Helen C Cole Charitable Trust
The Helen C Cole Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio. In 2024, it gave $1,414,551 through 15 grants to charitable organizations, including organizations in the arts, education, community services, and other fields.
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Helen C Cole Charitable Trust gave $1.4M across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $94K), mostly in Ohio. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,414,551
- +14.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $94,303
- +14.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $43,377
- Total assets
- $24,657,236
- +10.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (91% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Helen C Cole 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: 600 Superior Ave E 1701, Cleveland, OH 44114
Phone: (216) 382-2000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helen C Cole Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Cleveland Foundation ($707K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
75 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 75 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 4% to California, and 4% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Helen C Cole Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 128% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2021) to $1.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Cleveland Foundation Cleveland, OH | General | $707,273 |
| Cleveland Institute of Art Cleveland, OH | General | $63,377 |
| Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH | General | $63,377 |
| Laurel School Shaker Heights, OH | General | $63,377 |
| Scripps College Claremont, CA | General | $63,377 |
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | General | $63,377 |
| American Red Cross Cleveland, OH | General | $43,377 |
| Benjamin Rose Institute Cleveland, OH | General | $43,377 |
| Church of the Covenant Cleveland, OH | General | $43,377 |
| Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center Cleveland, OH | General | $43,377 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $24,657,236 | $4,207,836 | $1,926,412 | $1,414,551 | 15 | $1,466,312 | $3,769,545 | $1,149,271 |
| 2023 | $22,399,999 | $1,052,327 | $1,635,860 | $1,239,556 | 15 | $1,294,928 | $696,895 | $1,142,607 |
| 2022 | $23,101,317 | $609,354 | $1,828,152 | $1,414,551 | 15 | $1,653,467 | $285,104 | $1,218,489 |
| 2021 | $25,043,450 | $3,046,602 | $1,724,337 | $1,224,315 | 15 | $1,224,315 | $2,543,378 | $1,357,975 |
| 2020 | $23,414,480 | $1,523,653 | $1,672,065 | $1,229,307 | 15 | — | $1,065,860 | $1,191,135 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen C Cole Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2024 — 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 trust is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational institutions such as Laurel School, Scripps College, and Wellesley College; cultural organizations such as the Cleveland Museum of Art; and community organizations such as the Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center and Benjamin Rose Institute. The Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center describes its work as providing hearing, speech-language, and deaf services, education, and advocacy. Benjamin Rose Institute says it supports caregivers and helps people age well through research, services, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust made 15 grants totaling $1,414,551. Grant amounts ranged from $43,377 to $707,273, with a median of $43,377. The largest grant was $707,273 to The Cleveland Foundation, for general purposes. Other notable grants included $63,377 each to Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art, Laurel School, Scripps College, and Wellesley College, also for general purposes. Grants of $43,377 each went to several organizations, including American Red Cross, Benjamin Rose Institute, Church of the Covenant, Cleveland Hearing and Speech Center, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and Cleveland Music School Settlement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Mark F Swary is listed as trustee.
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust is led by Mark F. Swary, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mark F. Swary
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$131K (2022) → $124K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $124K, to Mark F Swary (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Helen C Cole Charitable Trust
How much does Helen C Cole Charitable Trust give each year?
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust gave $1.4M across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 15 grants.
What is Helen C Cole Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $43,377, and its average grant was $94,303, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Helen C Cole Charitable Trust give grants?
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust gives mostly in Ohio: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (12 grants).
Does Helen C Cole Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Helen C Cole Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Helen C Cole Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include The Cleveland Foundation ($707,273), Cleveland Institute of Art ($63,377) and Cleveland Museum of Art ($63,377), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Helen C Cole Charitable Trust?
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust reported $24.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Helen C Cole Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen C Cole 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 ↑
What is Helen C Cole Charitable Trust's EIN?
Helen C Cole Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-7178399. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Helen C Cole 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helen C Cole Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-c-cole-charitable-trust-morg_c56368303285447498fcbd2745ab92bc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_347178399_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helen C Cole Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-c-cole-charitable-trust-morg_c56368303285447498fcbd2745ab92bc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 C Cole 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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