Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust
The Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. It supports a variety of charitable causes, with a stated emphasis on organizations based in Texas.
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust gave $375K across 8 grants in 2026 (avg $47K), mostly in South Carolina. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $375,000
- -37.1% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 8
- -71.4% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $46,875
- +120.2% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $7,613,898
- +6.3% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (61% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing names the Center for Scholarship Administration as the scholarship application contact and says applications can be submitted online. The listed requirements apply to the scholarship.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing lists February 1. That date has passed for 2026.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing lists February 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Center For Scholarship Administrati
Mailing address: 4320 Wade Hampton Blvd G, Taylors, SC 29687
Phone: (864) 268-3363
Email: ellen@csascholars.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust
Who Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was First Presbyterian Church ($40K). Together the top 7 received $145K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($230,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
151 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 135 grants of 151 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust’s grant-program description says there are no geographic limitations, while emphasizing support for Texas-based initiatives. Its 2026 grant dollars went primarily to South Carolina (61%) and Texas (36%), with 3% going to Oklahoma.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 8 itemized grants.
Cities
How Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust gives
- Giving fell 39% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 2019 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $333K (2020) to $640K (2024). In 2026 it made 8 grants totaling $375K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $230,000 |
| First Presbyterian Church Bryan, TX | General Operating | $40,000 |
| Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center Inc Bryan, TX | General Operating | $30,000 |
| Boys Clubs of Brazos County Inc Bryan, TX | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Brazos Valley Food Bank Inc Bryan, TX | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Heard Natural History Museum and McKinney, TX | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Goodland Inc Hugo, OK | General Operating | $10,000 |
| Moody Early Childhood Center Galveston, TX | General Operating | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $7,613,898 | $1,015,063 | $564,774 | $375,000 | 8 | $422,424 | $877,037 | $484,433 |
| 2025 | $7,160,451 | $641,292 | $768,518 | $596,000 | 28 | $648,388 | $525,475 | $516,827 |
| 2024 | $7,285,079 | $887,541 | $844,548 | $640,000 | 62 | $690,491 | $739,646 | $517,013 |
| 2023 | $7,356,079 | $491,027 | $834,181 | $613,750 | 30 | $662,787 | $574,996 | $602,119 |
| 2022 | $7,708,992 | $1,573,729 | $801,918 | $462,000 | 23 | $505,080 | $1,294,890 | $676,610 |
| 2021 | $6,927,422 | $685,233 | $569,331 | $426,692 | 21 | — | $591,268 | $493,111 |
| 2020 | $6,807,170 | $480,665 | $444,436 | $333,000 | 38 | — | $411,275 | $473,486 |
| 2019 | $6,769,794 | $751,824 | $512,865 | $336,500 | 36 | — | $619,915 | $376,313 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $484K for 2026 — 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 is described as having been created to support a variety of charitable causes. Its 2026 grants included a scholarship and general operating support for organizations serving areas such as rehabilitation, food access, youth, religion, and early childhood education.
The grantees describe their own missions in varied terms: Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center provides services to people with disabilities, regardless of ability to pay; Brazos Valley Food Bank seeks a more resilient Brazos Valley where nutritious food and opportunity are attainable for all; Moody Early Childhood Center aims to give every Galveston child the opportunity to soar; and Goodland serves youth in need of a safe Christian environment through education and character development.
A listed grant program identifies 501(c)(3) organizations as eligible and names arts, education, environment and animals, health, human services, and religion as program areas. Its stated award range is $5,000–$10,000.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the trust reported 8 grants totaling $375,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $230,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest grant was $230,000 to “an individual recipient” in Taylors, South Carolina, for a scholarship. Other notable grants included $40,000 to First Presbyterian Church in Bryan, Texas; $30,000 to Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center in Bryan; and $25,000 to Boys Clubs of Brazos County in Bryan. The trust also gave $15,000 each to Brazos Valley Food Bank in Bryan and Heard Natural History Museum and in McKinney, Texas, and $10,000 each to Goodland in Hugo, Oklahoma, and Moody Early Childhood Center in Galveston, Texas.
The trust’s 2025 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. For the scholarship described on that filing, applications can be submitted online through the named scholarship administrator. Applicants must be graduates of a public high school in Brazos County, Texas, plan to pursue a four-year degree, and be willing to earn part of their education expenses.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Wells Fargo Bank N.A. is listed as trustee on the 2026 filing.
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's only listed officer is Wells Fargo Bank N A, Trustee on every filing since 2024 (compensated).
Officers on the 2026 filing
Wells Fargo Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
$94K (2024) → $90K (2026)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Wells Fargo Bank NA (2019–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $90K, to Wells Fargo Bank N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust
How much does Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust give each year?
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust gave $375K across 8 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $596K across 28 grants.
What is Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's median grant in 2026 was $20,000, and its average grant was $46,875, across 8 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust give grants?
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust gives mostly in South Carolina: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (36%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bryan, TX (4 grants).
Does Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 88% of Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 8) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's largest 2026 grantees include First Presbyterian Church ($40,000), Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center Inc ($30,000) and Boys Clubs of Brazos County Inc ($25,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($230,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust?
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust reported $7.6M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $422K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $484K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust fund?
The trust is described as having been created to support a variety of charitable causes. Its 2026 grants included a scholarship and general operating support for organizations serving areas such as rehabilitation, food access, youth, religion, and early childhood education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust?
The 2025 filing names the Center for Scholarship Administration as the scholarship application contact and says applications can be submitted online. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's EIN?
Nina Heard Astin Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-1721901. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2026.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 12, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS August 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
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