J Earl Belch Charitable Trust
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Columbus Grove, Ohio. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving for an athletic-complex upgrade and a new facility, scholarships for students and graduates from Putnam County, and support for other organizations’ programs and activities.
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: J Earl Belch Charitable Trust gave $1.1M across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $90K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,084,233
- +515.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $90,353
- +361.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,739
- Total assets
- $1,075,637
- -10.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to J Earl Belch Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The filing says to send a letter to Nicholas Gilgenbaugh. It lists no deadline and says awards are primarily for the benefit of the Columbus Grove, Putnam County, Ohio, area. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Nicholas Gilgenbaugh
Mailing address: 10866 St Rt 12 W, Columbus Grove, OH 45830
Phone: (419) 235-1950
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who J Earl Belch Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Columbus Grove Local Schools ($738K across 3 grants). Together the top 8 received $1.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 50 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing states that awards are primarily for the benefit of the Columbus Grove and Putnam County, Ohio, area. The 2025 itemized grants include recipients in Ohio and one recipient in Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
How J Earl Belch Charitable Trust gives
- Giving grew 915% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $52K (2020) to $1.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Grove Local Schools Columbus Grove, OH | For Athletic Complex Upgrades | $650,008 |
| Lifewise Academy Columbus Grove, OH | For New Facility | $300,000 |
| Columbus Grove Local Schools Columbus Grove, OH | Scholarships for Putnam Co Oh Students | $80,000 |
| The Ohio State University Columbus, OH | Scholarship for Putnam County Oh Student | $15,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $10,000 |
| Columbus Grove Local Schools Columbus Grove, OH | To Support Their Programs and Activities. | $8,478 |
| Animal Protection League of Mercer County Celina, OH | To Support Their Programs and Activities. | $5,000 |
| Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL | Scholarship for Putnam Co Oh Student | $5,000 |
| Lifewise Academy Columbus Grove, OH | To support the christian education of Putnam county oh students | $5,000 |
| Sons of American Legion Columbus Grove, OH | To Support Their Programs and Activities. | $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 | $1,075,637 | $987,914 | $1,112,910 | $1,084,233 | 12 | $1,084,233 | $980,920 | $62,132 |
| 2024 | $1,200,633 | $788,912 | $186,250 | $176,040 | 9 | $176,040 | $778,977 | $50,336 |
| 2023 | $597,971 | $28,043 | $65,517 | $57,005 | 9 | $57,005 | $19,801 | $29,655 |
| 2022 | $635,445 | $28,004 | $115,591 | $106,818 | 13 | $106,818 | $19,450 | $22,161 |
| 2021 | $723,032 | $25,748 | $89,477 | $79,237 | 7 | $79,237 | $15,756 | $10,779 |
| 2020 | $786,761 | $28,531 | $65,800 | $52,033 | 10 | — | $17,859 | $13,820 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, J Earl Belch Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $62K 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 is provided. The 2025 grants show support for local school facilities and programs, scholarships, a Christian education facility, and other organizations’ activities.
Grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. The Ohio State University describes its mission as providing camping and recreational facilities for children and adults associated with 4-H and other educational groups. An individual recipient State University’s grantee-provided description identifies it as a labor union associated with the AAUP that represents BGSU faculty members. Bluffton University says it seeks to prepare students for life, vocation, responsible citizenship, service, and the purpose of God’s universal kingdom.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 12 grants totaling $1,084,233. Grant amounts ranged from $649 to $650,008, with a median of $6,739.
The largest awards included $650,008 to Columbus Grove Local Schools for athletic-complex upgrades and $300,000 to LifeWise Academy for a new facility. Columbus Grove Local Schools also received $80,000 for scholarships for Putnam County students. Other scholarship grants included $15,000 to The Ohio State University, $10,000 to an individual recipient State University, $2,098 to Rhodes State College, and $649 to Bluffton University. Other listed awards included $5,000 to Animal Protection League of Mercer County, $5,000 to LifeWise Academy for Christian education of Putnam County students, and $3,000 to Sons of American Legion.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nicholas Gilgenbaugh, Thomas Gerdeman, and Thomas Birkmeyer as co-trustees.
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nicholas Gilgenbaugh
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$500 (2020) → $500 (2025)
Thomas Gerdeman
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$500 (2020) → $500 (2025)
Thomas Birkemeyer
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$500 (2024) → $500 (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Garnet Smith (2020–2021) — Co-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 $500, to Nicholas Gilgenbaugh (Co-Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about J Earl Belch Charitable Trust
How much does J Earl Belch Charitable Trust give each year?
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust gave $1.1M across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $176K across 9 grants.
What is J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $6,739, and its average grant was $90,353, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does J Earl Belch Charitable Trust give grants?
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus Grove, OH (6 grants).
Does J Earl Belch Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship for Putnam Co Oh Student" (4 grants) and "To Support Their Programs and Activities." (3 grants).
Who are J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Columbus Grove Local Schools ($738,486 across 3 grants), Lifewise Academy ($305,000 across 2 grants) and The Ohio State University ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 98% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is J Earl Belch Charitable Trust?
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $62K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does J Earl Belch Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for local school facilities and programs, scholarships, a Christian education facility, and other organizations’ activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from J Earl Belch Charitable Trust?
The filing says to send a letter to Nicholas Gilgenbaugh. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's EIN?
J Earl Belch Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-6043262. 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). J Earl Belch Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/j-earl-belch-charitable-trust-morg_9fd2b6e8d93245e6ac3297ee0b94f26b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_306043262_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{J Earl Belch Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/j-earl-belch-charitable-trust-morg_9fd2b6e8d93245e6ac3297ee0b94f26b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 J Earl Belch 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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