Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund is a private foundation based in Bellville, Texas. It makes grants to qualified tax-exempt organizations organized for religious, charitable, literary, scientific, or educational purposes, with awards restricted to organizations in Texas.
Key facts about Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund
In short: Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund gave $63K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Texas. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 74-6044407
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $62,790
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- Average grant
- $2,326
- Median grant
- $2,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (3 of 27, 2024)
- Total assets
- $2,092,521
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Applications must be submitted as a letter to Steve Lackey stating the requesting organization’s name, the amount requested, and the proposed use of the grant. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- There are no submission deadlines.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.1M
+5.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$63K
-0.6% YoY
Grant Count
27
-10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+10.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund reported a distributable amount of $40K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 27 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $750; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+13%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 176% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The fund’s 2024 grants included support for fire departments, churches, youth organizations, and historic-preservation groups. Among its grantees, Meals on Wheels of Childress says it prepares and delivers hot meals to elderly and disabled people five days a week. The Friends Foundation says it assists elderly people in the Dripping Springs community. The Cameron Kiecke Memorial Foundation says it benefits youth-improvement programs, including scholarships for Christian camps and youth educational programs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund made 27 grants totaling $62,790. Grants ranged from $250 to $10,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable awards included $10,000 to Bellville Volunteer Fire Dept, $5,500 to Boys & Girls Club in Bellville, $5,000 to Bellville United Methodist, and $4,500 to Bellville Young Life. Other recipients included Latium-Wesley-Greenvine Volunteer Fire Department ($3,000), St Marys Episcopal Church ($3,000), Faith Academy Marble Falls ($2,540), and Friends of San Felipe Historic Site ($2,500). Meals on Wheels in Childress received $2,000; The Friends Foundation in Dripping Springs and the Cameron Kiecke Memorial Foundation in Houston each received $1,000.
Review Cycle
There are no submission deadlines.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s filing restricts awards to organizations within Texas. All 2024 grant dollars went to Texas recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $56K (2021) to $65K (2020). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $63K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Bellville Volunteer Fire Dept ($10K). Together the top 10 received $40K.
Grant Size Distribution
146 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 146 grants of 146 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bellville Volunteer Fire Dept Bellville, TX | Rob - 11/08/23 02:54PM Worksheet Private Foundation | $10,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club Bellville, TX | Charitable Purposes | $5,500 |
| Bellville United Methodist Bellville, TX | Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| Bellville Young Life Bellville, TX | Charitable Purposes | $4,500 |
| Latium-Wesley-Greenvine Volunteer Fire Department Burton, TX | Charitable Purposes | $3,000 |
| St Marys Episcopal Church Bellville, TX | Charitable Purposes | $3,000 |
| Faith Academy Marble Falls Marble Falls, TX | Charitable Purposes | $2,540 |
| Friends of San Felipe Historic Site San Felipe, TX | Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Bellville Historic Society Bellville, TX | Charitable Purposes | $2,000 |
| Bellville Lions-Concordia Inc Bellville, TX | Charitable Purposes | $2,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,092,521 | $212,436 | $107,133 | $62,790 |
| 2023 | $1,987,218 | $167,003 | $103,375 | $63,200 |
| 2022 | $1,923,590 | $229,627 | $116,427 | $60,250 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,092,521 | $1,987,218 | $1,923,590 |
| Revenue | $212,436 | $167,003 | $229,627 |
| Expenses | $107,133 | $103,375 | $116,427 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $70,198 | $63,200 | $60,250 |
| Net Investment Income | $177,741 | $144,660 | $187,726 |
| Distributable Amount | $39,917 | $45,636 | $54,673 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Steve Lackey is listed as trustee.
Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund is led by Steve Lackey, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Steve Lackey
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$8K (2021) → $0 (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $6K, to Steve Lackey (Trustee).
Contact
Application contact: Steve Lackey
Mailing address: PO Box 1000, Bellville, TX 77418
Phone: (979) 865-9151
Frequently asked questions about Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund
How much does Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund give each year?
Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund gave $63K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $63K across 30 grants.
What is Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund's typical grant size?
Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,326, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund that year got $750 on average.
Where does Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund give grants?
Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bellville, TX (16 grants), Sealy, TX (3 grants) and Cat Spring, TX (2 grants).
Who are Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund's largest grantees?
Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Bellville Volunteer Fire Dept ($10,000), Boys & Girls Club ($5,500) and Bellville United Methodist ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund?
Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $70K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $40K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund fund?
No mission statement is provided. The fund’s 2024 grants included support for fire departments, churches, youth organizations, and historic-preservation groups. Among its grantees, Meals on Wheels of Childress says it prepares and delivers hot meals to elderly and disabled people five days a week. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund?
Applications must be submitted as a letter to Steve Lackey stating the requesting organization’s name, the amount requested, and the proposed use of the grant. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund's EIN?
Margaret Chesley Memorial Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-6044407. 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. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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