May Foundation Trust
May Foundation Trust is a private foundation located in Penn Laird, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including poverty relief, refugee aid, food access, journalism, environmental protection, and support for survivors of sexual violence.
May Foundation Trust at a glance
In short: May Foundation Trust gave $80K across 49 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state New York. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $80,325
- +3.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 49
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,639
- +3.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,775
- Total assets
- $1,035,495
- +11.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (6 of 49, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (37% 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 May Foundation Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4071 Sabrina Ct, Penn Laird, VA 22846
Phone: (978) 417-6021
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who May Foundation Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Unbound ($2K). Together the top 10 received $18K.
Grant Size Distribution
227 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 227 grants of 227 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (37%), California (19%), and the District of Columbia (13%). New Jersey and Minnesota each received 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is May Foundation Trust open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 49 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 127% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $55K (2020) to $80K (2025). In 2025 it made 49 grants totaling $80K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Unbound Kansas City, KS | Lifts People Out of Poverty | $1,775 |
| Anera Washington, DC | Refugee Aid in the Near East | $1,775 |
| Spring Lake Ranch Shrewsbury, VT | Mental Health & Substance Abuse Supp | $1,775 |
| Rainn Washington, DC | Supports Survivors of Sexual Violenc | $1,775 |
| UCF Foundation Orlando, FL | Scholarships for Women in Journalism | $1,775 |
| City Harvest Brooklyn, NY | Provides Food to People in Need | $1,775 |
| Soul Fire Farm Institute Petersburg, NY | Farm Committed to Uprooting Racism | $1,775 |
| Union of Concerned Scientists Cambridge, MA | Scientific Research for Safer World | $1,775 |
| Riverkeeper Ossining, NY | Protects Drinking Water of NYC & HV | $1,775 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Earthquake Relief | $1,775 |
Ready to take the next step with May Foundation Trust?
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 | $1,035,495 | $206,949 | $95,263 | $80,325 | 49 | $82,774 | $169,532 | $64,998 |
| 2024 | $930,468 | $224,049 | $80,423 | $77,525 | 49 | $73,839 | $204,507 | $61,464 |
| 2023 | $786,842 | $41,378 | $78,645 | $70,234 | 42 | $72,471 | $32,968 | $58,151 |
| 2022 | $824,109 | $137,339 | $70,861 | $61,336 | 42 | $63,493 | $25,805 | $55,214 |
| 2021 | $757,631 | $65,486 | $74,427 | $66,750 | 45 | $68,500 | $50,882 | $60,055 |
| 2020 | $766,572 | $31,463 | $62,556 | $55,150 | 46 | — | $20,857 | $50,510 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, May Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $65K 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 foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations addressing environmental issues, education, economic opportunity, humanitarian crises, and land conservation. For example, the Indigenous Environmental Network describes its mission as educating youth and Indigenous people about environmental issues and their health; Berea College says it transforms the lives of students and families by admitting students of high promise and low means; and World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 49 grants totaling $80,325. Grants ranged from $500 to $1,775, with a median of $1,775. Among the listed recipients receiving $1,775 were UNBOUND, for work described as lifting people out of poverty; ANERA, for refugee aid in the Near East; City Harvest, for providing food to people in need; and Howard University, for accurate pro-democracy journalism. Other $1,775 recipients included Peconic Land Trust, Berea College, Kiva Microfunds, and World Central Kitchen.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert May, Marilyn May, Joan E May, and Melissa M Strobel as trustees.
May Foundation Trust's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joan E. May
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marilyn May
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Melissa M. Strobel
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert May
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about May Foundation Trust
How much does May Foundation Trust give each year?
May Foundation Trust gave $80K across 49 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $78K across 49 grants.
What is May Foundation Trust's typical grant size?
May Foundation Trust's median grant in 2025 was $1,775, and its average grant was $1,639, across 49 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from May Foundation Trust that year got $1K on average.
Where does May Foundation Trust give grants?
May Foundation Trust's top state is New York, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (19%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (6 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Oakland, CA (2 grants).
Does May Foundation Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 49 grants with a stated purpose on May Foundation Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are May Foundation Trust's largest grantees?
May Foundation Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Unbound ($1,775), Anera ($1,775) and Spring Lake Ranch ($1,775), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 7% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is May Foundation Trust?
May Foundation Trust reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $83K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $65K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does May Foundation Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations addressing environmental issues, education, economic opportunity, humanitarian crises, and land conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from May Foundation Trust?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is May Foundation Trust's EIN?
May Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-2978693. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does May Foundation 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in May Foundation Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). May Foundation Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/may-foundation-trust-morg_d2dc075dd33442898ad5da588606e460
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_112978693_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{May Foundation Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/may-foundation-trust-morg_d2dc075dd33442898ad5da588606e460},
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 May Foundation 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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