Helen L Kay Charitable Trust
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. In its 2025 filing, it reported 23 grants totaling $161,000 to organizations in five states.
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Helen L Kay Charitable Trust gave $161K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Michigan. 26% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $161,000
- -51.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- -39.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,000
- -19.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $5,295,806
- +0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (6 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (51% 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 L Kay Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing states that no forms are needed; applicants should submit a letter explaining the need and use of funds. It names Rachel Gulledge as the contact, states that there are no deadlines, and says no restrictions are placed on grant awards. The filing also states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Rachel Gulledge
Mailing address: 411 West Lafayette, Detroit, MI 48226
Phone: (313) 222-3568
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helen L Kay Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Presbyterian Church of East Brady ($20K). Together the top 10 received $122K.
Grant Size Distribution
158 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 158 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan (51%), Illinois (27%), Pennsylvania (14%), New York (6%), and Virginia (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Helen L Kay Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 23 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 17% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 48% 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 $161K (2025) to $375K (2021). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $161K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Presbyterian Church of East Brady East Brady, PA | Support of Daily Operations | $20,000 |
| Shriner's Hospital for Children Chicago, IL | Support of Daily Operations | $20,000 |
| The Salvation Army Hoffman Estates, IL | Support of Daily Operations | $20,000 |
| Starr Commonwealth Albion, MI | Support of Daily Operations | $20,000 |
| Goodwill Ind of Greater Detroit Adrian, MI | Support of Daily Operations | $20,000 |
| Cancer Research Institute New York, NY | Support of Daily Operations | $10,000 |
| Athletes for Charity Falls Church, VA | Support of Daily Operations | $3,000 |
| New City Kids Grand Rapids, MI | Support of Daily Operations | $3,000 |
| The Pittsburgh Project Pittsburgh, PA | Support of Daily Operations | $3,000 |
| Bottomless Toy Chest Bloomfield Hills, MI | Support of Daily Operations | $3,000 |
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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 | $5,295,806 | $262,365 | $253,390 | $161,000 | 23 | $169,447 | $184,171 | $351,649 |
| 2024 | $5,286,590 | $349,178 | $430,060 | $330,500 | 38 | $340,019 | $260,503 | $333,394 |
| 2023 | $5,376,035 | $179,990 | $396,949 | $318,000 | 34 | $325,693 | $108,734 | $308,024 |
| 2022 | $5,594,000 | $129,776 | $450,578 | $372,500 | 32 | $380,060 | $60,338 | $322,097 |
| 2021 | $5,915,106 | $247,894 | $457,654 | $374,750 | 31 | $382,171 | $178,392 | $365,662 |
| 2020 | $6,124,870 | $393,989 | $436,809 | $365,500 | 38 | — | $329,630 | $331,863 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen L Kay Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $352K 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 trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations whose own stated work spans several areas. Starr Commonwealth says its mission is to help children, families, and communities flourish. New City Kids describes its work as providing academic, leadership, musical, and spiritual development through after-school and summer programs. The Cancer Research Institute says it advances cancer immunotherapy through scientific discovery and global collaboration. Oakland Family Services describes a continuum of prevention, education, and treatment services for children and families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust awarded 23 grants totaling $161,000. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $20,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest listed awards were $20,000 each to First Presbyterian Church of East Brady, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, The Salvation Army, Starr Commonwealth, and Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit. Each was designated for support of daily operations. Other listed recipients included the Cancer Research Institute, which received $10,000, and New City Kids, The Pittsburgh Project, Oakland Family Services, and Little Heroes League, which each received $3,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Fifth Third Bank N.A. as trustee.
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's only listed officer is Fifth Third Bank N A, Trustee on the 2025 filing (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Fifth Third Bank N A
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$84K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Comerica Bank (2020–2024) — Trustee
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 $84K, to Fifth Third Bank N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Helen L Kay Charitable Trust
How much does Helen L Kay Charitable Trust give each year?
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust gave $161K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $331K across 38 grants.
What is Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $7,000, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Helen L Kay Charitable Trust that year got $4K on average.
Where does Helen L Kay Charitable Trust give grants?
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust gives mostly in Michigan: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (27%) and Pennsylvania (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (2 grants), Pontiac, MI (2 grants) and Southfield, MI (2 grants).
Does Helen L Kay Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of Daily Operations" (23 grants).
Who are Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include First Presbyterian Church of East Brady ($20,000), Shriner's Hospital for Children ($20,000) and The Salvation Army ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Helen L Kay Charitable Trust?
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust reported $5.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $169K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $352K (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 Helen L Kay Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations whose own stated work spans several areas. Starr Commonwealth says its mission is to help children, families, and communities flourish. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen L Kay Charitable Trust?
The 2024 filing states that no forms are needed; applicants should submit a letter explaining the need and use of funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's EIN?
Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3047073. 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Helen L Kay Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helen L Kay Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-l-kay-charitable-trust-morg_aaee1f8089dc4f2fbbffccbeda226c5c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383047073_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helen L Kay Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-l-kay-charitable-trust-morg_aaee1f8089dc4f2fbbffccbeda226c5c},
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 L Kay 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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