John Spencer Trust
John Spencer Trust is a private foundation based in Walnut Creek, California. Its 2025 filing lists education grants to individual students in California; the foundation’s application information says students must reside in Richmond or El Cerrito.
John Spencer Trust at a glance
In short: John Spencer Trust gave $83K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in California. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $82,800
- -32.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -43.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,369
- +19.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,300
- Total assets
- $1,513,380
- +0.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to John Spencer Trust
- Review Cycle
- April 1
- Deadline
- April 1
- Contact
Application contact: Michelle Anderson
Mailing address: 1111 Civic Drive Suite 333, Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Phone: (925) 251-6111
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John Spencer Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sachneet Arora ($9K). Together the top 10 received $65K.
Grant Size Distribution
147 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 147 grants of 147 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in filing year 2025 went to recipients in California. The application requirements specify that students must reside in Richmond or El Cerrito.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is John Spencer Trust open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 13 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 62% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 60% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $83K (2025) to $219K (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $83K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sachneet Arora Richmond, CA | Education | $9,000 |
| Ashley Saechao Richmond, CA | Education | $6,300 |
| Brenda Aceves Limon Richmond, CA | Education | $6,300 |
| Citlaly Solano Richmond, CA | Education | $6,300 |
| Jasper Montague Byrne Richmond, CA | Education | $6,300 |
| Myvi Tran Richmond, CA | Education | $6,300 |
| Ronishilla Maharaj San Pablo, CA | Education | $6,300 |
| Alondra Carmona Gonzalez Vallejo, CA | Education | $6,000 |
| Catalina Kemmer Richmond, CA | Education | $6,000 |
| Karen Espana Richmond, CA | Education | $6,000 |
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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 | $1,513,380 | $120,030 | $109,189 | $82,800 | 13 | $83,806 | $94,647 | $139,382 |
| 2024 | $1,502,539 | $144,162 | $146,436 | $122,300 | 23 | $123,005 | $120,731 | $128,035 |
| 2023 | $1,504,813 | $214,684 | $233,650 | $209,100 | 33 | $209,758 | $190,792 | $123,006 |
| 2022 | $1,523,779 | $223,289 | $246,551 | $219,400 | 37 | $220,588 | $197,326 | $129,161 |
| 2021 | $1,547,041 | $186,691 | $225,820 | $185,500 | 41 | — | $148,304 | $140,754 |
| 2020 | $1,586,170 | $206,517 | $156,538 | $135,700 | 40 | — | $186,000 | $134,206 |
| 2019 | $1,536,191 | $132,079 | $152,047 | $125,200 | 38 | — | $106,762 | $130,603 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John Spencer Trust reported a distributable amount of $139K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $82,800 through 13 grants. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $9,000, with a median of $6,300. The largest award listed was $9,000 to Sachneet Arora of Richmond, California, for education. Other listed awards included $6,300 each to Ashley Saechao, Brenda Aceves Limon, Citlaly Solano, Jasper Montague Byrne, Myvi Tran, and Ronishilla Maharaj, all for education. The filing also lists education awards of $6,000 each to Alondra Carmona Gonzalez, Catalina Kemmer, Karen Espana, Mylinn Tran, and Treena Patel.
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its scholarship application includes the school the student plans to attend, a student résumé, a family financial statement, and a personal financial statement. Applicants must be students residing in Richmond or El Cerrito.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Xavier Abrams and EXALTED RULER FREE MASONS as trustees.
John Spencer Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Xavier Abrams
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Exalted Ruler Free Masons
Trustee
On filings since 2023
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Exhalted Ruler (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Joshua Genser (2019–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Spencer Trust
How much does John Spencer Trust give each year?
John Spencer Trust gave $83K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $122K across 23 grants.
What is John Spencer Trust's typical grant size?
John Spencer Trust's median grant in 2025 was $6,300, and its average grant was $6,369, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does John Spencer Trust give grants?
John Spencer Trust gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, CA (11 grants).
Does John Spencer Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on John Spencer Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (13 grants).
Who are John Spencer Trust's largest grantees?
John Spencer Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Sachneet Arora ($9,000), Ashley Saechao ($6,300) and Brenda Aceves Limon ($6,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John Spencer Trust?
John Spencer Trust reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $84K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $139K (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.
How do I apply for a grant from John Spencer Trust?
John Spencer Trust has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is John Spencer Trust's EIN?
John Spencer Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6055547. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Figures come from John Spencer 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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