Rea Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Detroit, Michigan, established in 2009. The trust operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and functions as an independent foundation focused on philanthropic grantmaking.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$98.1M
-2.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.6M
-1.7% YoY
Grant Count
205
+11.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$28K
-11.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rea Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $5.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The trust's primary funding interests include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Visual arts programs (daily operations support)
Grantmaking
The trust accepts applications.
Grant Range
$2,500–$350,000
Average Grant
amount: $38,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Primary funding regions:
- Texas
- Virginia
- New York
The foundation's grantmaking reaches organizations across 29 states, with the highest concentration in Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia, which account for 76% of all grants.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Income (2024):
- Total assets: $98,126,165
- Total revenues: $4,153,031
- Total expenses: $6,653,545
- Investment income and dividends: $2,949,721
- Total liabilities: $0
Giving Rate: Approximately 5.8% of assets distributed annually
Historical Asset Growth: Assets have grown from $23.1 million in 2010 to approximately $98–$113 million in recent years.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $98,126,165 | $100,544,152 | $107,266,968 |
| Revenue | $4,153,031 | $-229,851 | $6,370,492 |
| Expenses | $6,653,545 | $6,772,543 | $6,897,542 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,662,625 | $5,867,302 | $5,965,378 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,350,477 | $2,567,910 | $5,416,863 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,530,140 | $5,544,793 | $5,827,436 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
201 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Rea Charitable Trust
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Permian Basin Public ($80,000), National Alliance for Grieving Children ($50,000), Midland College Foundation Inc ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NASHER SCULPTURE CENTER DALLAS, TX | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $10,000 |
| CHARLOTTESVILLE OPERA CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $10,000 |
| ARTPACE INC SAN ANTONIO, TX | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $10,000 |
| HARMONY PROGRAM NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $10,000 |
| MIMA MUSIC TROY, MI | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $5,000 |
| ORATORIO SOCIETY OF QUEENS INC FOREST HILLS, NY | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $10,000 |
| YOUNG PEOPLES CHORUS OF NEW YORK CITY IN NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $15,000 |
| SECOND THOUGHT THEATRE DALLAS, TX | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $12,500 |
| HECKSCHER MUSEUM HUNTINGTON, NY | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $5,000 |
| METROPOLITAN OPERA ASSOCIATION INC NEW YORK, NY | SUPPORT FOR DAILY OPERATION | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Personnel:
- Matthew Grabowski – Vice President
- Dona Bradley – Principal Officer
- Comerica Bank – Trustee
- Advisory Committee members: Richard Folger, Vickie Jay, Eileen Piwetz, Becky Baskin Ferguson, Carma Lynn Muscroft, Katharine Folger Kavanagh, Christine G Foreman
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMERICA BANK TRUST NA | TRUSTEE | 1 | $134,246 |
| RANDY WILSON | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,000 |
| VICKIE JAY | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,000 |
| EILEEN PIWETZ | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,000 |
| BECKY BASKIN FERGUSON | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,000 |
| CARMA LYNN MUSCROFT | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,000 |
| KATHARINE FOLGER KAVANAGH | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,000 |
| CHRISTINE G FOREMAN | ADVISORY COMMITTEE | 1 | $1,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant recipients include:
Midland ISD Education Foundation – $350,000 (support for daily operations)
Senior Life Midland – $150,000 (support for daily operations)
Odessa College Foundation – $150,000 (support for daily operations)
South Texas College Music Department – $60,000
Rea Charitable Trust awards 60k grant to STC Music DepartmentThe Birthplace of Country Music – grant award (2022)
2022 Grant Awards - The Birthplace of Country MusicSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Rea Charitable Trust fund?
The trust's primary funding interests include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Visual arts programs (daily operations support)
How do I apply for a grant from Rea Charitable Trust?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant range: $2,500–$350,000 • Median grant amount: $15,000–$20,000 • Average grant amount: $38,000 • Individual grants have ranged from $1,000 to $5.2 million **Recent Activity:** • Made 184–205 grants in the most recent fiscal year (2024) • Total annual distributions: $5.6–$5.9 million • Historical grantmaking activity peaked in 2022 with $11.4 million distributed across 366 grants • Has supported 332 unique organizations across 734 total grants **Applicat…
Where does Rea Charitable Trust make grants?
Primary funding regions: • Texas • Virginia • New York The foundation's grantmaking reaches organizations across 29 states, with the highest concentration in Texas, North Carolina, and Virginia, which account for 76% of all grants.
What size grants does Rea Charitable Trust award?
In 2024, Rea Charitable Trust awarded 205 grants totaling $5.6M — an average of about $28K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Rea Charitable Trust required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Rea Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $5.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Rea Charitable Trust's EIN?
Rea Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3671567. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Rea Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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