Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust
The Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It made 22 grants totaling $295,920 in filing year 2026, supporting charitable organizations in Illinois.
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust gave $296K across 22 grants in 2026 (avg $13K), mostly in Illinois. 5% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $295,920
- +16.7% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 22
- +4.8% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $13,451
- +11.4% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,495,198
- +3.5% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (1 of 22, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable 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: 10 S Dearborn Il1-0111, Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (800) 496-2583
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Trinity United Methodist Church ($45K). Together the top 10 received $220K.
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 103 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2026 went to recipients in Illinois. The listed recipients include organizations in Chicago and Palatine.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 1 of 22 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 95% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (−10%). Method
- In 2026 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 (2020–2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $241K (2021) to $328K (2023). In 2026 it made 22 grants totaling $296K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trinity United Methodist Church Chicago, IL | General | $45,000 |
| Washington & Jane Smith Community Chicago, IL | General | $42,920 |
| Beverly Arts Center Chicago, IL | General | $25,000 |
| Beverly Area Arts Alliance Chicago, IL | General | $17,500 |
| Maple Morgan Park Community Food Pantry Chicago, IL | General | $15,000 |
| Beverly Area Planning Association Chicago, IL | General | $15,000 |
| Friends of the Forest Preserves Chicago, IL | General | $15,000 |
| Kate S Kellogg Elementary School Chicago, IL | General | $15,000 |
| Henry R Clissold Elementary School Chicago, IL | General | $15,000 |
| Elizabeth H Sutherland Elementary School Chicago, IL | General | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $4,495,198 | $583,828 | $435,905 | $295,920 | 22 | $355,733 | $504,881 | $375,696 |
| 2025 | $4,341,276 | $285,612 | $381,240 | $253,620 | 21 | $309,111 | $212,252 | $345,411 |
| 2024 | $4,435,894 | $229,168 | $368,675 | $250,290 | 20 | $302,566 | $156,792 | $305,896 |
| 2023 | $4,582,890 | $293,334 | $396,980 | $328,084 | 19 | $329,070 | $227,009 | $298,776 |
| 2022 | $4,686,536 | $330,137 | $423,365 | $266,707 | 21 | $330,806 | $244,729 | $349,683 |
| 2021 | $4,774,774 | $394,036 | $330,653 | $241,192 | 20 | — | $345,850 | $288,825 |
| 2020 | $4,711,389 | $441,513 | $352,912 | $260,040 | 21 | — | $380,810 | $283,260 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $376K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2026 grants went to organizations including churches, arts organizations, schools, a community food pantry, and environmental and community groups. Among the grantees’ stated missions, Friends of the Forest Preserves says it works to protect and care for Cook County’s public outdoor spaces, while Maple Morgan Park Community Food Pantry says it provides food pantry resources to the Morgan Park community. WINGS Program Inc. describes its mission as providing housing, services, education, and advocacy to end domestic violence.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the trust reported 22 grants totaling $295,920. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $45,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest listed awards included $45,000 to Trinity United Methodist Church and $42,920 to Washington & Jane Smith Community, both in Chicago. Other awards included $25,000 to Beverly Arts Center; $17,500 to Beverly Area Arts Alliance; and $15,000 each to Maple Morgan Park Community Food Pantry, Beverly Area Planning Association, Friends of the Forest Preserves, and three Chicago elementary schools.
Additional reported 2026 grants included $5,000 to Morgan Park Academy and $5,000 to WINGS Program Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Christopher J. Berghoff as co-trustee.
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust is led by Christopher J. Berghoff, Co-Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Christopher J. Berghoff
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$30K (2020) → $45K (2026)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "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 $45K, to Christopher J Berghoff (Co-Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust
How much does Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust give each year?
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust gave $296K across 22 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $254K across 21 grants.
What is Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust's median grant in 2026 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,451, across 22 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust that year got $3K on average.
Where does Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust give grants?
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (21 grants).
Does Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust's largest 2026 grantees include Trinity United Methodist Church ($45,000), Washington & Jane Smith Community ($42,920) and Beverly Arts Center ($25,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust?
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $356K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $376K (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 Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2026 grants went to organizations including churches, arts organizations, schools, a community food pantry, and environmental and community groups. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable 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 ↑
What is Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust's EIN?
Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-2684146. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-oliver-secord-perpetual-charitable-trust-morg_57e73788cbf9498b97030e1edded76e3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_452684146_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-oliver-secord-perpetual-charitable-trust-morg_57e73788cbf9498b97030e1edded76e3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Ruth Oliver Secord Perpetual 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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