Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust
The Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in an individual recipient, Missouri. In 2025, it gave $102,485 in 18 grants, with the listed awards primarily supporting scholarships at colleges and universities.
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust gave $102K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Missouri. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $102,485
- -19.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,694
- -19.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,380
- Total assets
- $2,338,947
- +2.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (92% 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 Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says to contact Lori Boyer at the address provided on the filing for an application. It lists high school students from an individual recipient or Stanberry, Missouri, schools as the restriction on awards.
- Review Cycle
- April 1 each year. The April 1, 2026 cycle has passed.
- Deadline
- April 1 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Lori Boyer Commerce Trust
Mailing address: 318 Felix St, St Joseph, MO 64501
Phone: (816) 236-5748
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Missouri - Columbia ($14K). Together the top 10 received $36K.
Organizations only. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($64,125), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 99 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows that 92% of grant dollars went to Missouri recipients. The remaining listed shares went to North Carolina (2%), Kansas (1%), Iowa (1%), and Nebraska (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lester R Birbeck Charitable 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
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $102K (2021) to $127K (2024). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $102K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 5 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $64,125 |
| University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO | Scholarships | $13,975 |
| University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO | Scholarships | $4,825 |
| Rockhurst University Kansas City, MO | Scholarships | $3,100 |
| Truman State University Kirksville, MO | Scholarships | $3,000 |
| Southwestern Community College Sylva, NC | Scholarships | $2,500 |
| State Technical College Linn, MO | Scholarships | $2,260 |
| Missouri State University Springfield, MO | Scholarships | $1,950 |
| University of Kansas Lawrence, KS | Scholarships | $1,500 |
| Central Methodist University Fayette, MO | Scholarships | $1,500 |
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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 | $2,338,947 | $187,687 | $130,795 | $102,485 | 18 | $108,653 | $165,544 | $126,621 |
| 2024 | $2,281,896 | $107,419 | $154,842 | $127,050 | 18 | $133,450 | $86,027 | $121,721 |
| 2023 | $2,329,163 | $66,318 | $141,174 | $111,564 | 20 | $118,564 | $46,869 | $113,172 |
| 2022 | $2,404,450 | $238,764 | $134,713 | $106,464 | 23 | $112,739 | $220,249 | $115,898 |
| 2021 | $2,300,655 | $229,078 | $130,710 | $102,485 | 20 | $108,298 | $209,366 | $131,037 |
| 2020 | $2,202,258 | $121,048 | $139,260 | $115,035 | 20 | — | $103,652 | $112,772 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $127K 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 include scholarship awards to colleges and universities. The grantees’ own descriptions reflect varied missions: the University of Missouri–Columbia Medical Alliance says it works to enhance health care access and delivery throughout Missouri; Rockhurst University describes a Jesuit liberal arts education focused on lifelong learning and service; and the Southeast Community College Foundation says it supports educational opportunities and the college community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust awarded 18 grants totaling $102,485. Awards ranged from $750 to $31,950, with a median grant of $2,380. The largest listed grants were $31,950 to an individual recipient State University, $13,975 to the University of Missouri–Columbia, $13,625 to an individual recipient Missouri College, and $11,800 to an individual recipient State University; each was designated for scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust is led by Commerce Trust, Trustee on every filing since 2023 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Commerce Trust
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$26K (2023) → $28K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Commerce Trust Company (2020–2022) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $28K, to Commerce Trust (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust
How much does Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust give each year?
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust gave $102K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $127K across 18 grants.
What is Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $2,380, and its average grant was $5,694, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust give grants?
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust gives mostly in Missouri: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (18 grants).
Who are Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include University of Missouri - Columbia ($13,975), University of Central Missouri ($4,825) and Rockhurst University ($3,100), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 5 individual scholarships ($64,125), which are not listed by name. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust?
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $109K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $127K (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 Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants include scholarship awards to colleges and universities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust?
The 2025 filing says to contact Lori Boyer at the address provided on the filing for an application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust's EIN?
Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1725748. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lester-r-birbeck-charitable-trust-morg_e04d5cd5266344dca90081abb368a8a2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431725748_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lester R Birbeck Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lester-r-birbeck-charitable-trust-morg_e04d5cd5266344dca90081abb368a8a2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Lester R Birbeck 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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