Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Delaware and Pennsylvania.
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust gave $390K across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Delaware. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $390,108
- +0.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- -2.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,802
- +2.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,850
- Total assets
- $7,865,351
- +2.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 50, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Delaware (66% 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 Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust
- 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 70, Wilmington, DE 19899
Phone: (239) 397-5002
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Episcopal Church in Delaware the Diocesan Council Inc ($37K). Together the top 10 received $159K.
Grant Size Distribution
266 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 266 grants of 266 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in Delaware received 66% of grant dollars and recipients in Pennsylvania received 20%. Smaller reported shares went to New York (3%), Virginia (2%), and Maine (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 50 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). 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 (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 $355K (2021) to $417K (2023). In 2025 it made 50 grants totaling $390K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Episcopal Church in Delaware the Diocesan Council Inc Wilmington, DE | General Purpose | $36,700 |
| Christ Church-Rector's Discrt Fund Greenville, DE | General Purpose | $32,551 |
| University of Pa Class of 1929 Philadelphia, PA | General Purpose | $16,700 |
| Church Farm School Exton, PA | General Purpose | $15,850 |
| University of Pa Alumni Society of Delaw Claymont, DE | General Purpose | $11,707 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Delaware Wilmington, DE | General Purpose | $11,700 |
| Delaware Center for Horticulture Inc Wilmington, DE | General Purpose | $11,700 |
| Germantown Friends School Philadelphia, PA | General Purpose | $10,850 |
| Rumford Hospital Rumford, ME | General Purpose | $5,850 |
| American Cancer Society Inc National Office of Probate & Hagerstown, MD | General Purpose | $5,850 |
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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 | $7,865,351 | $730,739 | $516,973 | $390,108 | 50 | $456,233 | $680,455 | $488,801 |
| 2024 | $7,655,474 | $522,558 | $498,095 | $388,166 | 51 | $449,538 | $472,856 | $470,146 |
| 2023 | $7,608,873 | $235,035 | $520,925 | $417,390 | 53 | $475,959 | $191,224 | $427,720 |
| 2022 | $7,857,227 | $650,837 | $516,149 | $380,635 | 54 | $447,886 | $584,367 | $479,129 |
| 2021 | $7,739,637 | $797,771 | $464,001 | $354,798 | 58 | — | $760,358 | $453,934 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $489K for 2025 — 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 trust is provided. Its 2025 grantees include educational, cultural, health, recovery, safety, and conservation organizations. For example, Church Farm School describes its mission as making a college preparatory education financially accessible to boys; the Delaware Art Museum says it connects people to art through its collections, exhibitions, and programs; and Delaware Wild Lands describes its work as conserving and preserving natural areas.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust reported 50 grants totaling $390,108. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $36,700, with a median grant of $5,850. The largest listed awards included $36,700 to The Episcopal Church in Delaware and $32,551 to Christ Church-Rector’s Discretionary Fund, both for general purpose. Other notable grants included $16,700 to University of Pennsylvania Class of 1929, $15,850 to Church Farm School, and $11,700 each to University of Pennsylvania Alumni Society of Delaware, Boys & Girls Club of Delaware, and Delaware Center for Horticulture.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's only listed officer is Wilmington Trust Company, Trustee on every filing since 2021 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wilmington Trust Company
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$73K (2021) → $110K (2025)
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 $110K, to Wilmington Trust Company (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust
How much does Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust give each year?
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust gave $390K across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $388K across 51 grants.
What is Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $5,850, and its average grant was $7,802, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust give grants?
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust gives mostly in Delaware: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, DE (20 grants), Philadelphia, PA (4 grants), Newark, DE (3 grants) and West Chester, PA (2 grants).
Does Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (50 of 50) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include The Episcopal Church in Delaware the Diocesan Council Inc ($36,700), Christ Church-Rector's Discrt Fund ($32,551) and University of Pa Class of 1929 ($16,700), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust?
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust reported $7.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $456K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $489K (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 Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grantees include educational, cultural, health, recovery, safety, and conservation organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust?
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 Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's EIN?
Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-6158138. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Ellason Downs Perpetual 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ellason-downs-perpetual-charitable-trust-morg_bfcea00c1b7b4a2282f3b13d35d9d353
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_516158138_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ellason Downs Perpetual Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ellason-downs-perpetual-charitable-trust-morg_bfcea00c1b7b4a2282f3b13d35d9d353},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Ellason Downs Perpetual 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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