James I Freeman Charitable Trust
The James I Freeman Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Texarkana, Arkansas. It supports charitable organizations through grants, including organizations working in education, athletics, health, the arts, children’s services, community advancement, and law enforcement.
James I Freeman Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: James I Freeman Charitable Trust gave $324K across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Arkansas. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $323,545
- +22.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- -8.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,111
- +34.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,750
- Total assets
- $8,828,356
- +37.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (8 of 32, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Arkansas (70% 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 James I Freeman 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: 3711 Water Oak Drive, Texarkana, AR 71854
Phone: (870) 779-9644
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James I Freeman Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was BPS Foundation ($63K). Together the top 10 received $293K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 129 grants of 137 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Arkansas, 19% to Nevada, 10% to Texas, and 1% to Maryland. Grants included support for organizations in Texarkana and elsewhere in Arkansas, as well as recipients in Nevada, Texas, and Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James I Freeman Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 32 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 85% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $202K (2022) to $324K (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $324K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BPS Foundation Las Vegas, NV | Supporting Education Through Charitable Service | $62,500 |
| The Church on Sugar Hill Texarkana, AR | To Provide Spiritual Support to the Community | $53,000 |
| Uams Foundation Little Rock, AR | Advancement of Higher Education | $45,000 |
| Razorback Foundation Fayetteville, AR | To support the athletic endeavors of the university of Arkansas razorbacks | $30,000 |
| Crystal Bridges Museum of American Bentonville, AR | Advancement of Community Through the Arts | $21,585 |
| Children's Advocacy Center of Arkan Little Rock, AR | Restore Lives of Abused Children | $20,000 |
| University of Arkansas Foundation Fayetteville, AR | To Promote Higher Education | $20,000 |
| Christus St Michael Health System F Texarkana, TX | Medical Support | $18,860 |
| Arkansas State Police Foundation Little Rock, AR | Public Support of Law Enforcement | $16,600 |
| Heartland Forward Bentonville, AR | Support Community Through Innovation | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,828,356 | $2,725,814 | $335,794 | $323,545 | 32 | $323,545 | $389,203 | $381,941 |
| 2023 | $6,438,090 | $287,971 | $267,628 | $263,900 | 35 | $263,900 | $287,971 | $321,707 |
| 2022 | $6,418,558 | $2,485,520 | $208,100 | $202,300 | 19 | $202,300 | $530,750 | $271,206 |
| 2021 | $4,140,809 | $174,645 | $226,995 | $227,500 | 29 | — | $174,600 | $217,622 |
| 2020 | $4,193,159 | $183,301 | $218,693 | $215,600 | 22 | — | $183,258 | $204,900 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James I Freeman Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $382K 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 higher education and athletics, community arts, medical services, children’s advocacy and adoption, spiritual support, and law enforcement.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. BPS Foundation describes itself as a charitable sports organization supporting health- and athletics-focused public charities. The University of Arkansas Foundation says it supports the University of Arkansas System; the Arkansas State Police Foundation says it helps support the state police and its employees; and the Pulaski County Adoption Coalition describes its work as raising awareness about adoptive families and connecting waiting children with families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust reported 32 grants totaling $323,545. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $62,500, with a median of $1,750.
Among the largest reported grants were $62,500 to BPS Foundation, $53,000 to The Church on Sugar Hill, $45,000 to UAMS Foundation, $30,000 to Razorback Foundation, and $21,585 to Crystal Bridges Museum of American. Other notable grants included $20,000 each to Children’s Advocacy Center of Arkansas and University of Arkansas Foundation, and $18,860 to Christus St Michael Health System.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
James I Freeman is listed as Foundation Manager.
James I Freeman Charitable Trust's only listed officer is James I. Freeman, Foundation Manager on every filing since 2020 (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2024 filing
James I. Freeman
Foundation Manager
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about James I Freeman Charitable Trust
How much does James I Freeman Charitable Trust give each year?
James I Freeman Charitable Trust gave $324K across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $264K across 35 grants.
What is James I Freeman Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
James I Freeman Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $1,750, and its average grant was $10,111, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James I Freeman Charitable Trust that year got $16K on average.
Where does James I Freeman Charitable Trust give grants?
James I Freeman Charitable Trust gives mostly in Arkansas: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Nevada (19%) and Texas (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Texarkana, TX (8 grants), Little Rock, AR (7 grants), Texarkana, AR (4 grants) and Fayetteville, AR (4 grants).
Does James I Freeman Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on James I Freeman Charitable Trust's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Advancement of Community Through the Arts" (7 grants).
Who are James I Freeman Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
James I Freeman Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include BPS Foundation ($62,500), The Church on Sugar Hill ($53,000) and Uams Foundation ($45,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James I Freeman Charitable Trust?
James I Freeman Charitable Trust reported $8.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $324K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $382K (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 James I Freeman Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for higher education and athletics, community arts, medical services, children’s advocacy and adoption, spiritual support, and law enforcement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James I Freeman 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 James I Freeman Charitable Trust's EIN?
James I Freeman Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-7202584. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does James I Freeman 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). James I Freeman Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-i-freeman-charitable-trust-morg_01d5132f45324b0793ad0ea5daafa298
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_207202584_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James I Freeman Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-i-freeman-charitable-trust-morg_01d5132f45324b0793ad0ea5daafa298},
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 James I Freeman 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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