John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158
The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust is a private foundation established in 1975, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity with a staff of three employees. The Trust strategically distributes funding to nonprofit organizations across the United States, with particular emphasis on specific geographic regions and program areas aligned with its philanthropic mission.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$31.1M
+1.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
-8.0% YoY
Grant Count
111
-14.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$14K
+6.9% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158 reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within core geographic regions while responding to the ever-changing needs of targeted populations, especially seeking to close the opportunity gap for under-resourced individuals.
Primary Focus Area:
- Education: The primary and overarching grantmaking priority since the Trust's inception in 1973. Targets funds to organizations providing educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals demonstrating intellectual aptitude and financial need, including scholarships, fellowships, academic tutoring, counseling, and literacy programs.
Secondary Focus Areas:
- Community Initiatives: Provides funding for programs or services that directly improve quality of life within geographic focus areas, including support for libraries, food pantries, shelters, and neighborhood revitalization. The Trust generally does not fund health care initiatives or animal welfare programs.
- Arts and Culture: Offers grants promoting arts education and appreciation, particularly for young adults, through development of educational curriculum.
- Youth Initiatives: Provides character education or enrichment opportunities via mentoring or after-school programming.
Tertiary Focus Areas:
- People with Disabilities and Universal Access
- Environment
- Historic Preservation
As tertiary priorities, funding in these areas is often limited, with preference given to proposals with an educational focus.
Grantmaking
The Trust gives preference to proposals seeking funds for:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Trust strategically focuses funding within three core geographic regions:
- Central New York: Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties (Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego)
- Northern Nevada
- New Jersey
While there is no geographic restriction, the Trustees prefer to be directly engaged and have oversight of grants made. Organizations located outside these three core geographic regions are strongly encouraged to contact the assigned trustee via email prior to submitting a formal request.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Data:
- Total Assets: $31,102,061
- Total Revenues: $2,435,665
- Total Expenses: $1,868,407
- Number of Employees: 3
2023 Financial Data:
- Total Assets: $30,800,000
- Total Revenues: $3,720,000
- Total Expenses: $2,040,000
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $31,102,061 | $30,762,904 | $29,113,092 |
| Revenue | $2,435,665 | $3,722,508 | $1,949,869 |
| Expenses | $1,868,407 | $2,041,347 | $1,966,933 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,652,692 | $1,779,937 | $1,798,172 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,234,097 | $3,526,120 | $1,776,735 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,747,568 | $1,581,559 | $1,636,956 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Central New York Community Foundation in ($35,000), Fenimore Art Museum ($25,000), Interfaith Works of Central New York ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FOOD BANK OF NORTHERN NEVADA SPARKS, NV | COMMUNITY INITIATIVES | $15,000 |
| SULTANA EDUCATION FOUNDATION CHESTERTOWN, MD | ENVIRONMENT | $20,000 |
| CARE CHEST OF SIERRA NEVADA RENO, NV | DISABILITIES AND UNIVERSAL | $20,000 |
| DIEU DONNE BROOKLYN, NY | EDUCATION | $10,000 |
| UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RENO RENO, NV | COMMUNITY INITIATIVES | $20,000 |
| UNIVERISTY OF NEVADA RENO RENO, NV | ARTS AND CULTURE | $20,000 |
| THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION PTP WASHINGTON, DC | ENVIRONMENT | $15,000 |
| ADIRONDACK EXPERIENCE LAKE PLACID, NY | ARTS AND CULTURE | $20,000 |
| MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ | EDUCATION | $10,000 |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS I NEW YORK, NY | EDUCATION | $12,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Trustees:
- Valerie A. MacFie (identified as trustee)
- Michael Stagis (Vice President, as of November 2024)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMELIE M WILLIAMS | CO-TRUSTEE | 12 | $27,895 |
| JONATHAN SNOW | CO-TRUSTEE | 12 | $55,790 |
| VALERIE MACFIE | CO-TRUSTEE | 12 | $55,790 |
| BNY MELLON N A | TRUSTEE | 1 | $141,311 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Trust continues active grantmaking with 115 grants distributed in 2024. Recent grant recipients span education, community initiatives, and cultural organizations. The organization maintains an active grant portal and publishes annual reports documenting past grants and foundation maps for transparency regarding its funding activities.
Oswego County TodayJohn Ben Snow Grant Supports Mental Health LocallyFrequently Asked Questions
What does John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158 fund?
The Memorial Trust strategically focuses funding within core geographic regions while responding to the ever-changing needs of targeted populations, especially seeking to close the opportunity gap for under-resourced individuals. **Primary Focus Area:** • **Education**: The primary and overarching grantmaking priority since the Trust's inception in 1973. Targets funds to organizations providing educational opportunities or academic assistance to individuals demonstrating intellectual aptitude a…
How do I apply for a grant from John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158?
**Grant Characteristics:** • No minimum or maximum grant amounts • Most grants range from $10,000 to $20,000 • First-time grants to organizations typically range from $5,000 to $10,000 • The Trust made 115 grants in 2024, totaling approximately $1,146,000 in documented grants **Grant Preferences:** The Trust gives preference to proposals seeking funds for: • New or enhanced programs • One-time, short-term grants to sustain a program until funding is stabilized • Matching grants used to encourag…
Where does John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158 make grants?
The Trust strategically focuses funding within three core geographic regions: • **Central New York**: Onondaga County and its four surrounding counties (Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, and Oswego) • **Northern Nevada** • **New Jersey** While there is no geographic restriction, the Trustees prefer to be directly engaged and have oversight of grants made. Organizations located outside these three core geographic regions are strongly encouraged to contact the assigned trustee via email prior to submitt…
What size grants does John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158 award?
In 2024, John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158 awarded 111 grants totaling $1.5M — an average of about $14K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158 required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158 reported a distributable amount of $1.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158's EIN?
John Ben Snow Memorial Tr Uw #839158's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6633814. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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