Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Vestavia, Alabama. In 2024, it reported 12 grants totaling $73,990 to charitable organizations, including universities, churches, a public library, and other nonprofits.
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust gave $74K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Alabama. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $73,990
- +2.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $6,166
- -22.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,391,830
- +8.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its filing lists Katherine Robertson as the contact and December 31st as the deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Katherine Robertson
Mailing address: 2069 Lakewood Drive, Vestavia Hills, AL 35216
Phone: (205) 535-0815
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Auburn University ($39K). Together the top 10 received $73K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Alabama, 4% to Texas, and 1% to Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 75% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 113% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $58K (2021) to $74K (2024). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $74K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Auburn University Auburn, AL | Scholarship | $38,990 |
| Selma-Dallas Co Public Library Selma, AL | Contribution | $10,000 |
| Shiloh Baptist Church Sardis, AL | Contribution | $8,500 |
| University of Mary Hardin - Baylor Belton, TX | Scholarship | $3,000 |
| Benton Baptist Church Benton, AL | Contribution | $3,000 |
| Westminster School at Oak MTN Birmingham, AL | Contribution | $2,500 |
| Food Bank of East Alabama Auburn, AL | Contribution | $2,500 |
| Alabama Teen Challenge Jones, AL | Contribution | $2,000 |
| UA School of Library Science Tuscaloosa, AL | Scholarship | $2,000 |
| Fishers of Men International Selma, AL | Contribution | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,391,830 | $198,433 | $88,904 | $73,990 | 12 | $86,904 | $68,585 | $77,090 |
| 2023 | $1,282,301 | $61,680 | $84,921 | $72,000 | 9 | $83,991 | $56,602 | $73,161 |
| 2022 | $1,305,542 | $46,425 | $79,872 | $59,000 | 9 | $71,695 | $54,457 | $71,204 |
| 2021 | $1,338,989 | $33,461 | $77,741 | $57,500 | 9 | $70,241 | $68,284 | $80,499 |
| 2020 | $1,383,269 | $47,526 | $74,112 | $63,900 | 9 | — | $59,398 | $72,222 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $77K for 2024 — 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 foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included scholarships and contributions to organizations such as Auburn University, Selma-Dallas County Public Library, Shiloh Baptist Church, and Food Bank of East Alabama.
Among the grantees’ own stated missions, Fishers of Men International says it helps indigent people in Belize by providing medical and dental services with U.S. volunteers. Alabama Teen Challenge says its program seeks to support people’s mental, emotional, social, physical, and spiritual well-being. These are the grantees’ missions, not statements of the foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $73,990. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $38,990, with a median of $2,500. Its largest grants included $38,990 to Auburn University for a scholarship, $10,000 to Selma-Dallas County Public Library, and $8,500 to Shiloh Baptist Church.
Other reported 2024 grants included $3,000 to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor for a scholarship; $3,000 to Benton Baptist Church; $2,500 each to Westminster School at Oak Mountain and Food Bank of East Alabama; and $2,000 each to Alabama Teen Challenge and UA School of Library Science. Fishers of Men International, Grand Canyon University, and VOCAL each received $500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Katherine G Robertson, Cecil M Yarbrough, and James Burt Odom Jr as trustees.
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cecil M. Yarbrough
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$3K (2021) → $0 (2024)
James Burt Odom Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$3K (2021) → $0 (2024)
Katherine G. Robertson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
$3K (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 $3K, to Katherine G Robertson (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust
How much does Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust give each year?
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust gave $74K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $72K across 9 grants.
What is Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $6,166, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust give grants?
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust gives mostly in Alabama: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Auburn, AL (2 grants) and Selma, AL (2 grants).
Does Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (8 grants) and "Scholarship" (4 grants).
Who are Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Auburn University ($38,990), Selma-Dallas Co Public Library ($10,000) and Shiloh Baptist Church ($8,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust?
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $87K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $77K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included scholarships and contributions to organizations such as Auburn University, Selma-Dallas County Public Library, Shiloh Baptist Church, and Food Bank of East Alabama. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust?
The foundation states that it 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 Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's EIN?
Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 63-0738970. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Mary E W Edwards 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mary-e-w-edwards-charitable-trust-morg_07d5e854237545cb80a63678bb95e45c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_630738970_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mary E W Edwards Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mary-e-w-edwards-charitable-trust-morg_07d5e854237545cb80a63678bb95e45c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Mary E W Edwards 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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