Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust
The Hugo A and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations including Nebraska nonprofits working in poverty relief, food assistance, conservation, education, and community services, as well as a Virginia-based conservation organization.
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust gave $295K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in Nebraska. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $295,250
- +11.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +114.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,683
- -48.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,000
- Total assets
- $2,828,815
- -5.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (7 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (89% 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 Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It directs applicants to contact “Aspegren Trust Grant Applications” and “see attached form.” Awards are restricted to Nebraska.
- Review Cycle
- January 31. The 2026 deadline has passed as of September 29, 2026; the filing does not specify a year for the deadline.
- Deadline
- January 31.
- Contact
Application contact: Aspegren Trust Grant Applications
Mailing address: Jaime Hemmerling First Nebr Tr Co, Box Lincoln, NE 68501-1667
Phone: (402) 477-2200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Community Action of Nebraska Inc ($46K). Together the top 10 received $245K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 38 grants of 47 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing states that awards are restricted to Nebraska. In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska and 11% to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 15 grantees (47%) 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. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $16K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 27% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $196K (2019) to $295K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $295K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Action of Nebraska Inc Lincoln, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $46,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $32,250 |
| St Paul United Methodist Church Omaha, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $30,000 |
| Conservation Nebraska Lincoln, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $25,000 |
| Prairie Loft Center Hastings, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $25,000 |
| Nebraska Vocational Agricultural Foundation Aurora, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $25,000 |
| Food Bank of Lincoln Inc Lincoln, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $16,000 |
| People's City Mission Lincoln, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $16,000 |
| Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach Lincoln, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $16,000 |
| Camp Sonshine Roca, NE | Provide Educational and Charitable Services. | $14,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust?
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 | $2,828,815 | $207,732 | $367,415 | $295,250 | 15 | $315,589 | $186,278 | $339,804 |
| 2024 | $2,988,498 | $1,168,884 | $307,011 | $265,000 | 7 | $284,771 | $1,147,923 | $315,399 |
| 2023 | $2,126,625 | $170,722 | $307,394 | $270,800 | 8 | $288,255 | $152,426 | $285,391 |
| 2022 | $2,263,297 | $228,741 | $306,454 | $262,675 | 12 | $280,233 | $210,320 | $284,527 |
| 2021 | $2,341,010 | $380,836 | $254,240 | $215,000 | 5 | $232,239 | $362,592 | $280,048 |
| 2020 | $2,214,414 | $181,845 | $227,613 | $197,000 | 13 | — | $166,700 | $229,600 |
| 2019 | $2,260,182 | $101,370 | $224,007 | $196,000 | 5 | — | $86,180 | $210,977 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $340K 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 show support for organizations whose missions include poverty alleviation, conservation, agricultural and outdoor education, food distribution, temporary housing for homeless people, and youth preparation for a global economy.
For example, Community Action of Nebraska says it works to alleviate poverty through program development, technical assistance, and public-policy advocacy. The Nature Conservancy describes its mission as conserving the lands and waters on which life depends. Conservation Nebraska says it works to protect Nebraska’s natural legacy through public education, community support, and civic engagement. Prairie Loft Center says it teaches agricultural appreciation, outdoor education, cultural connections, and wise use of natural resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust made 15 grants totaling $295,250. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $46,000, with a median grant of $16,000. Notable awards included $46,000 to Community Action of Nebraska; $32,250 to The Nature Conservancy; $30,000 to St Paul United Methodist Church; and $25,000 each to Conservation Nebraska, Prairie Loft Center, and Nebraska Vocational Agricultural Foundation. The filing lists the stated purpose for these grants as “provide educational and charitable services.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists First Nebraska Trust Company as trustee, as needed.
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's only listed officer is First Nebraska Trust Company, Trustee-As Needed on every filing since 2019 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
First Nebraska Trust Company
Trustee-As Needed
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$27K (2019) → $40K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $40K, to First Nebraska Trust Company (Trustee-As Needed).
Frequently asked questions about Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust
How much does Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust give each year?
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust gave $295K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $265K across 7 grants.
What is Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $16,000, and its average grant was $19,683, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust that year got $21K on average.
Where does Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust give grants?
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust gives mostly in Nebraska: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lincoln, NE (10 grants).
Does Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Provide Educational and Charitable Services." (15 grants).
Who are Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Community Action of Nebraska Inc ($46,000), The Nature Conservancy ($32,250) and St Paul United Methodist Church ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust?
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $316K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $340K (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 Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations whose missions include poverty alleviation, conservation, agricultural and outdoor education, food distribution, temporary housing for homeless people, and youth preparation for a global economy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust?
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's EIN?
Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-6232760. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hugo-a-and-thelma-aspegren-charitable-trust-morg_70a1527519d44681bb552d328babcadc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_476232760_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hugo-a-and-thelma-aspegren-charitable-trust-morg_70a1527519d44681bb552d328babcadc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Hugo a and Thelma Aspegren 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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