakes Region civic identity.

Taylor Community has been in an active expansion phase since approximately 2022, making this one of the more dynamic periods in the organization's history. The most significant recent development is the 2024 acquisition of Taylor Meredith Bay in Meredith, NH — the organization's fourth campus — which CEO Michael Flaherty and the trustee board signaled as part of an ambitious seven-year strategic plan reshaping the organization across the Lakes Region.

The strategic plan, discussed at standing-room-only resident town hall meetings, includes construction of 18 new memory care units adjacent to the Ledgeview building on the Laconia campus, conversion of the Taylor Home building into a 40-unit assisted living facility, and addition of two independent living cottages to bring the Laconia cottage total to 131. A separate expansion in Wolfeboro, covered by New Hampshire Business Review, effectively doubled Taylor Community's capacity in that market.

On the grantmaking front, grant count has grown from 15 awards in 2022 to 27–28 awards in 2024–2025, with total giving rising from approximately $18,669 to $21,038 over the same period. The 2024 grantee class included Lakes Region Cancer Support Team ($2,500), Interlakes Community Caregivers ($1,500), and Winnipesaukee Playhouse ($1,250), consistent with the organization's long-standing pattern of supporting health, human services, and arts organizations in the Lakes Region. No leadership changes have been reported; CEO Michael Flaherty has held his position across at least three consecutive filing years.

Succeeding with Taylor Home requires abandoning the standard grant-seeking playbook. There is no RFP, no published deadline, no scoring rubric, and no online portal. Every grant in the organization's history has been approved at board discretion, which means the path to funding runs through people, not paperwork.

Build the relationship before the ask. The Taylor Community Development Office (603-366-1482, ggandini@taylorcommunity.org) is the best entry point for organizations that do not already have a trustee connection. A brief introductory conversation about your mission and Lakes Region work — framed as a partnership inquiry, not a funding request — establishes presence before any formal ask is made. Trustee board members including Chair David Pearlman, Vice Chair Mitchell Jean, Secretary Bradford Cook, and Treasurer Ronald Baker III are active Lakes Region civic figures; introductions through the Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Lakes Region, or community events are high-value.

Frame alignment with the elderly and the Lakes Region. Taylor Community's trustees think as stewards of the Lakes Region community and its elderly population. Proposals that connect your work to quality of life for seniors, to the cultural and civic vitality of Laconia, Wolfeboro, or Meredith, or to the health and wellbeing of Lakes Region families will resonate. Avoid abstract impact language; concrete connections to local geography and specific beneficiary populations matter most.

Calibrate the ask to current grant sizes. The 2025 filing shows grants ranging from $29 to $3,000. A first-time ask of $500–$1,500 is well-calibrated and demonstrates awareness of the organization's scale. Anchor relationships (Wright Museum, Gilda's Club, Winnipesaukee Playhouse) built to the $7,000–$8,000 cumulative level over three or more years — but started small.

Plan for multi-year cultivation. The most-funded organizations in the grantee database each received grants across three consecutive years. Treat the first grant as the beginning of a relationship, not a one-time transaction. Annual stewardship — a brief update on impact, a personal note to the Development Office — sustains visibility with the board.

Avoid misalignment signals. Organizations based outside New Hampshire, focused on national or international programs, or without a clear Lakes Region community connection are unlikely to receive consideration regardless of their broader merit.