Carnelian Trust
Carnelian Trust is a private foundation based in Pasadena, California. It supports preselected charitable organizations and describes direct charitable activities involving music education and public radio.
Carnelian Trust at a glance
- Total assets
- $2,574,909
- +34.7% vs 2023
- Revenue (2024)
- $15,248
- +60.3% vs 2023
- Qualifying distributions (2024)
- $99,600
- -38.0% vs 2023
- Expenses (2024)
- $615
- 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 Carnelian Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1800 Devon Rd, Pasadena, CA 91103-1145
Phone: (626) 318-1129
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carnelian Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 74 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The listed 2022 grantees are based in California, Illinois, and New York, among other locations. The named organizations include recipients in Pasadena, Glendale, and Culver City, California, and Chicago, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Is Carnelian Trust open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2022
In 2022, 4 of 27 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 85% of 2022 grantees were also funded in 2021. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 93% 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 (2020–2022). 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 2022, annual grant giving ranged from $79K (2020) to $94K (2022). In 2022 it made 27 grants totaling $94K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Childrens Choir Chicago, IL | Operating support. | $25,000 |
| Southern California Public Radio Pasadena, CA | Operating support. | $20,000 |
| Self-Help Federal Credit Union PRI Modesto, CA | Program-related investment - new investment at 0% interest. | $20,000 |
| Merit School of Music Chicago, IL | Operating support. | $6,000 |
| Reading Between the Lines Chicago, IL | Operating support. | $2,500 |
| Salastina Pasadena, CA | Operating support. | $2,500 |
| Union Station Homeless Services Pasadena, CA | Operating support. | $2,500 |
| Jazz Hands for Autism Los Angeles, CA | Operating support. | $2,000 |
| Los Angeles Food Bank Los Angeles, CA | Operating support. | $2,000 |
| Arroyo Foothills Conservancy Pasadena, CA | Operating support. | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,574,909 | $15,248 | $615 | — | — | $99,600 | $27,214 | $106,910 |
| 2023 | $1,911,967 | $9,511 | — | — | — | $160,715 | $22,941 | $81,644 |
| 2022 | $1,546,481 | $19,163 | $94,945 | $94,420 | 27 | $114,945 | $31,310 | $92,142 |
| 2021 | $2,255,068 | $5 | $87,350 | $87,350 | 25 | $87,850 | $17,019 | $110,708 |
| 2020 | $1,960,445 | $-9,749 | $80,399 | $79,100 | 22 | — | $13,251 | $76,194 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carnelian Trust reported a distributable amount of $107K 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 is provided. The foundation’s filing describes direct charitable activities involving Chicago Children’s Choir, Southern California Public Radio, and Merit School of Music. It says the choir serves thousands of low-income children through training and camaraderie, that the public radio station provides free information to thousands of listeners, and that Merit trains thousands of young instrumentalists.
Among organizations listed as receiving grants in 2022, Southern California Public Radio describes its mission as strengthening the civic and cultural bonds of Southern California’s diverse communities through news and information. Merit School of Music says it works to remove barriers to high-quality music education for young people. Other 2022 recipients include Salastina, which says it fosters appreciation for chamber music; Union Station Homeless Services, which says it works to end homelessness; and Jazz Hands for Autism, which says it creates pathways from expression to employment for musicians on the autism spectrum. Recipients also included organizations working in humanitarian response, food access, and children’s well-being.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 27 grants totaling $94,420 in 2022. Its filings report zero grants in 2023 and 2024. Examples of 2022 grants include $20,000 to Southern California Public Radio, $6,000 to Merit School of Music, $2,500 each to Salastina and Union Station Homeless Services, and $2,000 to Jazz Hands for Autism. It also gave $1,000 each to the International Rescue Committee, Feeding America, and Children’s Defense Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Elisabeth Richter is listed as a trustee on the 2024 filing.
Carnelian Trust is led by Elisabeth A Richter, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elisabeth A Richter
Trustee
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Carnelian Trust
How large is Carnelian Trust?
Carnelian Trust reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $100K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $107K (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 Carnelian Trust fund?
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s filing describes direct charitable activities involving Chicago Children’s Choir, Southern California Public Radio, and Merit School of Music. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carnelian Trust?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Carnelian Trust make grants?
The listed 2022 grantees are based in California, Illinois, and New York, among other locations. The named organizations include recipients in Pasadena, Glendale, and Culver City, California, and Chicago, Illinois.
What is Carnelian Trust's EIN?
Carnelian Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-7159141. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Carnelian Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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
Live grants for the work Carnelian Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Carnelian Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Carnelian 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.
Carnelian Trust down — hundreds of funders to go?