Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust
The Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in Georgia, including churches, youth and community organizations, a sexual assault center, and a scholarship foundation.
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust gave $430K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Georgia. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $430,000
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,696
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,364,101
- +4.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Georgia (100% 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 Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 66916, St Louis, MO 63166-6916
Phone: (314) 515-4918
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Southern Crescent Sexual Assault Center ($65K). Together the top 10 received $345K.
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 105 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Georgia. Listed recipients include organizations in Henry County and nearby communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 23 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 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 (2020–2025). 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 $335K (2020) to $445K (2022). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $430K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Crescent Sexual Assault Center Jonesboro, GA | General Support | $65,000 |
| Fortson Youth Training Center Fayetteville, GA | General Support | $60,000 |
| Berea Christian Church Hampton, GA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Henry County Scholarship Foundation McDonough, GA | General | $40,000 |
| Harvest Point Church Locust Grove, GA | General Support | $40,000 |
| Hampton First Baptist Church Hampton, GA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Calvary Baptist Church of Hampton Inc Hampton, GA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Hampton United Methodist Church Hampton, GA | General Support | $15,000 |
| A Friends House Inc McDonough, GA | General Support | $15,000 |
| People First of Henry County Inc Lovejoy, GA | General Support | $15,000 |
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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 | $7,364,101 | $806,859 | $518,524 | $430,000 | 23 | $430,600 | $727,689 | $461,165 |
| 2024 | $7,076,297 | $544,667 | $512,621 | $440,000 | 23 | $440,600 | $473,327 | $443,537 |
| 2023 | $7,045,907 | $87,774 | $511,235 | $440,000 | 23 | $440,600 | $138,385 | $403,759 |
| 2022 | $7,462,337 | $266,040 | $528,095 | $445,000 | 19 | $445,000 | $197,918 | $405,872 |
| 2021 | $7,722,362 | $1,249,691 | $525,722 | $437,710 | 17 | $438,640 | $1,158,312 | $423,854 |
| 2020 | $7,006,767 | $203,328 | $478,009 | $335,000 | 15 | — | $94,114 | $401,710 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $461K 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 available information does not state the trust’s mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Southern Crescent Sexual Assault Center, whose mission is to reduce child maltreatment and sexual violence through prevention, intervention, and education; A Friends House, which provides a home addressing children’s physical and emotional needs; and Mighty Hero Home Foundation, which works to provide permanent homes and services to homeless veterans. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the trust’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust made 23 grants totaling $430,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $65,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest awards included $65,000 to Southern Crescent Sexual Assault Center, $60,000 to Fortson Youth Training Center, $50,000 to Berea Christian Church, and $40,000 each to Henry County Scholarship Foundation and Harvest Point Church. The listed grant purposes were generally support or general.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Edward Jones Trust Co as trustee.
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's only listed officer is Edward Jones Trust CO, Trustee on every filing since 2023 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edward Jones Trust CO
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$61K (2023) → $73K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Edward Jones Trust Company (2020–2022) — Trustee
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 highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $73K, to Edward Jones Trust CO (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust
How much does Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust give each year?
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust gave $430K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $440K across 23 grants.
What is Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $18,696, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust that year got $3K on average.
Where does Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust give grants?
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust gives mostly in Georgia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hampton, GA (9 grants), McDonough, GA (4 grants) and Griffin, GA (2 grants).
Does Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 91% of Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Southern Crescent Sexual Assault Center ($65,000), Fortson Youth Training Center ($60,000) and Berea Christian Church ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust?
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust reported $7.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $431K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $461K (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 Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust fund?
The available information does not state the trust’s mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust?
The foundation states that it 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 Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's EIN?
Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 58-6201850. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable 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 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 May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 31, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ed-and-claude-fortson-charitable-trust-morg_9a1a3fad20b94c98b8b69f393e187406
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_586201850_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ed and Claude Fortson Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ed-and-claude-fortson-charitable-trust-morg_9a1a3fad20b94c98b8b69f393e187406},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-31. 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 Ed and Claude Fortson 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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