Bascom Charitable Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Clayton, MO EIN: 43-6024670

Bascom Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Clayton, Missouri. Its sole charitable activity is making contributions and grants to qualified charitable organizations; it conducts no direct charitable activities.

Bascom Charitable Foundation at a glance

In short: Bascom Charitable Foundation gave $122K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state Missouri. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$121,500
+4.7% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
26
-7.1% vs 2024
Average grant
$4,673
+12.8% vs 2024
Median grant
$3,000
Total assets
$1,506,522
+2.3% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
15% first-time grantees (4 of 26, 2025)
Primary geography
Missouri (35% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Bascom Charitable Foundation

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted in written form. The foundation states that there are no restrictions on awards.

Contact

Application contact: John J Stika
Mailing address: 7701 Forsyth Blvd Suite 1100, St Louis, MO 63105
Phone: (314) 719-1528

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Bascom Charitable Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Charles Schwab Charitable: $36KCharles Schwab Charitable$36KMissouri Botanical Gardens: $15KMissouri Botanical Gardens$15KMissouri Historical Society: $10KMissouri Historical Society$10KSippican Lands Trust: $6KSippican Lands Trust$6KBuzzard Bay Musicfest: $5KBuzzard Bay Musicfest$5KGoldfarb School of Nursing: $5KGoldfarb School of Nursing$5KUrban League of Metropolitan St Louis: $5KUrban League of MetropolitanSt Louis$5KMarion Art Center: $4KMarion Art Center$4KSippican Historical Society: $4KSippican Historical Society$4KYouth Opportunities Unlimited: $4KYouth Opportunities Unlimited$4K

The largest 2025 recipient was Charles Schwab Charitable ($36K). Together the top 10 received $94K.

Grant Size Distribution

151 grants across all recorded years

150<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 150 grants of 151 (99%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Missouri (35%), Florida (30%), Massachusetts (28%), Ohio (3%), and the District of Columbia (2%).

Grant Distribution by State

12states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.

Cities

New BedfordMarionSt. LouisWashingtonBostonOrlandoClevelandColumbiaSt FairhavenDartmouthFalmouthSonomaTubacTucsonAcushnetBellevilleClarksvilleLincolnRoanokeWailuku

Is Bascom Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?

15%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 26 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K15 grants2020 34 grants2021 37 grants2022 26 grants2023 28 grants2024 26 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $108K (2020) to $131K (2021). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $122K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Charles Schwab Charitable Orlando, FLGeneral$36,000
Missouri Botanical Gardens St. Louis, MOGeneral$15,000
Missouri Historical Society Columbia, MOGeneral$10,000
Sippican Lands Trust Marion, MAGeneral$6,000
Buzzard Bay Musicfest Marion, MAGeneral$5,000
Goldfarb School of Nursing St. Louis, MOGeneral$5,000
Urban League of Metropolitan St Louis St. Louis, MOGeneral$5,000
Marion Art Center Marion, MAGeneral$4,000
Sippican Historical Society Marion, MAGeneral$4,000
Youth Opportunities Unlimited Cleveland, OHGeneral$4,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$1,506,522$177,566$144,276$121,50026$121,988$160,725$118,712
2024$1,473,232$230,341$135,935$116,00028$116,466$213,459$112,767
2023$1,378,826$124,808$132,530$113,50026$113,929$108,419$104,708
2022$1,386,548$119,049$137,927$116,20037$116,657$102,502$109,364
2021$1,405,426$164,789$151,793$131,00034$131,523$145,906$126,792
2020$1,392,430$52,079$127,410$108,00015—$36,262$106,245

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bascom Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $119K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s stated charitable activity is grantmaking to qualified charitable organizations. Its 2025 grantees included organizations with varied missions. For example, the Missouri Historical Society describes its work as educational and community programs, collections and conservation, library and research, and exhibitions. Sippican Lands Trust says it works to preserve and protect land in Marion, Massachusetts, while the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis says it works to advance economic self-reliance, social equality, and civil rights. Youth Opportunities Unlimited describes its mission as equipping teens and young adults with skills and experiences for the workforce and life.

Other 2025 grantees describe work that includes preserving Marion’s historic character (Sippican Historical Society), providing boating instruction and access (Community Boating Center), supporting pediatric care (St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation), and educating and inspiring ocean scholars and stewards (Sea Education Association).

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $121,500. Awards ranged from $500 to $36,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest grants included $36,000 to Charles Schwab Charitable in Orlando, Florida; $15,000 to Missouri Botanical Gardens; and $10,000 to Missouri Historical Society. Other grants included $6,000 to Sippican Lands Trust, $5,000 each to Buzzards Bay Musicfest, Goldfarb School of Nursing, and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, and $4,000 each to Marion Art Center, Sippican Historical Society, and Youth Opportunities Unlimited.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists The St. Louis Trust Company, Charles E. Bascom, and Constance B. McPheeters as trustees.

Bascom Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • The ST Louis Trust Company

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    40 hrs/week

    $4K (2020) → $5K (2025)

  • Charles E. Bascom

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Constance B. McPheeters

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

The St Louis Trust Company — Trustee: $5KThe St Louis Trust…Trustee$5K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $5K, to The St Louis Trust Company (Trustee).

Frequently asked questions about Bascom Charitable Foundation

How much does Bascom Charitable Foundation give each year?

Bascom Charitable Foundation gave $122K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $116K across 28 grants.

What is Bascom Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?

Bascom Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $4,673, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bascom Charitable Foundation that year got $4K on average.

Where does Bascom Charitable Foundation give grants?

Bascom Charitable Foundation's top state is Missouri, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (30%) and Massachusetts (28%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (6 grants), Marion, MA (6 grants), New Bedford, MA (5 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).

Does Bascom Charitable Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Bascom Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Bascom Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?

Bascom Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Charles Schwab Charitable ($36,000), Missouri Botanical Gardens ($15,000) and Missouri Historical Society ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Bascom Charitable Foundation?

Bascom Charitable Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $122K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $119K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Bascom Charitable Foundation fund?

The foundation’s stated charitable activity is grantmaking to qualified charitable organizations. Its 2025 grantees included organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Bascom Charitable Foundation?

Applications should be submitted in written form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Bascom Charitable Foundation's EIN?

Bascom Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6024670. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 23, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 4, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 24, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Bascom Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bascom-charitable-foundation-morg_ea1399970b98407aae5da9615b943354

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436024670_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Bascom Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/bascom-charitable-foundation-morg_ea1399970b98407aae5da9615b943354},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}

The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.

Figures come from Bascom Charitable Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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