Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust
The Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust is a Chicago-based private foundation that supports English-language scholarships through two authorized institutes in Greece. Its scholarships are for English instruction and cover tuition and educational materials for one year, with the possibility of renewal.
Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust at a glance
In short: Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust gave $206K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $103K). Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $206,400
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $103,200
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $103,200
- Total assets
- $1,748,908
- -11.5% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Michael Lascaris Scholarship 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Sarah Severson 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 258-5588
Website: https://www.lascaristrust.gr/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
182 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 174 grants of 182 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Trust says its scholarships are for people from Greece, Cyprus, and Istanbul. Its authorized teaching institutes are in Nea Smyrni and Voula, Greece.
How Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 246% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $206K (2020) to $206K (2025). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $206K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $206,400 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation’s EIN is 36-7144785.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,748,908 | $154,166 | $380,514 | $206,400 | 2 | $353,463 | $132,497 | $143,633 |
| 2024 | $1,975,254 | $340,697 | $369,936 | $206,400 | 2 | $349,996 | $321,758 | $142,591 |
| 2023 | $2,005,742 | $81,838 | $365,498 | $206,400 | 2 | $345,775 | $68,679 | $142,196 |
| 2022 | $2,289,402 | $80,367 | $367,121 | $206,400 | 2 | $344,806 | $73,091 | $155,751 |
| 2021 | $2,576,156 | $167,409 | $366,887 | $206,400 | 174 | $355,296 | $157,018 | $180,464 |
| 2020 | $2,775,895 | $77,624 | $375,164 | $206,400 | 2 | — | $88,102 | $178,256 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust reported a distributable amount of $144K 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
The Trust’s stated scholarship purpose is English-language instruction, from beginner level through the Certificate of Proficiency at the Universities of Cambridge and Michigan. Applicants must be at least 12, have Greek ancestry, and be Greek Orthodox. Lessons take place at the an individual recipient Smyrnis English Language School and the Institute for an individual recipient
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported two grants totaling $206,400, or $103,200 each. The same total and grant count were reported for 2023 and 2022.
The 2024 grants went to the Dessy Topouzides Institute of Foreign Languages and the an individual recipient Smyrnis English Language School. The filing describes each grant as supporting scholarships for individuals under a preapproved scholarship procedure: 90 individuals through the an individual recipient grant and 87 through the Estia grant.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Koula Pagonis, Darsie Bowden, Constantine Metaxas, Theodore Rodes Jr, and John Relias as trustees, and Evangelia Laiou as program manager.
Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; all 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Constantine Metaxas
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Darsie Bowden
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2025)
John Relias
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Koula Pagonis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $32K (2025)
Theodore Rodes Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Evangelia Laiou
Program Manager
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$26K (2020) → $28K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $32K, to Koula Pagonis (Trustee). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust
How much does Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust give each year?
Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust gave $206K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $206K across 2 grants.
How large is Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust?
Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $353K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $144K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust fund?
The Trust’s stated scholarship purpose is English-language instruction, from beginner level through the Certificate of Proficiency at the Universities of Cambridge and Michigan. Applicants must be at least 12, have Greek ancestry, and be Greek Orthodox. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Michael Lascaris Scholarship 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 ↑
Where does Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust make grants?
The Trust says its scholarships are for people from Greece, Cyprus, and Istanbul. Its authorized teaching institutes are in Nea Smyrni and Voula, Greece.
What is Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust's EIN?
Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-7144785. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Michael Lascaris Scholarship 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 2020 (received by the IRS September 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 30, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 1, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Michael Lascaris Scholarship Trust funds
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