Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Established in 2017, it supports qualified Texas charitable organizations in areas including medical research, education, and the fine arts, with a stated preference for Dallas County and surrounding North Texas counties.
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust gave $2.2M across 56 grants in 2025 (avg $39K), mostly in Texas. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,197,000
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 56
- +12.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $39,232
- -0.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $38,921,899
- +3.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (6 of 56, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (97% 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 Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says an online application and additional information are available through the Bank of America philanthropic grant search page. It lists Bank of America – Kelly Garlock as the contact and says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing lists the focus areas as arts, culture and humanities; education; health; human services; medical research; and youth development, with a preference for Dallas County and surrounding North Texas counties.
- Review Cycle
- May 1.
- Deadline
- May 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Bank Of America - Kelly Garlock
Mailing address: 901 Main St Fl 16, Dallas, TX 75202-3738
Phone: (214) 209-2396
Email: tx.philanthropic@bofa.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust
Who Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UT Southwestern Medical Center ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
272 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 188 grants of 272 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust states a preference for Dallas County and surrounding North Texas counties. In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to Texas recipients; 1% each went to recipients in Georgia, Kansas, and Florida. Louisiana accounted for 0% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 56 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 56 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $42K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 $1.3M (2020) to $2.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 56 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UT Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX | Support Research Award | $250,000 |
| Retina Foundation of the Southwest Dallas, TX | Retinal Research & Center | $200,000 |
| Nasher Sculpture Center Dallas, TX | Support Free First | $100,000 |
| Akiba Yavneh Academy of Dallas Dallas, TX | Ma'alot Special Needs | $90,000 |
| Dallas Children's Theater Inc Dallas, TX | Sensory-Friendly Program | $75,000 |
| Jewish Community Center of Dallas Dallas, TX | Performing Arts Space | $70,000 |
| Notre Dame of Dallas Schools Inc Dallas, TX | Support Vocational Training | $70,000 |
| The Dallas Opera Dallas, TX | Support 'The Little Prince' | $70,000 |
| Shakespeare Festival of Dallas Dallas, TX | Support Educational | $60,000 |
| Dallas Symphony Association Inc Dallas, TX | Support Education Programs | $60,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Fichtenbaum 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 | $38,921,899 | $4,436,567 | $3,111,408 | $2,197,000 | 56 | $2,560,806 | $3,844,485 | $2,608,317 |
| 2024 | $37,665,394 | $2,510,598 | $2,785,485 | $1,977,000 | 50 | $2,311,503 | $1,913,129 | $2,426,888 |
| 2023 | $37,474,157 | $1,716,730 | $2,920,755 | $2,147,000 | 53 | $2,460,748 | $1,019,333 | $2,286,601 |
| 2022 | $38,866,129 | $2,432,610 | $2,995,087 | $2,087,000 | 49 | $2,434,475 | $1,656,050 | $2,494,023 |
| 2021 | $39,750,822 | $2,653,044 | $2,678,086 | $1,829,500 | 64 | — | $2,223,182 | $2,445,649 |
| 2020 | $39,727,142 | $1,409,072 | $1,996,431 | $1,282,500 | 36 | — | $419,331 | $2,166,825 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $2.6M 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 trust’s stated areas of support include arts, culture and humanities; education; health; human services; medical research; and youth development. Its program description also highlights medical research related to cancer, heart conditions, vision, and Myasthenia Gravis; education and research for children with mental or physical disabilities; and children’s education and exposure to fine arts. Successful proposals are described as unique, necessary, high priority, and not duplicative of available services.
The 2025 grants illustrate support for organizations working in research, arts, education, and community services. The Retina Foundation of the Southwest describes its mission as preventing vision loss and restoring sight through research and treatment. The Nasher Sculpture Center says it works to advance the study, installation, conservation, and inspiration of modern and contemporary art. Dallas Children’s Theater describes its mission as inspiring young people through theater, while the Jewish Community Center of Dallas says it brings the community together through programs and facilities in an inclusive environment.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust reported 56 grants totaling $2,197,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $250,000, with a median of $25,000. Its largest grants included $250,000 to UT Southwestern Medical Center for a research award and $200,000 to the Retina Foundation of the Southwest for retinal research and its center. Other notable grants included $100,000 to the Nasher Sculpture Center, $90,000 to Akiba Yavneh Academy of Dallas, $75,000 to Dallas Children’s Theater, and $70,000 each to the Jewish Community Center of Dallas, Notre Dame of Dallas Schools, and The Dallas Opera.
The program description gives an award range of $10,000–$100,000 and an average award of $35,000. The trust’s 2025 filing also lists grants outside that program range.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bank of America and Leonard A. Epstein as co-trustees.
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bank Of America
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$297K (2020) → $385K (2025)
Leonard A. Epstein
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$129K (2020) → $202K (2025)
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 $385K, to Bank of America (Co-Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust
How much does Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust give each year?
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust gave $2.2M across 56 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 50 grants.
What is Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $39,232, across 56 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust that year got $19K on average.
Where does Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust give grants?
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust gives mostly in Texas: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (39 grants), Fort Worth, TX (3 grants), Plano, TX (2 grants) and Richardson, TX (2 grants).
Does Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Occasionally: 4% of Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 56) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include UT Southwestern Medical Center ($250,000), Retina Foundation of the Southwest ($200,000) and Nasher Sculpture Center ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($25,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust?
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust reported $38.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.6M (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 Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust fund?
The trust’s stated areas of support include arts, culture and humanities; education; health; human services; medical research; and youth development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust?
The 2024 filing says an online application and additional information are available through the Bank of America philanthropic grant search page. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's EIN?
Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-6575133. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 June 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fichtenbaum-charitable-trust-morg_7a11e54708634c2083ecf47ca00f9d0b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_306575133_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fichtenbaum-charitable-trust-morg_7a11e54708634c2083ecf47ca00f9d0b},
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 Fichtenbaum 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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