Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Tampa, Florida. The foundation’s website identifies it as the Hilda Sutton and William D. Blanton Charitable Foundation, Inc., founded in 1993 in Lakeland by Hilda Sutton Blanton and her husband, William D. “Bill” Blanton.
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc gave $185K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Florida. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $184,527
- +13.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,381
- +8.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $3,039,010
- -3.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (6 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Florida (70% 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 Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing describes applications as accepted on an ongoing basis. The website instructs applicants for its scholarship program to submit completed applications by email.
- Review Cycle
- The filing states that there is no deadline and applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. The website’s April 1, 2026 deadline for Fall 2026 scholarship awards has passed.
- Deadline
- The filing states that there is no deadline and applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
- Contact
Application contact: Gail Martin Abercrombie
Mailing address: 2814 W Sitios St, Tampa, FL 33629
Phone: (863) 688-7611
Website: https://hswdblantonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Florida Southern College ($28K). Together the top 10 received $124K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 117 grants of 119 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its community and arts-based charitable support as serving Lakeland and Polk County, Florida. In 2025, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida. Other recipient-state shares were Ohio, 11%; Massachusetts, 7%; Colorado, 4%; and Pennsylvania, 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 25 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% 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 (2021–2025). 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
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $159K (2023) to $189K (2021). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $185K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Southern College Lakeland, FL | Educational | $27,500 |
| YMCA Par 3 Lakeland, FL | Humanitarian | $15,000 |
| Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | Educational | $14,000 |
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL | Educational | $14,000 |
| Academy Prep Centers for Education Lakeland, FL | Educational | $12,000 |
| Lakeland Symphony Orchestra Lakeland, FL | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Aspen Music Festival & School Aspen, CO | Educational | $8,120 |
| Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH | Educational | $8,000 |
| Warner University Lake Wales, FL | Educational | $8,000 |
| Berklee College of Music Boston, MA | Educational | $7,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,039,010 | $111,365 | $227,941 | $184,527 | 25 | $214,527 | $111,365 | $242,140 |
| 2024 | $3,155,586 | $213,398 | $225,079 | $163,219 | 24 | $208,219 | $206,270 | $194,886 |
| 2023 | $3,169,953 | $193,217 | $213,115 | $158,600 | 23 | $203,600 | $193,217 | $184,727 |
| 2022 | $3,187,588 | $196,941 | $233,171 | $181,600 | 25 | $226,600 | $196,941 | $187,184 |
| 2021 | $3,226,553 | $196,788 | $237,156 | $188,600 | 22 | $186,100 | $196,788 | $179,927 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $242K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says it began by funding scholarships for students pursuing careers in religious music and later expanded to scholarships for students pursuing degrees across musical genres, including performance and education. The website also describes support for community and arts-based charities in Lakeland and throughout Polk County.
The 2025 filing states that scholarships are available for educational funding to pursue studies in organ music and church music. The website’s scholarship eligibility requirements specify a music major, including performance or education, a GPA of at least 2.5 each semester, and acceptable standards of citizenship and character.
Examples of organizations receiving 2025 grants show varied support. Florida Southern College describes itself as a private, United Methodist-affiliated college committed to educational excellence. The Cleveland Institute of Music says its mission is to empower talented classical music students. Lakeland Community Theatre describes its work as providing affordable theatre experiences and a nurturing, educational environment; Achievement Academy says it supports children through early intervention, education, therapies, and family support.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $184,527. Grants ranged from $807 to $27,500, with a median grant of $6,000. The largest awards included $27,500 to Florida Southern College, $15,000 to YMCA PAR 3, $14,000 each to Florida State University and the University of Florida, and $12,000 to Academy Prep Centers for Education. Other notable grants included $10,000 to Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, $8,120 to Aspen Music Festival & School, $8,000 each to the Cleveland Institute of Music and Warner University, and $7,000 each to Berklee College of Music and Temple University.
The foundation’s 2025 filing says scholarship applicants should contact Gail Martin Abercrombie for an application form. Required materials include a proposed-study statement, a biographical record, plans after the scholarship, references and recommendations, academic history, and an explanation of financial need. The filing limits these scholarships to studies in organ music and church music. Separately, the website lists broader eligibility for music majors in performance or education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gail Martin Abercrombie as president and director, and Brenda Collins as a director.
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc is led by Gail Martin Abercrombie, President & Director on every filing since 2022; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gail Martin Abercrombie
President & Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$15K (2022) → $20K (2025)
Brenda Collins
Director
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
$8K (2024) → $20K (2025)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Beth Mason (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Mettie Withers (2021–2024) — Secretary, Treasurer & Director
- Former: E. Snow Martin Jr. (2021) — President & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $20K, to Gail Martin Abercrombie (Pres/DIR). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc
How much does Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc give each year?
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc gave $185K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $163K across 24 grants.
What is Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $7,381, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc that year got $6K on average.
Where does Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc give grants?
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc gives mostly in Florida: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (11%) and Massachusetts (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lakeland, FL (11 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (17 grants) and "Humanitarian" (7 grants).
Who are Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Florida Southern College ($27,500), YMCA Par 3 ($15,000) and Florida State University ($14,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc?
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $215K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $242K (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 Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website says it began by funding scholarships for students pursuing careers in religious music and later expanded to scholarships for students pursuing degrees across musical genres, including performance and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc?
The filing describes applications as accepted on an ongoing basis. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 59-3162785. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/blanton-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_7ee3fd8154f9405a8aee0937c2714574
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_593162785_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/blanton-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_7ee3fd8154f9405a8aee0937c2714574},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Blanton Charitable Foundation Inc'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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