Lasater Family Charitable Trust

Private foundation · Grantmaker Evanston, IL EIN: 36-6848629

Lasater Family Charitable Trust is a private foundation, based in Evanston, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. In 2024, it awarded 1 grant totaling $690K. Net investment income was $252K.

Lasater Family Charitable Trust at a glance

In short: Lasater Family Charitable Trust gave $690K across 1 grant in 2024 (avg $690K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$690,041
Grants made (2024)
1
Average grant
$690,041
Median grant
$690,041
Primary geography
Illinois (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.

Who Lasater Family Charitable Trust funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2024

Northwestern University: $690KNorthwestern University$690K

The largest 2024 recipient was Northwestern University ($690K).

Grant Size Distribution

13 grants across all recorded years

12<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 12 grants of 13 (92%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of the 2024 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

States

Cities

EvanstonKenilworthNorthfield

How Lasater Family Charitable Trust gives

  • Giving grew 3350% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K4 grants2020 4 grants2021 4 grants2022 0 grants2023 1 grant2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $17K (2020) to $690K (2024). In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $690K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Northwestern University Evanston, ILUnrestricted$690,041
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024—$256,078$699,999$690,0411$695,984$252,063$25,284
2023$443,925$23,743$7,271——$3,487$19,959$26,123
2022$427,565$5,974$32,791$25,0004$28,325$6,476$26,641
2021$454,382$39,938$27,306$20,0004$23,165$32,647$28,428
2020$441,750$13,628$26,494$16,5004—$7,032$23,105

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lasater Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $25K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Lasater Family Charitable Trust is led by Northwestern Univ Co Rob Smitherman, Trustee on every filing since 2023 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Northwestern Univ Co Rob Smitherman

    Trustee

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Christie L. Savage (2020–2022) — Trustee

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Lasater Family Charitable Trust

How much does Lasater Family Charitable Trust give each year?

Lasater Family Charitable Trust gave $690K across 1 grant in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Lasater Family Charitable Trust operate?

Lasater Family Charitable Trust has awarded grants in Illinois.

How much is Lasater Family Charitable Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Lasater Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $25K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Lasater Family Charitable Trust's EIN?

Lasater Family Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6848629. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 28, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 29, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 1, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 26, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Lasater Family 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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