Speer Charitable Trust

MEMPHIS, TN EIN: 62-1338941 Website

Speer Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee, established in 1987. The organization operates as a Christian-based foundation dedicated to philanthropic work across multiple sectors including education, human services, health, and religious organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$49.6M

+2.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.7M

+21.7% YoY

Grant Count

-2.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$53K

+24.1% YoY

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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on:

Christian churches and agencies
Education
Hospitals and health associations
Human services
Community health and wellness

The foundation emphasizes Christian values and principles in its grantmaking, with a stated commitment to supporting Christianity in rural America, providing homes for needy families, building homes for the disabled, improving quality of life throughout the world, assisting special needs children, supporting the homeless, and providing treatment to suffering veterans.

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Tennessee, Massachusetts, and New York.

Grant Distribution by State

Tennessee $12.2M (98%)

Virginia $200K (2%)

Massachusetts $85K (1%)

New York $22K (0%)

New Jersey $600 (0%)

Minnesota $250 (0%)

Georgia $100 (0%)

States

Georgia Massachusetts Minnesota New Jersey New York Tennessee Virginia

Cities

AlexandriaAtlantaBartlettBraintreeCharlestownColliervilleCordovaCovingtonGermantownMansfieldMemphisMillingtonMoorestownNashvilleNew YorkPaul ParkStanton

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $49,619,182 (2024)
Total Giving: $2,652,250 (2024)
Revenue: $2,202,624 (2023)
Expenses: $2,660,000 (2023)
Total Liabilities: $0 (2023)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$49,619,182	$48,363,455	$48,820,915
Revenue	$4,372,776	$2,202,624	$9,197,205
Expenses	$3,117,049	$2,660,084	$3,278,430
Qualifying Distributions	$2,664,038	$2,197,186	$2,611,717
Net Investment Income	$3,919,765	$1,800,456	$8,670,965
Distributable Amount	$2,751,097	$2,517,249	$2,537,966

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

232 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include St Jude ($400,000), St Paul Catholic School ($385,000), Ave Maria Home ($250,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
A STEP AHEAD FOUNDATION MEMPHIS, TN	PROGRAM RELATED	$50,000
ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, NY	PROGRAM RELATED	$500
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON BRAINTREE, MA	PROGRAM RELATED	$5,000
BIRTHRIGHT OF MEMPHIS MEMPHIS, TN	PROGRAM RELATED	$25,100
CANCER CARD EXCHANGE COLLIERVILLE, TN	PROGRAM RELATED	$15,000
CATHOLIC CHARITIES ALEXANDRIA, VA	PROGRAM RELATED	$100,000
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF WEST TENNESSEE MEMPHIS, TN	PROGRAM RELATED	$100,000
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS MEMPHIS, TN	PROGRAM RELATED	$75,500
CHICKASAW COUNCIL BSA MEMPHIS, TN	PROGRAM RELATED	$10,000
CHRISTIAN BROTHERS UNIVERSITY MEMPHIS, TN	PROGRAM RELATED	$200,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
STEPHEN W VESCOVO	PRESIDENT AND TRUSTEE	2	—
C T COURTENAY	TREASURER AND TRUSTEE	2	—
CHRIS KOCH	SECRETARY AND TRUSTEE	6	—

Contact Information

Address: 1779 Kirby Parkway, Suite 1-219, Memphis, TN 38138-3666

Telephone: 901-604-9305

Website: www.speerfoundation.org

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Speer Charitable Trust fund?

The foundation's giving priorities focus primarily on: • Christian churches and agencies • Education • Hospitals and health associations • Human services • Community health and wellness The foundation emphasizes Christian values and principles in its grantmaking, with a stated commitment to supporting Christianity in rural America, providing homes for needy families, building homes for the disabled, improving quality of life throughout the world, assisting special needs children, supporting the…

How do I apply for a grant from Speer Charitable Trust?

**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $200,000 to $400,000. **Recent Activity:** The foundation awarded more than $2.3 million in grants during an inaugural disbursement in 2024. Recent grant recipients have included organizations focused on education, the arts, and scholarship programs. **Total Giving:** $2,652,250 (based on most recent IRS 990 filing for 2024)

Where does Speer Charitable Trust make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Tennessee, Massachusetts, and New York.

What size grants does Speer Charitable Trust award?

In 2024, Speer Charitable Trust awarded 50 grants totaling $2.7M — an average of about $53K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Speer Charitable Trust required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Speer Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $2.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.