John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust
The John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. In filing year 2025, it reported making 33 grants totaling $682,400 to charitable organizations, including recipients working in environmental conservation, education, community services, and health.
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust gave $682K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in Connecticut. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $682,400
- -2.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,679
- -2.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,242,265
- -16.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (3 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (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 John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 410 N Michigan Avenue 333, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 578-1600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Trinity ($350K). Together the top 10 received $625K.
Grant Size Distribution
171 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 171 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In filing year 2025, Connecticut received 51% of grant dollars, Illinois 26%, Florida 13%, Massachusetts 3%, and Virginia 2%. The listed grants also include recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 33 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 296% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $474K (2020) to $697K (2024). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $682K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity Hartford, CT | General Fund | $350,000 |
| Environmental Law & Policy Center (Elpc) Chicago, IL | General Fund | $100,000 |
| Hobe Sound Community Chest Inc Hobe Sound, FL | General Fund | $50,000 |
| The Everglades Foundation Palmetto Bay, FL | General Fund | $30,000 |
| St Chrysostom's Church Chicago, IL | General Fund | $25,000 |
| St Chrysostoms Day School Chicago, IL | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Children's Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | General Fund | $15,000 |
| The Conservation Fund Arlington, VA | General Fund | $15,000 |
| American Enterprise Institute (AEI) Washington, DC | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Rehabilitation Institute Chicago, IL | Shirley Ryan Abilitylab Spark! Fundraiser | $10,000 |
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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 | $2,242,265 | $287,973 | $726,830 | $682,400 | 33 | $682,415 | $272,535 | $230,358 |
| 2024 | $2,671,122 | $1,228,689 | $749,724 | $697,470 | 33 | $697,485 | $1,196,740 | $245,684 |
| 2023 | $3,053,157 | $733,397 | $655,690 | $592,320 | 32 | $592,335 | $682,764 | $252,764 |
| 2022 | $2,985,450 | $114,413 | $696,483 | $636,170 | 37 | $636,170 | $73,538 | $268,716 |
| 2021 | $3,351,520 | $290,307 | $623,882 | $586,239 | 36 | $586,239 | $259,332 | $299,536 |
| 2020 | $3,445,095 | $148,043 | $502,573 | $474,230 | 28 | — | $125,527 | $240,049 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $230K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose own missions include restoring and protecting the Everglades through science, advocacy, and education, as described by the Everglades Foundation, and promoting the social and educational wellbeing of Hobe Sound residents in need, as described by Hobe Sound Community Chest.
Other 2025 recipients describe work that includes supporting refugee education and resettlement in Chicago, providing medical services regardless of ability to pay, and investing in breast cancer research and early-career doctors.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 33 grants totaling $682,400. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $350,000, with a median of $5,000.
The largest reported awards included $350,000 to Trinity in Hartford, Connecticut, and $100,000 to the Environmental Law & Policy Center in Chicago, Illinois. Other notable grants were $50,000 to Hobe Sound Community Chest, $30,000 to the Everglades Foundation, and $25,000 to St Chrysostom’s Church, all among the 2025 recipients.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
John S Gates Jr was listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust is led by John S. Gates Jr., Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John S. Gates Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust
How much does John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust give each year?
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust gave $682K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $697K across 33 grants.
What is John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $20,679, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust that year got $9K on average.
Where does John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust give grants?
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust gives mostly in Connecticut: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (26%) and Florida (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (9 grants), Hobe Sound, FL (5 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Dune Acres, IN (2 grants).
Does John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Trinity ($350,000), Environmental Law & Policy Center (Elpc) ($100,000) and Hobe Sound Community Chest Inc ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust?
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $682K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $230K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust?
The trust states that it 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 John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust's EIN?
John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7193328. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does John & Weezie Gates 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 October 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 November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John & Weezie Gates Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-weezie-gates-charitable-trust-morg_79983fcbcbc44e4ca56d0003018679e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_367193328_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John \& Weezie Gates Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-and-weezie-gates-charitable-trust-morg_79983fcbcbc44e4ca56d0003018679e3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 John & Weezie Gates 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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