Four Lanes Trust
Four Lanes Trust is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Its 2025 filing describes awards typically supporting disadvantaged people’s access to the arts, job training, medical care, and food, and says organizations in the District of Columbia receive special consideration.
Four Lanes Trust at a glance
In short: Four Lanes Trust gave $18K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in District of Columbia. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $18,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,125
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $330,613
- +4.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (50% 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 Four Lanes Trust
- How to Apply
-
Submit the brief program and budget outline described above. The filing names Wendy Makins as the person to contact.
- Review Cycle
- October 31 is listed on the 2025 filing; no year is specified.
- Deadline
- October 31 is listed on the 2025 filing; no year is specified.
- Contact
Application contact: Wendy Makins
Mailing address: 3034 P St, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 965-1204
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Four Lanes Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was DC Central Kitchen ($3K). Together the top 10 received $14K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 80 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in DC (50%), Maine (33%), Maryland (11%), and Pennsylvania (6%). The filing says organizations in the District of Columbia receive special consideration.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Four Lanes Trust open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $833; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% 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 $15K (2022) to $18K (2021). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $18K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DC Central Kitchen Washington, DC | general operating support | $2,500 |
| Herring Gut Coastal Science Center Port Clyde, ME | educational programs support | $2,500 |
| Bread for the City Washington, DC | general operating support | $2,000 |
| Jubilee Jobs Washington, DC | general operating support | $1,000 |
| Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine Auburn, ME | general operating support | $1,000 |
| Lifeflight Foundation of Maine Augusta, ME | general operating support | $1,000 |
| Negotiation Works Washington, DC | general operating support | $1,000 |
| Community Forklift Edmonston, MD | general operating support | $1,000 |
| Washington Concert Opera Washington, DC | Opera Outside program | $1,000 |
| Trekkers Rockland, ME | youth programs and Road Ahead campaign | $1,000 |
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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 | $330,613 | $28,120 | $18,781 | $18,000 | 16 | $18,000 | $28,120 | $17,764 |
| 2024 | $317,774 | $37,302 | $18,300 | $18,000 | 16 | $18,000 | $37,302 | $16,651 |
| 2023 | $304,879 | $15,707 | $17,054 | $16,500 | 17 | $16,500 | $15,707 | $14,912 |
| 2022 | $314,620 | $21,675 | $15,789 | $14,500 | 12 | $14,500 | $21,724 | $15,470 |
| 2021 | $304,235 | $52,427 | $18,686 | $18,250 | 19 | $18,250 | $52,427 | $17,522 |
| 2020 | $270,994 | $18,374 | $15,217 | $15,000 | 13 | — | $18,374 | $14,830 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Four Lanes Trust reported a distributable amount of $18K 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
The filing does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its listed 2025 awards included general operating support, educational programs, an opera program, and youth programs.
Among the grantees, Herring Gut Coastal Science Center describes its mission as educating students and communities about connections between the ocean, inland waters, and Maine’s economy. Bread for the City says it serves Washington, DC residents living on low incomes through food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services, while also pursuing community organizing and public advocacy. Jubilee Jobs describes its work as job placement for the marginally employable. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $18,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $2,500, with a median of $1,000. Examples include $2,500 to DC Central Kitchen for general operating support and $2,500 to Herring Gut Coastal Science Center for educational programs support. Other awards included $2,000 to Bread for the City for general operating support, $1,000 to Jubilee Jobs for general operating support, and $1,000 to Washington Concert Opera for its Opera Outside program.
The 2025 filing says applicants should submit a brief outline of their program budget, financial requirements, other sources of support, and the number of people served. It says awards are typically $500–$2,000 and that organizations in the District of Columbia will receive special consideration.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elisabetta Cortesi as President, Wendy Makins as Treasurer, Marian Makins as Secretary, and Giovanna Cima as Director.
Four Lanes Trust is led by Elisabetta Cortesi, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elisabetta Cortesi
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Giovanna Cima
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marian Makins
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Makins
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Hazel A D Sanger (2020–2023) — Director
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 Four Lanes Trust
How much does Four Lanes Trust give each year?
Four Lanes Trust gave $18K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $18K across 16 grants.
What is Four Lanes Trust's typical grant size?
Four Lanes Trust's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,125, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Four Lanes Trust that year got $833 on average.
Where does Four Lanes Trust give grants?
Four Lanes Trust gives mostly in District of Columbia: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maine (33%) and Maryland (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants).
Does Four Lanes Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of Four Lanes Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Four Lanes Trust's largest grantees?
Four Lanes Trust's largest 2025 grantees include DC Central Kitchen ($2,500), Herring Gut Coastal Science Center ($2,500) and Bread for the City ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Four Lanes Trust?
Four Lanes Trust reported $331K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $18K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Four Lanes Trust fund?
The filing does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its listed 2025 awards included general operating support, educational programs, an opera program, and youth programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Four Lanes Trust?
Submit the brief program and budget outline described above. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Four Lanes Trust's EIN?
Four Lanes Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1104991. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 10, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
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