Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust
The Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Post, Texas. Its 2025 filing reports 28 grants totaling $495,893 to charitable organizations.
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust gave $496K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Texas. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $495,893
- +7.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +27.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,710
- -15.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $9,831,909
- +2.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (4 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (94% 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 Ershel Franklin 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 790, Post, TX 79356
Phone: (806) 495-3570
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UMC Foundation ($103K). Together the top 10 received $381K.
Grant Size Distribution
133 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 133 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 5% to recipients in Tennessee, and 1% to recipients in Arkansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 28 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $317K (2021) to $496K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $496K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UMC Foundation Lubbock, TX | Children's Miracle Network $2,500; Passion Campaign $100,000 | $102,500 |
| Post Economic Development Corp' Post, TX | Champer of Commerce | $44,093 |
| Buckner Foundation Co Myndi Easter Lubbock, TX | Family Pathways Project $20,000; Family Hope Center $20,000 | $40,000 |
| Os Ranch Foundation Post, TX | MUSEUM | $40,000 |
| Presbyterian Church Education Fund Post, TX | Scholarships | $30,000 |
| Texas Tech Foundation Box, TX | Kttz - channel 5 public broadcasting system $20,000; scholarships $5,000; day of giving paleontology department $3,300 | $28,300 |
| Community Recovery Center Post, TX | General Operations | $26,500 |
| Community Health Center of Lubbock Lubbock, TX | Dental Equipment | $25,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Research & Education Programs | $25,000 |
| Post-Garza County EMS Post, TX | First Responder Unit | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust?
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 | $9,831,909 | $888,444 | $694,932 | $495,893 | 28 | $527,424 | $630,449 | $584,453 |
| 2024 | $9,638,397 | $798,967 | $686,824 | $463,538 | 22 | $534,830 | $363,251 | $571,830 |
| 2023 | $9,526,254 | $180,323 | $574,333 | $415,000 | 24 | $467,399 | $217,779 | $515,344 |
| 2022 | $9,920,264 | $122,259 | $591,166 | $406,750 | 32 | $486,261 | $200,147 | $496,356 |
| 2021 | $10,389,171 | $897,053 | $478,226 | $317,350 | 27 | $383,260 | $627,071 | $596,217 |
| 2020 | $9,973,102 | $447,924 | $538,053 | $352,050 | 28 | — | $272,008 | $560,443 |
| 2019 | $10,066,156 | $521,232 | $607,447 | $443,250 | 39 | — | $283,479 | $539,078 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $584K 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 the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for health care, emergency medical services, family services, senior services, education, public media, community development, and cultural institutions.
Among the supported organizations, UMC Foundation describes its mission as assisting the operation of Lubbock County Hospital District, doing business as University Medical Center. Community Health Center of Lubbock says it provides quality primary and preventive health care to people in need. Post-Garza County EMS says it provides emergency medical, rescue, and ambulance services to Garza County residents and surrounding areas. Other grantees describe missions that include advancing cures and prevention for pediatric diseases (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital), providing meals and social opportunities for seniors (Garza County Trailblazers), and helping homeless families with children achieve self-sufficiency (Family Promise of Lubbock).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust made 28 grants totaling $495,893. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $102,500, with a median grant of $10,000. Notable grants included $102,500 to UMC Foundation, $44,093 to Post Economic Development Corporation, $40,000 each to Buckner Foundation and OS Ranch Foundation, and $30,000 to Presbyterian Church Education Fund. Other grants included $28,300 to Texas Tech Foundation, $26,500 to Community Recovery Center, $25,000 each to Community Health Center of Lubbock and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and $20,000 to Post-Garza County EMS.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Mary L. McCrary is listed as a trustee on the 2025 filing.
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust is led by Mary L. McCrary, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary L. McCrary
Trustee
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$7K (2019) → $7K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $7K, to Mary L McCrary (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust
How much does Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust give each year?
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust gave $496K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $464K across 22 grants.
What is Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,710, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust that year got $14K on average.
Where does Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust give grants?
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust gives mostly in Texas: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Post, TX (13 grants) and Lubbock, TX (12 grants).
Does Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 25% of Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (4 grants).
Who are Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include UMC Foundation ($102,500), Post Economic Development Corp' ($44,093) and Buckner Foundation Co Myndi Easter ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust?
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust reported $9.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $527K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $584K (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 Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for health care, emergency medical services, family services, senior services, education, public media, community development, and cultural institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ershel Franklin 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 Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust's EIN?
Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-6305761. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Ershel Franklin 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 20, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ershel-franklin-charitable-trust-morg_e1147fdef0654928923b0b4f58e8bf6b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_756305761_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ershel Franklin Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ershel-franklin-charitable-trust-morg_e1147fdef0654928923b0b4f58e8bf6b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Ershel Franklin 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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