Mary Garner Esary Trust
The Mary Garner Esary Trust was a private foundation based in Walla Walla, Washington. Its 2024 filing states that the trust terminated after donating all remaining assets to Blue Mountain Community Foundation.
Key facts about Mary Garner Esary Trust
In short: Mary Garner Esary Trust gave $3.4M across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $155K), mostly in Washington. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 91-1901307
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,400,589
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- Average grant
- $154,572
- Median grant
- $3,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (4 of 19, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Washington (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing lists Robert Zagelow as the contact and requires the application materials described above. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- No set 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
—
-100.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.4M
+2158.4% YoY
Grant Count
22
+22.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$155K
+1747.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary Garner Esary Trust reported a distributable amount of $161K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Mary Garner Esary Trust open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 19 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $833K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 42% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 2278% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 for the trust is provided. Its grants included support for scholarships and educational organizations, community services, recovery support, literacy, arts, and local recreation. For example, Blue Mountain Community Foundation describes its mission as connecting people, charitable causes, and community needs in the Blue Mountain region. Community Council says it fosters dialogue, inquiry, and advocacy to build a vibrant region; Trilogy Recovery Community describes its work as supporting youth, adults, and families in recovery from addiction or substance misuse.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust reported 22 grants totaling $3,400,589. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $3,303,881, with a median of $3,500. The largest grant was $3,303,881 to Blue Mountain Community Foundation for an endowment; the trust also gave that foundation $19,043 for an endowment. Other notable grants included $17,500 to Walla Walla Public School for scholarships, $5,000 to Walla Walla Catholic Schools for general operations, and $4,500 each to Fort Walla Walla Museum for general operations and Page Ahead for children’s literacy.
Review Cycle
No set deadlines.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing states that awards were restricted to the Walla Walla and Eastern Washington geographic area. All 2024 grant dollars are reported as going to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 22 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $126K (2020) to $3.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Blue Mountain Community Foundation ($3.3M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $3.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
142 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 139 grants of 142 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountain Community Foundation Walla Walla, WA | Endowment | $3,303,881 |
| Blue Mountain Community Foundation Walla Walla, WA | Endowment | $19,043 |
| Walla Walla Public School Walla Walla, WA | Scholarships | $17,500 |
| Walla Walla Catholic Schools Walla Walla, WA | General Operations | $5,000 |
| Fort Walla Walla Museum Walla Walla, WA | General Operations | $4,500 |
| Page Ahead Seattle, WA | Children's Literacy | $4,500 |
| City of Walla Walla Walla Walla, WA | Parks & Recreation | $4,000 |
| St Francis Cabrini Walla Walla, WA | General Operations | $3,665 |
| Campfire Walla Walla, WA | General Operations | $3,500 |
| Community Council Walla Walla, WA | General Operations | $3,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | $33,089 | $3,429,750 | $3,400,589 |
| 2023 | $3,308,243 | $59,489 | $199,417 | $150,575 |
| 2022 | $3,448,171 | $459,468 | $211,368 | $169,150 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | $3,308,243 | $3,448,171 |
| Revenue | $33,089 | $59,489 | $459,468 |
| Expenses | $3,429,750 | $199,417 | $211,368 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,404,589 | $150,575 | $169,150 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,928 | $51,204 | $417,250 |
| Distributable Amount | $161,388 | $148,489 | $150,359 |
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
Robert L. Zagelow was listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
Mary Garner Esary Trust is led by Robert L. Zagelow, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert L. Zagelow
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $8K (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 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $8K, to Robert L Zagelow (Trustee).
Contact
Application contact: Robert Zagelow
Mailing address: 1391 Country Club Rd, Walla Walla, WA 99362
Phone: (509) 520-2227
Frequently asked questions about Mary Garner Esary Trust
How much does Mary Garner Esary Trust give each year?
Mary Garner Esary Trust gave $3.4M across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $151K across 18 grants.
What is Mary Garner Esary Trust's typical grant size?
Mary Garner Esary Trust's median grant in 2024 was $3,500, and its average grant was $154,572, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mary Garner Esary Trust that year got $833K on average.
Where does Mary Garner Esary Trust give grants?
Mary Garner Esary Trust gives mostly in Washington: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Walla Walla, WA (18 grants) and Seattle, WA (2 grants).
Does Mary Garner Esary Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 64% of Mary Garner Esary Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mary Garner Esary Trust's largest grantees?
Mary Garner Esary Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Blue Mountain Community Foundation ($3,322,924 across 2 grants), Walla Walla Public School ($20,500 across 2 grants) and Walla Walla Catholic Schools ($5,500 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 98% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does Mary Garner Esary Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its grants included support for scholarships and educational organizations, community services, recovery support, literacy, arts, and local recreation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary Garner Esary Trust?
The filing lists Robert Zagelow as the contact and requires the application materials described above. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Mary Garner Esary Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Mary Garner Esary Trust reported a distributable amount of $161K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Mary Garner Esary Trust's EIN?
Mary Garner Esary Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1901307. 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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