Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr is a private foundation based in Safety Harbor, Florida. It supports charitable organizations working to expand access to clean drinking water through Sawyer point-of-use water filters, as well as university-level global health education and research, community development, and disaster relief.
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr at a glance
In short: Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr gave $528K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Florida. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $528,327
- -31.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,510
- -35.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $60,241
- +76.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Florida (50% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026.
How to apply to Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 4046 Bridgeport Dr, Safety Harbor, FL 34695
Phone: (727) 741-4798
Website: https://sawyerfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Messiah University ($200K). Together the top 10 received $518K.
Grant Size Distribution
93 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 93 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes work with nonprofit partners in more than 100 countries. In filing year 2024, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida and 39% to recipients in Michigan; the filing also reports shares for North Carolina (3%) and Texas (1%), along with an unlisted state share of 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr gives
- 29% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $528K (2025) to $1.2M (2023). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $528K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA | Global Education | $200,000 |
| Loud Monk Media Clearwater, FL | Educational Video Production | $164,522 |
| Disciple Support Ministries Pinellas Park, FL | Missionary Support | $100,000 |
| Matt Arnett Rockwall, TX | Global Health Education | $15,000 |
| Poetice Covington, LA | Missionary Support | $15,000 |
| Saint Josephs College of Maine Standish, ME | Global Education | $12,000 |
| Ethiopia Act Nashville, TN | Disaster Relief | $6,750 |
| The Filter Project Cordova, TN | Provide Clean Drinking Water | $2,000 |
| Kingdom Ventures International Shelby, AL | Missionary Support | $1,500 |
| Unto Orlando, FL | Disaster Relief | $1,105 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $60,241 | $689,928 | $663,747 | $528,327 | 32 | $529,578 | $182 |
| 2024 | $34,060 | $931,352 | $908,169 | $768,948 | 30 | $768,948 | $592 |
| 2023 | $10,877 | $854,427 | $1,350,217 | $1,218,344 | 17 | $1,218,344 | $4,173 |
| 2022 | $506,667 | $1,376,575 | $1,077,420 | $946,500 | 7 | $946,500 | $3,556 |
| 2021 | $210,227 | $1,320,000 | $1,112,488 | $1,022,500 | 7 | $1,022,500 | $4,067 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr reported a distributable amount of $182 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 foundation’s stated purpose is to partner with charities to change lives around the world through Sawyer’s point-of-use water filters. Its three stated pillars are university-level global health education and research, transformational community development, and disaster relief. The foundation says its community-development support includes seed grants and ongoing support for organizations using Sawyer technology to provide clean water.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Hope College describes its mission as educating students for leadership and service in a global society; Disciple Support Ministries says it teaches and trains individuals in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Operation Resolute says it serves men and families in the U.S. Armed Forces through military chaplains, outdoor events, marriage seminars, and family retreats. Water By Women says it provides water filters to mothers and trains them to provide clean water in their communities. The Bucket Ministry describes its mission as sharing the love of God through clean water.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $768,948. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $300,000, with a median of $1,150. Its largest reported grants were $300,000 to Hope College for global education, $272,650 to Loud Monk Media for educational video production, and $100,000 to Disciple Support Ministries for missionary support. Other reported grants included $25,000 to Operation Resolute for veteran support and $16,667 to Amor Europe to provide clean drinking water. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 32 grants totaling $528,327.
The foundation’s website describes a process beginning with a brief Letter of Inquiry, followed by an initial review, a possible introductory Zoom meeting, and an invitation to submit a full application for organizations that appear to be a strong fit. It says proposed projects must use hollow fiber membrane filtration rated to 0.1 micron absolute filtration and meet its filtration standards. U.S.-based applicants must be IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charities; organizations outside the U.S. must have an equivalent charitable or nonprofit designation. Individuals, for-profit organizations, and organizations without recognized charitable or nonprofit status are ineligible. The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kurt Avery, Barbara Avery, and Gwendolyn Loftin as co-trustees.
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gwendolyn Loftin
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
30 hrs/week
$80K (2021) → $120K (2025)
Barbara Avery
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kurt Avery
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $120K, to Gwendolyn Loftin (Co-Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr
How much does Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr give each year?
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr gave $528K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $769K across 30 grants.
What is Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's typical grant size?
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $16,510, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr give grants?
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr gives mostly in Florida: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (38%).
Does Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Provide Clean Drinking Water" (13 grants), "Disaster Relief" (9 grants) and "Missionary Support" (6 grants).
Who are Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's largest grantees?
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's largest 2025 grantees include Messiah University ($200,000), Loud Monk Media ($164,522) and Disciple Support Ministries ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr?
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr reported $60K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $530K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $182 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to partner with charities to change lives around the world through Sawyer’s point-of-use water filters. Its three stated pillars are university-level global health education and research, transformational community development, and disaster relief. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr?
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check sawyerfoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's EIN?
Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-6488444. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sawyer-foundation-charitable-tr-morg_19738a45f133435c8a21c7e00e542145
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_856488444_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sawyer-foundation-charitable-tr-morg_19738a45f133435c8a21c7e00e542145},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-09. 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 Sawyer Foundation Charitable Tr'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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