Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust

Private foundation · Grantmaker Newton, IL EIN: 83-3981286

The Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Newton, Illinois. In its 2025 filing, it reported 15 grants totaling $454,353 to charitable organizations.

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust at a glance

In short: Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust gave $454K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $30K), mostly in Illinois. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$454,353
+2.4% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
15
+0.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$30,290
+2.4% vs 2024
Median grant
$22,718
Total assets
$9,258,588
+1.5% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Illinois (70% 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 Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 328, Newton, IL 62448
Phone: (618) 783-2321

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

NCHS Academic Foundation: $136KNCHS Academic Foundation$136KFirst Baptist Church: $23KFirst Baptist Church$23KCatholic Children's Home: $23KCatholic Children's Home$23KTerre Haute Humane Society: $23KTerre Haute Humane Society$23KIllinois Baptist Children's Home: $23KIllinois Baptist Children'sHome$23KVeterans of Foreign Wars National: $23KVeterans of Foreign WarsNational$23KVeterans Affairs Illiana Healthcare: $23KVeterans Affairs IllianaHealthcare$23KCrawford County Humane Society: $23KCrawford County Humane Society$23KRonald McDonald House Charities: $23KRonald McDonald HouseCharities$23KAmerican National Red Cross: $23KAmerican National Red Cross$23K

The largest 2025 recipient was NCHS Academic Foundation ($136K). Together the top 10 received $341K.

Grant Size Distribution

60 grants across all recorded years

56<$50K1$50–100K3$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 60 (93%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois. The listed shares for Indiana, Missouri, Washington, DC, and Florida were 5% each. These figures describe the locations of 2025 recipients.

Grant Distribution by State

7states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.

Cities

NewtonAlexandriaAltonCarmiChicagoDanvilleDecaturKansas CityMemphisOblongRobinsonTampaTerre HauteWashington

Is Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust open to new grantees?

0%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count

  • 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K0 grants2021 15 grants2022 15 grants2023 15 grants2024 15 grants2025

From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $316K (2022) to $524K (2023). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $454K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
NCHS Academic Foundation Newton, ILProvide Scholarships for Students$136,306
First Baptist Church Newton, ILReligious$22,718
Catholic Children's Home Alton, ILTherapy and Special Needs Residence$22,718
Terre Haute Humane Society Terre Haute, INTake Care of Stray/Abandoned Animals$22,718
Illinois Baptist Children's Home Carmi, ILResidence & Counseling Services$22,718
Veterans of Foreign Wars National Kansas City, MOSupport Military Veterans$22,718
Veterans Affairs Illiana Healthcare Danville, ILProvide Healthcare to Veterans$22,718
Crawford County Humane Society Robinson, ILSafe Place for Animals in Need$22,718
Ronald McDonald House Charities Chicago, ILSupport Children's Health Programs$22,718
American National Red Cross Washington, DCHumanitarian Disaster Relief$22,718
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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
2025$9,258,588$662,704$530,113$454,35315$472,448$605,039$456,194
2024$9,125,997$1,029,978$512,004$443,57615$461,323$214,256$456,839
2023$8,608,023$-425,139$586,364$523,83615$540,845$189,386$444,428
2022$9,619,526$244,207$398,959$316,40015$335,383$122,414$513,334
2021$9,774,278$9,807,210$32,932——$7,284$524,289$305,672

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $456K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations serving students, children and families, veterans, people needing healthcare, religious communities, and animals.

Among its grantees, Terre Haute Humane Society says it provides shelter, food, and welfare to abandoned or lost animals and educates the public about humane treatment. Shriners Children’s says it is committed to compassionate, high-quality care to improve children’s lives. Oblong Children’s Christian Home says it provides family-style homes for at-risk and struggling youth.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the trust made 15 grants totaling $454,353. Grants ranged from $22,717 to $136,306, with a median grant of $22,718. The largest listed award was $136,306 to NCHS Academic Foundation in Newton, Illinois, to provide scholarships for students.

Other listed 2025 grants included $22,718 each to First Baptist Church in Newton, Illinois, for religious purposes; Catholic Children’s Home in Alton, Illinois, for therapy and a special-needs residence; Terre Haute Humane Society in Indiana, to care for stray and abandoned animals; and Veterans Affairs Illiana Healthcare in Danville, Illinois, to provide healthcare to veterans. Shriners Hospitals for Children in Tampa, Florida, received $22,717.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Peoples State Bank as trust office and Karla Koebele as VP and CFO.

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Peoples State Bank

    Trust Officer

    On filings since 2021

    5 hrs/week

    $14K (2021) → $33K (2025)

  • Karla Koebele

    Vice President & CFO

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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

Peoples State Bank — Trust Office: $33KPeoples State BankTrust Office$33K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $33K, to Peoples State Bank (Trust Office).

Frequently asked questions about Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust

How much does Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust give each year?

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust gave $454K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $444K across 15 grants.

What is Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's typical grant size?

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $22,718, and its average grant was $30,290, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust give grants?

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust gives mostly in Illinois: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Indiana (5%) and Missouri (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Newton, IL (2 grants).

Does Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's largest grantees?

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include NCHS Academic Foundation ($136,306), First Baptist Church ($22,718) and Catholic Children's Home ($22,718), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust?

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust reported $9.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $472K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $456K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust fund?

No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations serving students, children and families, veterans, people needing healthcare, religious communities, and animals. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's EIN?

Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-3981286. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

Does Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust accept unsolicited proposals?

No, 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 September 2026.

Data update history

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lenore-higgins-charitable-trust-morg_a1f45d32ce3945a6b80ec80db690ceb3

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_833981286_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Lenore Higgins Charitable Trust funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/lenore-higgins-charitable-trust-morg_a1f45d32ce3945a6b80ec80db690ceb3},
  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 Lenore Higgins 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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