Bedford Family Charitable Trust
Bedford Family Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in New Hartford, Connecticut. Its 2024 filing states that grants or contributions must be for secondary or higher education, or for medical care or research.
Bedford Family Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Bedford Family Charitable Trust gave $97K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), top state California. 60% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $97,000
- -1.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +66.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,700
- -41.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,500
- Total assets
- $1,387,758
- +7.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 60% first-time grantees (6 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (26% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bedford Family Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It instructs applicants to contact Steven Bedford and provide the purpose of the grant or contribution and the amount. Grants or contributions must be for secondary or higher education, or medical care or research.
- Contact
Application contact: Steven Bedford
Mailing address: 11 Shafer Drive, New Hartford, CT 06057
Phone: (860) 489-9908
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bedford Family Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was US Rowing ($25K). Together the top 10 received $97K.
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 38 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in California (26%), Pennsylvania (26%), Connecticut (24%), Illinois (15%), and Colorado (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bedford Family Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
60%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 10 grantees (60%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 40% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 84% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $81K (2020) to $110K (2021). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $97K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| US Rowing Philadelphia, PA | Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Charlotte Hungerford Hospital Torrington, CT | Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Society of Architectural Historians Chicago, IL | Operating Support | $15,000 |
| Pepperwood Foundation Santa Rosa, CA | Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Litchfield Hills Rowing Litchfield, CT | Operating Support | $8,000 |
| Bridges to Prosperity Denver, CO | Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Princeton University Rowing Assoc Pebble Beach, CA | Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Thacher School Ojai, CA | Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Rianda House Helena, CA | Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Barrington Library Association Barrington, NH | Operating Support | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bedford Family Charitable Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,387,758 | $239,964 | $148,381 | $97,000 | 10 | $97,000 | $203,555 | $114,811 |
| 2023 | $1,296,175 | $210,544 | $132,154 | $98,600 | 6 | $98,600 | $181,207 | $95,983 |
| 2022 | $1,227,616 | $204,166 | $143,705 | $100,000 | 6 | $100,000 | $160,461 | $100,448 |
| 2021 | $1,165,930 | $126,206 | $145,136 | $109,600 | 8 | $109,600 | $90,670 | $124,059 |
| 2020 | $1,155,354 | $23,637 | $109,244 | $81,261 | 8 | — | $40,455 | $88,012 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bedford Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $115K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 filing restricts grants or contributions to secondary or higher education, or medical care or research.
Among its 2024 grantees, the Society of Architectural Historians says its mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of architecture, design, landscape, and urbanism. Pepperwood Foundation says its mission is to inspire conservation through science. Bridges to Prosperity says it works with governments to build trail bridges and develop long-term plans for rural access.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $97,000. Grants ranged from $4,000 to $25,000, with a median of $6,500. The largest awards included $25,000 to US Rowing, $15,000 to Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, and $15,000 to the Society of Architectural Historians. Other notable awards were $10,000 to Pepperwood Foundation, $8,000 to Litchfield Hills Rowing, and $5,000 each to Bridges to Prosperity, Princeton University Rowing Association, Thacher School, and Rianda House. The listed grants were for operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laura A Bedford as trustee, Steven Bedford as president, and Hilary B Parkhurst as trustee.
Bedford Family Charitable Trust is led by Steven Bedford, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Steven Bedford
President
Trustee & President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Hilary B. Parkhurst
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Laura A. Bedford
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Peter Benjamin Bedford (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Bedford Family Charitable Trust
How much does Bedford Family Charitable Trust give each year?
Bedford Family Charitable Trust gave $97K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $99K across 6 grants.
What is Bedford Family Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Bedford Family Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $6,500, and its average grant was $9,700, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bedford Family Charitable Trust that year got $8K on average.
Where does Bedford Family Charitable Trust give grants?
Bedford Family Charitable Trust's top state is California, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (26%) and Connecticut (24%).
Does Bedford Family Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bedford Family Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bedford Family Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Bedford Family Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include US Rowing ($25,000), Charlotte Hungerford Hospital ($15,000) and Society of Architectural Historians ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bedford Family Charitable Trust?
Bedford Family Charitable Trust reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $97K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $115K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Bedford Family Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 filing restricts grants or contributions to secondary or higher education, or medical care or research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bedford Family Charitable Trust?
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bedford Family Charitable Trust's EIN?
Bedford Family Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-6255502. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bedford Family Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bedford-family-charitable-trust-morg_1ef44d51fe0840658ed84bb1d9e19d5d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_866255502_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bedford Family Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bedford-family-charitable-trust-morg_1ef44d51fe0840658ed84bb1d9e19d5d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Bedford Family Charitable Trust'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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