James Ludke Charitable Trust

WICKENBURG, AZ EIN: 74-2552121

The James Ludke Charitable Trust is a private foundation established in 1989 and located in Wickenburg, Arizona. As a family foundation, it operates as a grantmaking organization that provides funds to nonprofit organizations across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.3M

-1.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$170K

+20.1% YoY

Grant Count

-33.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$11K

+80.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James Ludke Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $135K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Trust's primary purpose is to provide funds to grantees. Its funding interests include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

Grantmaking

The Trust made 22 grants in its most recent fiscal year (2024), with total giving of $170,000.

Grant Range

s:**

Average Grant

amount: approximately $100–$110,000

How to Apply

Ready to take the next step with James Ludke Charitable Trust?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Trust primarily funds organizations in Arizona, Oregon, and Washington.

Grant Distribution by State

Arizona $432K (74%)

Oregon $39K (7%)

Michigan $35K (6%)

California $32K (5%)

Virginia $21K (4%)

District of Columbia $8K (1%)

New Mexico $5K (1%)

New Hampshire $5K (1%)

+2 more states

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Maryland Michigan New Hampshire New Mexico Oregon Virginia Washington

Cities

ArlingtonCharlettesvilleCharlottesvilleClairmontClaremontHanoverHillsdaleLos AngelesMcleanMill ValleyPalos Verdes EstatesPalos Verdes PeninsulaPhoenixPortalPortlandProtlandRolling Hills EstatesSan PedroSilver SpringSuperior

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total assets: $2,344,865
Total revenues: $132,668
Total expenses: $173,324
Investment income and dividends: $132,668
Number of employees: 0

Year-over-year growth: Investment income increased 12% from 2023 ($118,459) to 2024 ($132,668).

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$2,344,865	$2,385,521	$2,420,779
Revenue	$132,668	$118,459	$679,666
Expenses	$173,324	$153,717	$124,864
Qualifying Distributions	$171,400	$143,200	$110,397
Net Investment Income	$130,744	$107,942	$678,747
Distributable Amount	$135,278	$139,877	$143,645

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

103 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Desert Cabelleros ($110,000), Goldwater Institute ($15,000), Hillsdale College ($8,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
DESERT CABELLEROS WICKENBURG, AZ	PROVIDE FUNDS	$110,000
HILLSDALE COLLEGE HILLSDALE, MI	PROVIDE FUNDS	$8,000
DEL WEBB CENTER WICKENBURG, AZ	PROVIDE FUNDS	$5,000
DARDEN FOUNDATION CHARLETTESVILLE, VA	PROVIDE FUNDS	$4,000
BREAD OF LIFE INTERNATIONAL SILVER SPRING, MD	PROVIDE FUNDS	$3,500
PHOENIX CHAMBER MUSIC SOC PHOENIX, AZ	PROVIDE FUNDS	$4,000
OREGON ZOO PORTLAND, OR	PROVIDE FUNDS	$2,500
OREGON MUSEUM OF SCIENCE PORTLAND, OR	PROVIDE FUNDS	$1,000
USO WASHINGTON, DC	PROVIDE FUNDS	$500
SOUTH COAST BOTANICAL GARDEN FDN PALOS VERDES PENINSULA, CA	PROVIDE FUNDS	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES LUDKE	MANAGER	0.5	—
BARBARA REA LUDKE	MEMBER	0.5	—
JEANNE HEASLIP	MEMBER	0.25	—
JILL B LUDKE DIXON	MEMBER	0.25	—
JAMIE DENLER	MEMBER	0.25	—

Contact Information

Address: 1415 Jack Burden Road Wickenburg, AZ 85390-3322

Phone: 602-402-1393

Website: www.ludke.org

EIN: 74-2552121

Frequently Asked Questions

What does James Ludke Charitable Trust fund?

The Trust's primary purpose is to provide funds to grantees. Its funding interests include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services

How do I apply for a grant from James Ludke Charitable Trust?

**Grant Activity:** The Trust made 22 grants in its most recent fiscal year (2024), with total giving of $170,000. **Grant Sizes:** • Average grant amount: approximately $100–$110,000 • Recent grants include: • Goldwater Institute: $15,000 • Hillsdale College: $8,000 • Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts: $5,000 **Application Process:** No specific application procedures are documented in available sources.

Where does James Ludke Charitable Trust make grants?

The Trust primarily funds organizations in Arizona, Oregon, and Washington.

What size grants does James Ludke Charitable Trust award?

In 2024, James Ludke Charitable Trust awarded 16 grants totaling $170K — an average of about $11K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is James Ludke Charitable Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, James Ludke Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $135K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.