John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust
The John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. It supports educational, cultural, human services, and health care programming for residents of the Greater Kansas City area.
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust at a glance
In short: John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust gave $2.2M across 51 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in Kansas. 41% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,204,855
- +8.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 51
- +41.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $43,232
- -23.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $36,318,244
- +2.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 41% first-time grantees (21 of 51, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (53% 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 W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The trust accepts unsolicited requests. Guidelines and an online application are available through the application process identified on its filing. Applications are restricted to qualifying organizations in the Greater Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, areas.
- Review Cycle
- March 31 and August 31.
- Deadline
- March 31 and August 31.
- Contact
Application contact: Tony Twyman - Bank Of America Na
Mailing address: PO Box 219119, Kansas City, MO 64121-9119
Phone: (816) 292-4342
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust
Who John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kansas University Endowment Association ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
210 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 160 grants of 210 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust’s filing restricts awards to qualifying organizations in the Greater Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, areas. Its 2025 grant dollars were distributed 53% to Kansas recipients and 47% to Missouri recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
Cities
Is John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust open to new grantees?
41%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 21 of 51 grantees (41%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $43K; repeat grants $43K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 $1.8M (2019) to $2.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 51 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas University Endowment Association Lawrence, KS | 21ST Century Cancer | $250,000 |
| Kansas City Kansas Community College Fdn Kansas City, KS | Automation Engineering | $250,000 |
| Truman Medical Center Charitable Kansas City, MO | Delivering Hope: Women & | $200,000 |
| Pro DEO Youth Center Lees Summit, MO | The Support Youth Center at | $125,000 |
| SHELTER KC dba KANSAS CITY RESCUE Kansas City, MO | Expansion of Kansas City | $100,000 |
| Donnelly College Kansas City, KS | Nursing New Learning | $100,000 |
| Kansas City Hospice Inc Kansas City, MO | Solace House Center for | $75,000 |
| Arts Council of Metro Greater KC Kansas, MO | Advance Artkcs Equitable | $75,000 |
| Young Women on the Move Kansas City, KS | Discovery Ctr for STEM, | $75,000 |
| Assistance League of Kansas City Gladstone, MO | Support "THREADS2THRIVE" | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust?
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 | $36,318,244 | $3,552,957 | $2,684,422 | $2,204,855 | 51 | $2,435,166 | $3,395,043 | $2,649,061 |
| 2024 | $35,444,627 | $3,260,799 | $2,471,350 | $2,030,000 | 36 | $2,241,477 | $3,059,147 | $2,415,152 |
| 2023 | $34,606,389 | $1,637,443 | $2,434,017 | $2,051,000 | 42 | $2,242,681 | $1,384,374 | $2,241,622 |
| 2022 | $35,384,851 | $815,411 | $2,542,968 | $2,191,750 | 46 | $2,371,453 | $851,127 | $2,209,915 |
| 2021 | $37,248,013 | $4,953,329 | $2,351,527 | $1,892,196 | 35 | $2,085,947 | $5,043,424 | $2,396,105 |
| 2020 | $34,615,711 | $2,364,858 | $2,221,966 | $1,875,833 | 37 | — | $2,009,755 | $2,048,403 |
| 2019 | $34,459,151 | $2,073,010 | $2,332,455 | $1,849,827 | 33 | — | $1,934,987 | $2,038,299 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust reported a distributable amount of $2.6M 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
The trust’s stated mission is to support and promote quality educational, cultural, human services, and health care programming. Its grant records include support for education, health care, arts, youth services, and community organizations.
Grantee missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Pro Deo Youth Center says it provides after-school programming, evening activities, and mentoring to local youth. Donnelly College says it provides education and community services with personal concern for students’ needs and abilities, especially those who might not otherwise be served. Kansas City Hospice says it brings care, comfort, guidance, and support to people affected by serious illness or grief. Young Women on the Move describes its mission as empowering young women in Kansas City to become future leaders.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust made 51 grants totaling $2,204,855. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $250,000, with a median grant of $25,000.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $250,000 to Kansas University Endowment Association for “21st Century Cancer” and $250,000 to Kansas City Kansas Community College Foundation for “Automation Engineering.” Truman Medical Center Charitable received $200,000 for “Delivering Hope: Women &”; Pro Deo Youth Center received $125,000; and Shelter KC, doing business as Kansas City Rescue, received $100,000. Donnelly College also received $100,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Bank of America is listed as trustee on the trust’s 2025 filing.
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's only listed officer is Bank Of America, Trustee on every filing since 2021 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bank Of America
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$204K (2021) → $235K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Bank Of America N A (2019–2020) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $235K, to Bank of America (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust
How much does John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust give each year?
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust gave $2.2M across 51 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 36 grants.
What is John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's typical grant size?
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $43,232, across 51 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust that year got $43K on average.
Where does John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust give grants?
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust gives mostly in Kansas: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (47%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (21 grants), Kansas City, KS (12 grants) and Overland Park, KS (7 grants).
Does John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's largest grantees?
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Kansas University Endowment Association ($250,000), Kansas City Kansas Community College Fdn ($250,000) and Truman Medical Center Charitable ($200,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust?
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust reported $36.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.6M (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 John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust fund?
The trust’s stated mission is to support and promote quality educational, cultural, human services, and health care programming. Its grant records include support for education, health care, arts, youth services, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust?
The trust accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's EIN?
John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 44-6008249. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 24, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-w-and-effie-e-speas-memorial-trust-morg_0fcc805e4dd44bd589307bae68691e44
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_446008249_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John W and Effie E Speas Memorial Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-w-and-effie-e-speas-memorial-trust-morg_0fcc805e4dd44bd589307bae68691e44},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 W and Effie E Speas Memorial 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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