Martha W Banker Charitable Trust
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. It supports charitable organizations through grants; in 2025, its grants included recipients working in education, public health, environmental conservation, and human services.
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Martha W Banker Charitable Trust gave $45K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Tennessee. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $44,700
- -6.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- -6.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,656
- +0.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $837,866
- +121.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (9 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Martha W Banker Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1033 Chancery Lane, Nashville, TN 37215
Phone: (615) 665-1142
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Martha W Banker Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nashville Health ($10K). Together the top 10 received $36K.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 132 grants of 132 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee. The remaining reported shares went to Kentucky (5%), Washington, DC (3%), North Carolina (2%), and Florida (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Martha W Banker Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 27 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $750 repeat.
- 48% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $17K (2019) to $48K (2024). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $45K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville Health Nashville, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
| The Legion Fund Nashville, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $8,000 |
| Montgomery Bell Academy Nashville, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $5,250 |
| St Pauls Episcopal Church Franklin, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
| Cumberland River Compact Nashville, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $1,500 |
| Hope Through Healing Hands Nashville, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $1,500 |
| Institute for Safer Trucking Washington, DC | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $1,500 |
| Land Trust Tennessee Nashville, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $1,500 |
| Christ Church Cathedral Nashville, TN | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $1,000 |
| St Peters Angelican Church Frankfort, KY | General Operating Expense to Further Charitable Purpose | $1,000 |
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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 | $837,866 | $515,141 | $55,683 | $44,700 | 27 | $47,075 | $506,903 | $41,633 |
| 2024 | $378,408 | $35,049 | $56,453 | $47,750 | 29 | $50,000 | $27,729 | $46,391 |
| 2023 | $399,812 | $22,417 | $46,186 | $34,800 | 25 | $37,050 | $16,191 | $43,341 |
| 2022 | $423,581 | $149,908 | $52,126 | $44,650 | 29 | $46,675 | $144,457 | $42,059 |
| 2021 | $325,799 | $106,464 | $39,623 | $33,400 | 22 | $35,300 | $14,501 | $38,216 |
| 2020 | $341,199 | $69,628 | $27,682 | $22,000 | 12 | — | $12,059 | $27,331 |
| 2019 | $327,664 | $138,718 | $22,419 | $17,250 | 10 | — | $27,565 | $23,875 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Martha W Banker Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $42K 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 formal mission statement is provided. The 2025 grant recipients illustrate the range of organizations supported. Montgomery Bell Academy describes its mission as providing young men with a college-preparatory education and helping them develop wisdom and moral integrity. The Cumberland River Compact says it works to improve the health and enjoyment of the Cumberland River and its tributaries through education, collaboration, and action. The Institute for Safer Trucking describes its work as educating the public about trucking safety and helping survivors and families of truck-crash victims.
Other 2025 recipients include the Center for Living and Learning, which describes providing residential care and job training to people with mental illness, and the Nashville Public Library Foundation, which says it supports library programs, children’s imagination, and lifelong learning.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust awarded 27 grants totaling $44,700. Grants ranged from $100 to $10,000, with a median of $500. The largest awards included $10,000 to Nashville Health, $8,000 to The Legion Fund, $5,250 to Montgomery Bell Academy, and $5,000 to St Pauls Episcopal Church. Cumberland River Compact, Hope Through Healing Hands, Institute for Safer Trucking, and Land Trust Tennessee each received $1,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
J Barry Banker is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust is led by J. Barry Banker, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
J. Barry Banker
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Martha W Banker Charitable Trust
How much does Martha W Banker Charitable Trust give each year?
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust gave $45K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $48K across 29 grants.
What is Martha W Banker Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $1,656, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Martha W Banker Charitable Trust that year got $1K on average.
Where does Martha W Banker Charitable Trust give grants?
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust gives mostly in Tennessee: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kentucky (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (15 grants), Murfreesboro, TN (2 grants), Frankfort, KY (2 grants) and Charlotte, NC (2 grants).
Does Martha W Banker Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Martha W Banker Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 27) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Martha W Banker Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Nashville Health ($10,000), The Legion Fund ($8,000) and Montgomery Bell Academy ($5,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Martha W Banker Charitable Trust?
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust reported $838K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $47K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $42K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Martha W Banker Charitable Trust fund?
No formal mission statement is provided. The 2025 grant recipients illustrate the range of organizations supported. Montgomery Bell Academy describes its mission as providing young men with a college-preparatory education and helping them develop wisdom and moral integrity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Martha W Banker Charitable Trust?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Martha W Banker Charitable Trust's EIN?
Martha W Banker Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-6288471. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Martha W Banker Charitable Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 2024 (received by the IRS August 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 27, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 27, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
Live grants for the work Martha W Banker Charitable Trust funds
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Figures come from Martha W Banker 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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