Pershing Charitable Trust
Pershing Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 filing lists 83 grants, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Missouri.
Pershing Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Pershing Charitable Trust gave $5.2M across 83 grants in 2025 (avg $63K), mostly in Missouri. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,198,400
- +9.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 83
- +7.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $62,631
- +1.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $88,426,272
- +2.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (20 of 83, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (97% 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 Pershing Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The Trust accepts unsolicited requests. It does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and requests must be submitted in writing. The filing states there are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Becki Blankenship Executive Dir
Mailing address: 7711 Bonhomme Suite 875, St Louis, MO 63105
Phone: (618) 520-2977
Email: bblankenship@pctfunds.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pershing Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Louis Childrens Hospital Foundation ($600K). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($150,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
383 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 255 grants of 383 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri, 2% to Massachusetts, 1% to Colorado and less than 1% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 83 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Pershing Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 20 of 83 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $87K; repeat grants $55K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $4.4M (2020) to $5.2M (2021). In 2025 it made 83 grants totaling $5.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Louis Childrens Hospital Foundation St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $600,000 |
| Concordance St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $400,000 |
| Epsiscopal Church of St Michael St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $400,000 |
| Access Academies St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $300,000 |
| Nine PBS St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $150,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $150,000 |
| Peter and Paul Community Services St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $100,000 |
| Metropolitan Golf Foundation St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $100,000 |
| Beyond Housing Inc St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $100,000 |
| Urban League of Metropolitan STL St. Louis, MO | General Purpose Funds | $100,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $88,426,272 | $8,012,494 | $5,827,071 | $5,198,400 | 83 | $5,382,361 | $7,729,038 | $5,684,486 |
| 2024 | $85,953,940 | $6,134,902 | $5,248,478 | $4,733,755 | 77 | $4,820,266 | $5,784,260 | $5,231,434 |
| 2023 | $85,023,687 | $5,453,510 | $5,514,148 | $5,021,503 | 69 | $5,056,753 | $5,086,085 | $4,746,695 |
| 2022 | $85,022,570 | $3,413,711 | $5,309,040 | $4,871,400 | 74 | $4,904,425 | $3,067,693 | $5,221,606 |
| 2021 | $86,917,899 | $7,839,999 | $5,660,170 | $5,206,650 | 80 | — | $7,540,942 | $5,222,622 |
| 2020 | $84,738,070 | $1,682,397 | $4,768,057 | $4,402,100 | 82 | — | $1,853,256 | $4,615,118 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pershing Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $5.7M 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 Trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation describes its work as supporting pediatric care, including patient and family experience and access to care. Concordance says its mission is to reduce reincarceration through an integrated re-entry program. Access Academies describes its mission as helping underserved middle school students progress through high school and toward college and career success.
Other 2025 recipients include the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, which describes its mission as using plant science to improve human health, food access, the environment and the regional economy; and Beyond Housing, which describes its work as community development that includes housing preservation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Trust reported 83 grants totaling $5,198,400. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $600,000, with a median of $30,000. Among the largest grants were $600,000 to St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation, $400,000 each to Concordance and Episcopal Church of St Michael, $300,000 to Access Academies, and $150,000 each to Nine PBS and STL an individual recipient These grants were listed for general purpose funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William L Polk Jr., Marian Mehan and Rev Steve Lawler as trustees, and Rebecca Blankenship as executive director.
Pershing Charitable Trust is led by Rebecca Blankenship, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rebecca Blankenship
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
10 hrs/week
$58K (2024) → $60K (2025)
Marian Mehan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Lawler
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William L. Polk Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $60K, to Rebecca Blankenship (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Pershing Charitable Trust
How much does Pershing Charitable Trust give each year?
Pershing Charitable Trust gave $5.2M across 83 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.7M across 77 grants.
What is Pershing Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Pershing Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $62,631, across 83 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Pershing Charitable Trust that year got $87K on average.
Where does Pershing Charitable Trust give grants?
Pershing Charitable Trust gives mostly in Missouri: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (77 grants).
Does Pershing Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Pershing Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (83 of 83) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Pershing Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Pershing Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include St Louis Childrens Hospital Foundation ($600,000), Concordance ($400,000) and Epsiscopal Church of St Michael ($400,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($150,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Pershing Charitable Trust?
Pershing Charitable Trust reported $88.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.7M (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 Pershing Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the Trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation describes its work as supporting pediatric care, including patient and family experience and access to care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pershing Charitable Trust?
The Trust accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Pershing Charitable Trust's EIN?
Pershing Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6103545. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Pershing Charitable Trust accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Pershing Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pershing Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pershing-charitable-trust-morg_de1bda293b684f1b87220fa4a537015a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436103545_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pershing Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pershing-charitable-trust-morg_de1bda293b684f1b87220fa4a537015a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Pershing 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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