Speer Charitable Trust
Speer Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2024, it reported 50 grants totaling $2,652,250, primarily to organizations in Tennessee.
Speer Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Speer Charitable Trust gave $2.7M across 50 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in Tennessee. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,652,250
- +21.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 50
- -2.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $53,045
- +24.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,000
- Total assets
- $49,619,182
- +2.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (7 of 50, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Speer Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1779 Kirby Parkway 1-219, Memphis, TN 38138
Phone: (901) 604-9305
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Speer Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St Jude ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
233 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 143 grants of 233 (61%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 4% to Virginia, and 2% to Massachusetts. The filing also lists 0% for New York and New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Speer Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 50 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $58K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 97% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.2M (2023) to $2.8M (2021). In 2024 it made 50 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Jude Memphis, TN | Program Related | $400,000 |
| St Paul Catholic School Memphis, TN | Program Related | $385,000 |
| Ave Maria Home Bartlett, TN | Program Related | $250,000 |
| Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN | Program Related | $200,000 |
| Mid-South Food Bank Memphis, TN | Program Related | $162,000 |
| Harwood Center Memphis, TN | Program Related | $102,000 |
| Catholic Charities Alexandria, VA | Program Related | $100,000 |
| Catholic Charities of West Tennessee Memphis, TN | Program Related | $100,000 |
| Mifa Memphis, TN | Program Related | $80,000 |
| Catholic Diocese of Memphis Memphis, TN | Program Related | $75,500 |
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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 | $49,619,182 | $4,372,776 | $3,117,049 | $2,652,250 | 50 | $2,664,038 | $3,919,765 | $2,751,097 |
| 2023 | $48,363,455 | $2,202,624 | $2,660,084 | $2,179,550 | 51 | $2,197,186 | $1,800,456 | $2,517,249 |
| 2022 | $48,820,915 | $9,197,205 | $3,278,430 | $2,603,700 | 43 | $2,611,717 | $8,670,965 | $2,537,966 |
| 2021 | $42,902,140 | $6,269,345 | $3,294,320 | $2,762,675 | 45 | — | $5,436,446 | $2,779,232 |
| 2020 | $39,927,115 | $2,286,586 | $2,818,619 | $2,397,600 | 44 | — | $1,873,499 | $2,381,536 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Speer Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $2.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The trust’s 2024 grants included support for organizations serving older adults, children, people experiencing homelessness, and people seeking mental health or pregnancy-related support. Ave Maria Home describes its mission as assisting older, sick, and destitute people through, among other services, long-term and rehabilitative care. Harwood Center says it provides early-intervention therapy for children with developmental disabilities. Alliance Healthcare Services describes its work as outpatient counseling, case management, crisis services, and other mental health services. Room in the Inn - Memphis says it shelters people experiencing homelessness.
Other grantees’ stated missions include serving juvenile offenders, providing food assistance, and supporting education. These are descriptions of grantees’ work, not stated priorities of the trust.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the trust reported 50 grants totaling $2,652,250. Individual grants ranged from $400 to $400,000, with a median of $22,000. Among the largest were $400,000 to St. Jude, $385,000 to St. Paul Catholic School, $250,000 to Ave Maria Home, $200,000 to Christian Brothers University, and $162,000 to Mid-South Food Bank. The listed purposes for these grants were “program related.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stephen W Vescovo as president and trustee, C T Courtenay as treasurer and trustee, and Chris Koch as secretary and trustee.
Speer Charitable Trust is led by Stephen W. Vescovo, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stephen W. Vescovo
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
C. T. Courtenay
Treasurer & Trustee
Trustee → Treasurer & Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Koch
Secretary & Trustee
Trustee → Secretary & Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sarah C. Watkins (2020–2021) — Secy-Treas & Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Speer Charitable Trust
How much does Speer Charitable Trust give each year?
Speer Charitable Trust gave $2.7M across 50 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.2M across 51 grants.
What is Speer Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Speer Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $22,000, and its average grant was $53,045, across 50 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Speer Charitable Trust that year got $23K on average.
Where does Speer Charitable Trust give grants?
Speer Charitable Trust gives mostly in Tennessee: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (29 grants), Cordova, TN (4 grants), Nashville, TN (3 grants) and Bartlett, TN (2 grants).
Does Speer Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 50 grants with a stated purpose on Speer Charitable Trust's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Related" (50 grants).
Who are Speer Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Speer Charitable Trust's largest 2024 grantees include St Jude ($400,000), St Paul Catholic School ($385,000) and Ave Maria Home ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Speer Charitable Trust?
Speer Charitable Trust reported $49.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.8M (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 Speer Charitable Trust fund?
The trust’s 2024 grants included support for organizations serving older adults, children, people experiencing homelessness, and people seeking mental health or pregnancy-related support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Speer Charitable Trust?
The trust 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 Speer Charitable Trust's EIN?
Speer Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 62-1338941. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Speer 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Speer Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/speer-charitable-trust-morg_ea07b796cf13499a8c1f56de2ac4ae82
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_621338941_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Speer Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/speer-charitable-trust-morg_ea07b796cf13499a8c1f56de2ac4ae82},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Speer 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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