EcoTrust
EcoTrust is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that makes cash grants to charitable organizations. Its 2025 filing reports 59 grants totaling $1,029,150. The foundation states that it gives only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
EcoTrust at a glance
In short: EcoTrust gave $1.0M across 59 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), top state District of Columbia. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,029,150
- +6.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 59
- +3.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,443
- +3.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $2,822,720
- +13.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (2 of 59, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (30% 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 EcoTrust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 16570 5100 West 36Th St, Minneapolis, MN 55416
Phone: (612) 374-2808
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who EcoTrust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was International Planned Parenthood Federat ($115K). Together the top 10 received $470K.
Grant Size Distribution
282 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 271 grants of 282 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were concentrated in the District of Columbia (30%), New York (23%), Minnesota (10%), Massachusetts (5%), and Montana (4%). These figures describe the distribution by recipient state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is EcoTrust open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 59 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 97% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 498% 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $672K (2020) to $1.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 59 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| International Planned Parenthood Federat Washington, DC | General operating support | $115,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of America New York, NY | Unrestricted general operating support for several chapters | $70,000 |
| PAI Washington, DC | Unrestricted general operating support | $45,000 |
| Population Media Center South Burlington, VT | Unrestricted general operating support | $40,000 |
| EngenderHealth Philadelphia, PA | Unrestricted general operating support | $35,000 |
| Ipas Chapel Hill, NC | Unrestricted general operating support | $35,000 |
| Pathfinder International Washington, DC | Unrestricted general operating support | $35,000 |
| Fos Feminista New York, NY | Unrestricted general operating support | $35,000 |
| DKT International Washington, DC | Unrestricted general operating support | $30,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | Unrestricted general operating support | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with EcoTrust?
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 | $2,822,720 | $1,376,477 | $1,031,716 | $1,029,150 | 59 | $1,029,150 | $84,021 | $206,619 |
| 2024 | $2,483,775 | $1,086,666 | $965,667 | $963,300 | 57 | $963,300 | $67,413 | $178,740 |
| 2023 | $2,365,319 | $830,778 | $892,469 | $889,881 | 55 | $889,881 | $58,134 | $162,912 |
| 2022 | $2,428,322 | $849,846 | $837,385 | $833,200 | 55 | $833,200 | $56,310 | $173,948 |
| 2021 | $2,419,060 | $1,078,426 | $813,561 | $808,817 | 56 | $808,817 | $219,511 | $191,384 |
| 2020 | $2,158,007 | $896,617 | $676,639 | $672,331 | 54 | — | $205,724 | $142,927 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, EcoTrust reported a distributable amount of $207K 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
No mission statement for EcoTrust is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in reproductive and sexual health, family planning, and environmental protection. For example, Planned Parenthood Federation of America describes its mission as providing comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care and advocating for public policies. Population Media Center says it uses entertainment media to encourage family planning, gender equity, and global sustainability. Environmental Defense Fund describes its work as addressing climate change, pollution, and environmental protection.
Grantmaking
In 2025, EcoTrust made 59 grants totaling $1,029,150. Grants ranged from $150 to $115,000, with a median grant of $15,000. In 2024, the foundation reported making cash grants to 57 charitable organizations, averaging $16,900 per organization.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $115,000 to International Planned Parenthood Federation for general operating support; $70,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America for unrestricted general operating support for several chapters; and $45,000 to PAI for unrestricted general operating support. Other notable grants included $40,000 to Population Media Center and $35,000 each to EngenderHealth, Ipas, Pathfinder International, and Fos Feminista, all for unrestricted general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Peter W Vaughan as president and Catherine K Anson and Angus M Vaughan as directors.
EcoTrust is led by Peter W Vaughan, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Peter W Vaughan
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angus M Vaughan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine K Anson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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.
Frequently asked questions about EcoTrust
How much does EcoTrust give each year?
EcoTrust gave $1.0M across 59 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $963K across 57 grants.
What is EcoTrust's typical grant size?
EcoTrust's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $17,443, across 59 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from EcoTrust that year got $4K on average.
Where does EcoTrust give grants?
EcoTrust's top state is District of Columbia, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (23%) and Minnesota (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (14 grants), New York, NY (7 grants), St. Paul, MN (7 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (4 grants).
Does EcoTrust give general operating support?
Yes: 95% of EcoTrust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (56 of 59) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are EcoTrust's largest grantees?
EcoTrust's largest 2025 grantees include International Planned Parenthood Federat ($115,000), Planned Parenthood Federation of America ($70,000) and PAI ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is EcoTrust?
EcoTrust reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $207K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does EcoTrust fund?
No mission statement for EcoTrust is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations working in reproductive and sexual health, family planning, and environmental protection. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from EcoTrust?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is EcoTrust's EIN?
EcoTrust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1735062. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does EcoTrust 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 25, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in EcoTrust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). EcoTrust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ecotrust-morg_87855943f7e6433597e236f262d3333d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411735062_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{EcoTrust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ecotrust-morg_87855943f7e6433597e236f262d3333d},
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 EcoTrust'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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