John Winthrop Charitable Trust
The John Winthrop Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Charleston, South Carolina, established in 1979. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates as a grantmaking foundation with no employees, managed by trustees who serve without compensation.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.4M
-8.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$649K
+160.1% YoY
Grant Count
39
-18.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$17K
+220.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John Winthrop Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $507K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The trust's purpose is to provide grants from income generated through interest earned on savings and temporary cash investment funds, dividends earned from securities funds, and income from the sale of investments.
The foundation's primary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Education
- Human services
- General public use park space
Grantmaking
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The John Winthrop Charitable Trust supports organizations across multiple U.S. states and cities, including:
- South Carolina (primary focus)
- Massachusetts
- New York
- Additional states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington
- Major urban centers including Boston, New York, Chicago, and Seattle, as well as smaller communities
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $4,798,176
- Total revenues: $837,959
- Total expenses: $316,891
Assets (2025):
- Total assets: $4,393,141
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,393,141 | $4,798,176 | $4,273,942 |
| Revenue | $325,282 | $837,959 | $746,788 |
| Expenses | $727,151 | $316,891 | $299,696 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $653,904 | $253,383 | $230,628 |
| Net Investment Income | $89,408 | $781,824 | $654,104 |
| Distributable Amount | $507,381 | $427,543 | $368,194 |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
237 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Coastal Community Foundation ($69,035), University of Sc ($68,173), Dexter Southfield School ($65,553).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN COLLEGE OF THE BLDG ARTS CHARLESTON, SC | GENERAL | $36,000 |
| AMERICAN INST FOR RESEARCH GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | GENERAL | $500 |
| CHARLESTON LIBRARY SOCIETY CHARLESTON, SC | GENERAL | $60,000 |
| CITADEL FOUNDATION CHARLESTON, SC | GENERAL | $50,532 |
| COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON CHARLESTON, SC | GENERAL | $12,774 |
| COLONIAL SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON, MA | GENERAL | $1,000 |
| EPIPHANY SCHOOL DORCHESTER, MA | GENERAL | $11,000 |
| ETV ENDOWMENT OF SC SPARTANBURG, SC | GENERAL | $500 |
| HARVARD BOSTON, MA | GENERAL | $1,000 |
| INDIAN MTN SCHOOL LAKEVILLE, CT | GENERAL | $43,313 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The trust is managed by trustees John Winthrop and John Winthrop Jr., both of whom serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN WINTHROP | TRUSTEE | — | — |
| JOHN WINTHROP JR | TRUSTEE | — | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does John Winthrop Charitable Trust fund?
The trust's purpose is to provide grants from income generated through interest earned on savings and temporary cash investment funds, dividends earned from securities funds, and income from the sale of investments. The foundation's primary funding areas include: • Arts and culture • Education • Human services • General public use park space
How do I apply for a grant from John Winthrop Charitable Trust?
**Grant Activity:** • The trust made 67 grants in its most recent reporting year • Typical grant awards range from $100 to $69,035 • Recent notable grants include: • Winthrop University Foundation: $53,500 • The Epiphany School: $44,000 • College of Charleston Foundation (amount not specified) **Financial Capacity:** • Total giving: $648,961 (most recent year) • Total expenses: $316,891
Where does John Winthrop Charitable Trust make grants?
The John Winthrop Charitable Trust supports organizations across multiple U.S. states and cities, including: • South Carolina (primary focus) • Massachusetts • New York • Additional states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington • Major urban centers including Boston, New York, Chicago, and Seattle, as well as smaller communities
What size grants does John Winthrop Charitable Trust award?
In 2025, John Winthrop Charitable Trust awarded 39 grants totaling $649K — an average of about $17K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is John Winthrop Charitable Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, John Winthrop Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $507K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is John Winthrop Charitable Trust's EIN?
John Winthrop Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-2982306. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in John Winthrop Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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