Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust
The Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Jefferson, Wisconsin. Its 2026 filing reports 15 scholarship grants totaling $42,000. The trust’s 2025 return is marked as its final return, indicating that it appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking; the 2026 filing nevertheless reports grants for that year.
Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust gave $42K across 15 grants in 2026 (avg $3K), mostly in Wisconsin. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $42,000
- +47.4% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 15
- +50.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $2,800
- -1.8% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (82% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing states that the trust does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. It also describes a scholarship application process requiring the Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust Scholarship application form. The filing lists eligibility restrictions: applicants must attend one of five Jefferson County high schools—Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, Lake Mills, Waterloo, or Johnson Creek—have a GPA of 2.75 or higher, and have been Jefferson County residents throughout all four years of high school. These instructions are from a return marked final and should not be treated as current.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists March 31 each year. The March 31, 2026 deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The filing lists March 31 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Francis F Carnes Education Charitab
Mailing address: N5620 Harvey Road, Jefferson, WI 53549
Phone: (920) 723-8320
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Carroll University ($9K across 3 grants). Together the top 6 received $23K.
Organizations only. It also paid 7 individual scholarships ($19,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 63 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin, 11% to Iowa, and 7% to Ohio. The listed recipients include institutions in those states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (−18%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 196% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $29K (2025) to $51K (2023). In 2026 it made 15 grants totaling $42K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 7 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $19,500 |
| UW-Madison Madison, WI | scholarship | $3,000 |
| Heidelberg University Tiffin, OH | scholarship | $3,000 |
| William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA | scholarship | $3,000 |
| UW-LaCrosse LaCrosse, WI | scholarship | $3,000 |
| Carroll University Waukesha, WI | scholarship | $3,000 |
| Carroll University Waukesha, WI | scholarship | $3,000 |
| Carroll University Waukesha, WI | scholarship | $3,000 |
| Luther College Decorah, IA | scholarship | $1,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | $29,130 | $59,316 | $42,000 | 15 | $59,316 | $29,130 | $30,279 |
| 2025 | $1,023,894 | $48,889 | $38,221 | $28,500 | 10 | $38,221 | $48,889 | $48,927 |
| 2024 | $1,013,891 | $45,082 | $47,202 | $36,000 | 13 | $47,202 | $45,082 | $48,280 |
| 2023 | $1,036,022 | $44,543 | $60,125 | $51,000 | 13 | $60,125 | $44,543 | $50,515 |
| 2021 | $1,049,698 | $48,085 | $39,801 | $33,000 | 12 | — | $48,085 | $57,849 |
| 2020 | $1,041,882 | $46,804 | $43,914 | $36,500 | 12 | — | $46,804 | $55,966 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $30K for 2026 — 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 available filings do not state a mission for the trust. Its 2026 grants are identified as scholarships and went to universities and colleges. For example, Heidelberg University describes its own mission as rooted in the liberal arts, with programs in areas including science, global education, and business. Carroll University describes its own mission as providing a superior education rooted in its Presbyterian and liberal arts heritage.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the trust reported 15 grants totaling $42,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $3,000, with a median of $3,000. Recipients included an individual recipient, UW La Crosse, Heidelberg University, William Penn University, three individual recipients, and Carroll University, each listed with a $3,000 scholarship grant. Luther College received $1,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Cherie L Miller and David Westrick as trustees.
Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's 2026 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Cherie L Miller
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Westrick
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "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 Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust
How much does Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust give each year?
Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust gave $42K across 15 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $29K across 10 grants.
What is Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's median grant in 2026 was $3,000, and its average grant was $2,800, across 15 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust give grants?
Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust gives mostly in Wisconsin: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Iowa (11%) and Ohio (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Waukesha, WI (3 grants).
Does Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (15 grants).
Who are Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's largest 2026 grantees include Carroll University ($9,000 across 3 grants), UW-Madison ($3,000) and Heidelberg University ($3,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 7 individual scholarships ($19,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
What does Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust fund?
The available filings do not state a mission for the trust. Its 2026 grants are identified as scholarships and went to universities and colleges. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust?
The 2025 filing states that the trust does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2026, Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $30K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's EIN?
Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1968680. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does Francis F Carnes Education 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 6, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 31, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Francis F Carnes Education Charitable Trust funds
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