Skylight Charitable Trust
Skylight Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Its 2024 grants supported brain and neurological disease research as well as community projects in Watertown, Wisconsin, including YMCA facilities and a fire department training tower.
Skylight Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Skylight Charitable Trust gave $7.4M across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $496K), top state Wisconsin. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $7,444,345
- +53.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +36.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $496,290
- +12.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $377,167
- Total assets
- $106,197,157
- -3.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Skylight Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 23233 N Pima Rd 113-164, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phone: (480) 206-6522
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Skylight Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Watertown Area Community Foundation ($2.8M across 4 grants). Together the top 6 received $7.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 18 grants of 40 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin (38%), Minnesota (34%), New York (14%), Georgia (11%) and Arizona (3%). The listed grants included projects in Watertown, Wisconsin, and research support for organizations based in Minneapolis, Atlanta and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How Skylight Charitable Trust gives
- In 2024 it paid out 142% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.3M (2022) to $7.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $7.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Brain Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Lewy Body Dementia Research Study | $1,000,000 |
| Watertown Area Community Foundation Watertown, WI | YMCA Pool Building Foundation and Walls | $1,000,000 |
| Watertown Area Community Foundation Watertown, WI | YMCA Capital Campaign | $1,000,000 |
| Watertown Area Community Foundation Watertown, WI | Watertown Fire Departement Training Tower | $700,000 |
| American Brain Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Neural Inflammation Project Fund Study | $625,000 |
| CMT Research Foundation Inc Atlanta, GA | General Support | $550,000 |
| Curepsp Inc New York, NY | General Support | $550,000 |
| American Brain Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Next Generation Research Program | $377,167 |
| American Brain Foundation Minneapolis, MN | PSP Genomics Initiative | $357,356 |
| CMT Research Foundation Inc Atlanta, GA | General Support for Type 1A Research | $300,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $106,197,157 | $4,336,479 | $8,495,581 | $7,444,345 | 15 | $7,838,407 | $3,724,120 | $5,506,052 |
| 2023 | $110,346,250 | $8,276,131 | $5,786,778 | $4,858,647 | 11 | $5,188,818 | $2,544,524 | $5,081,071 |
| 2022 | $107,806,101 | $-3,369,300 | $3,456,273 | $2,332,017 | 14 | $2,698,950 | $1,669,564 | $5,014,712 |
| 2021 | $114,631,674 | $114,852,449 | $220,775 | — | — | — | $3,659,319 | $2,055,227 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Skylight Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $5.5M for 2024 — 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 grants show support for medical research and community projects. Among its grantees, the American Brain Foundation describes its mission as accelerating breakthrough research on brain disease and optimizing brain health; the CMT Research Foundation says it funds research toward treatments and cures for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease; and CurePSP says it works to raise awareness, build community, improve care and find a cure for PSP, CBD and MSA. The Watertown Area Community Foundation describes its mission as betterment of Watertown and the surrounding area and enhancing residents’ quality of life.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the trust reported 15 grants totaling $7,444,345. Grants ranged from $100,000 to $1,000,000, with a median of $377,167.
Notable grants included $1,000,000 to the American Brain Foundation for a Lewy body dementia research study; $1,000,000 to the Watertown Area Community Foundation for YMCA pool building foundation and walls; and another $1,000,000 to the same foundation for a YMCA capital campaign. The Watertown foundation also received $700,000 for a fire department training tower. Other grants included $625,000 to the American Brain Foundation for a neural inflammation project study, $550,000 each to the CMT Research Foundation and CurePSP for general support, and $377,167 to the American Brain Foundation for its Next Generation Research Program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barton Bentzin as president and chairman of the board, Sarah Bentzin as vice president and secretary, and Joseph Blaylock as a member.
Skylight Charitable Trust is led by Barton Bentzin, President & Chairman of the Board on every filing since 2021; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barton Bentzin
President & Chairman of the Board
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$108K (2022) → $175K (2024)
Sarah Bentzin
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2021
15 hrs/week
$54K (2022) → $50K (2024)
Joseph Blaylock
Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $175K, to Barton Bentzin (President & Chairman of the Board). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Skylight Charitable Trust
How much does Skylight Charitable Trust give each year?
Skylight Charitable Trust gave $7.4M across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.9M across 11 grants.
What is Skylight Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Skylight Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $377,167, and its average grant was $496,290, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Skylight Charitable Trust give grants?
Skylight Charitable Trust's top state is Wisconsin, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Minnesota (34%) and New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (5 grants), Watertown, WI (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Atlanta, GA (2 grants).
Does Skylight Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of Skylight Charitable Trust's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Skylight Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Skylight Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include Watertown Area Community Foundation ($2,800,000 across 4 grants), American Brain Foundation ($2,509,523 across 5 grants) and CMT Research Foundation Inc ($850,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Skylight Charitable Trust?
Skylight Charitable Trust reported $106.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Skylight Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its grants show support for medical research and community projects. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Skylight Charitable Trust?
The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Skylight Charitable Trust's EIN?
Skylight Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-6456699. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Skylight 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Skylight Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/skylight-charitable-trust-morg_9ffa23288bc0470b8b25ac2860822db7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_856456699_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Skylight Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/skylight-charitable-trust-morg_9ffa23288bc0470b8b25ac2860822db7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Skylight 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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