Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Omaha, Nebraska. In its 2025 filing, it reported 17 grants totaling $133,500, with listed recipients including Nebraska organizations and one in Virginia.
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust gave $134K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Nebraska. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $133,500
- -21.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- -34.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,853
- +20.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (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 Helen a Pearson 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: 2120 South 72Nd Street 1190, Omaha, NE 68124-3712
Phone: (402) 393-1045
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hastings College Foundation ($48K). Together the top 10 received $120K.
Grant Size Distribution
121 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 121 grants of 121 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska and 3% to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $134K (2025) to $185K (2023). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $134K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hastings College Foundation Hastings, NE | Regular Operations | $47,500 |
| Nebraska Family Alliance Inc Lincoln, NE | Regular Operations | $12,500 |
| Open Door Mission Omaha, NE | Regular Operations | $12,500 |
| American Red Cross Omaha, NE | Regular Operations | $10,000 |
| Food Bank for the Heartland Omaha, NE | Regular Operations | $10,000 |
| Salvation Army Omaha, NE | Regular Operations | $10,000 |
| Lutheran Family Services of NE Inc Omaha, NE | Regular Operations | $8,000 |
| Christian Legal Society Springfield, VA | Regular Operations | $4,000 |
| Nebraska Children's Home Society Foundation Omaha, NE | Regular Operations | $3,000 |
| Living Word Ministries Int'l Lincoln, NE | Regular Operations | $2,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | $1,115 | $153,722 | $133,500 | 17 | $153,722 | — | $6,581 |
| 2024 | $152,607 | $55,574 | $187,992 | $170,000 | 26 | $187,992 | $55,574 | $16,606 |
| 2023 | $285,025 | $-24,652 | $202,501 | $185,000 | 26 | $202,418 | $6,341 | $26,343 |
| 2022 | $509,678 | $-3,055 | $191,826 | $170,000 | 25 | $186,468 | $9,917 | $33,409 |
| 2021 | $704,559 | $228,035 | $187,822 | $169,500 | 27 | $186,336 | $227,798 | $39,809 |
| 2020 | $664,346 | $61,305 | $183,580 | $166,000 | 30 | — | $61,086 | $41,100 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $7K 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 foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a college foundation, food assistance, homelessness services, family services, and other charitable organizations. For example, the Hastings College Foundation says it secures resources to support students’ academic and personal growth; Food Bank for the Heartland says its mission is to eliminate hunger in the Heartland; and Open Door Mission says it works to address homelessness and poverty.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $133,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $47,500, with a median grant of $3,000. The largest awards included $47,500 to Hastings College Foundation, $12,500 each to Nebraska Family Alliance and Open Door Mission, and $10,000 each to American Red Cross, Food Bank for the Heartland, and Salvation Army. Other listed grants included $8,000 to Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska and $2,500 each to Living Word Ministries International and Stephen Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John E Nelson as trustee.
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust is led by John E. Nelson, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John E. Nelson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$14K (2020) → $14K (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 $14K, to John E Nelson (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust
How much does Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust give each year?
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust gave $134K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $170K across 26 grants.
What is Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $7,853, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust give grants?
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust gives mostly in Nebraska: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Omaha, NE (11 grants) and Lincoln, NE (2 grants).
Does Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Regular Operations" (17 grants).
Who are Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Hastings College Foundation ($47,500), Nebraska Family Alliance Inc ($12,500) and Open Door Mission ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a college foundation, food assistance, homelessness services, family services, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen a Pearson 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 ↑
How much is Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $7K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust's EIN?
Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6922789. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Helen a Pearson 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 April 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-a-pearson-charitable-trust-morg_4b060ab331a04535aa60da7e1d0f7e3c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_206922789_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helen a Pearson Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-a-pearson-charitable-trust-morg_4b060ab331a04535aa60da7e1d0f7e3c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Helen a Pearson 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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