Stearns Charitable Trust

PHILADELPHIA, PA EIN: 04-6036697

Arts and culture Museums Environment Philanthropy Nonprofits

The Stearns Charitable Trust is a private foundation established in 1947 in Massachusetts. The trust is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees. It functions as an independent foundation focused on grantmaking activities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$8.5M

+8.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$397K

-3.1% YoY

Grant Count

-4.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$10K

+1.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Stearns Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $404K 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 trust emphasizes support for cultural programs, including science museums, as well as libraries, community funds, environmental initiatives, aquariums, and social services.

Grantmaking

The Stearns Charitable Trust made 51 grants in 2024. Recent grant recipients include:

Ready to take the next step with Stearns Charitable Trust?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The trust has demonstrated funding activity in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, with grants to organizations in these regions.

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $638K (34%)

California $485K (26%)

Pennsylvania $200K (11%)

Rhode Island $144K (8%)

New York $144K (8%)

Michigan $50K (3%)

Virginia $42K (2%)

Illinois $35K (2%)

+9 more states

States

California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Illinois Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Montana New Hampshire New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Virginia Washington

Cities

AlexandriaArlingtonAthertonBelvedere TiburonBirminghamBoca RatonBostonBrooklynCambridgeCenter OssipeeChicagoCoconut GroveConcordFairfaxFairfieldFalmouthGreenbraeHyattsvilleKentfieldLarkspur

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $8,480,788
Total Revenues: $1,085,763
Total Expenses: $454,895
Investment Income and Dividends: $154,042
Net Gain from Sale of Non-Inventory Assets: $931,721

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$8,480,788	$7,836,579	$7,139,728
Revenue	$1,085,763	$239,343	$229,359
Expenses	$454,895	$481,942	$417,717
Qualifying Distributions	$400,215	$412,781	$332,540
Net Investment Income	$1,030,950	$170,182	$156,005
Distributable Amount	$404,468	$370,747	$393,668

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

218 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Seekonk Land Conservation Trust ($47,440), Massachusetts Rivers Alliance ($38,000), Woodmere Art Museum ($30,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BERKSHIRE MUSIC SCHOOL INC PITTSFIELD, MA	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$5,000
BRAIN HEALTH BOOTCAMP INC BROOKLYN, NY	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$5,000
BRIC ARTS MEDIA BKLYN INC (DBA BRIC) BROOKLYN, NY	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$20,000
COMPASS FAMILY SERVICES SAN FRANCISCO, CA	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$15,000
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL ARLINGTON, VA	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$5,000
CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION BOSTON, MA	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$5,000
CUTANEOUS LYMPHOMA FOUNDATION BIRMINGHAM, MI	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$10,000
DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE BOSTON, MA	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$5,000
ENVIRONMENTAL WORKING GROUP WASHINGTON, DC	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$2,500
GARDEN TIME INC PROVIDENCE, RI	PROGRAM SUPPORT	$2,444

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES A GASSEL	TRUSTEE	1	—
KIMBERLY B SOULE	TRUSTEE	1	—
SARAH J LODGE	TRUSTEE	1	—

Contact Information

Address: 1650 Market Street, Floor 47, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7308

Telephone: 215-640-3432

EIN: 04-6036697

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Arts and culture Museums Environment Philanthropy Nonprofits

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Stearns Charitable Trust fund?

The trust emphasizes support for cultural programs, including science museums, as well as libraries, community funds, environmental initiatives, aquariums, and social services.

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

The Stearns Charitable Trust made 51 grants in 2024. Recent grant recipients include: • Seekonk Land Conservation Trust: $47,440 (Program Support) • Massachusetts Rivers Alliance: $38,000 (Program Support) • Woodmere Art Museum: $30,000 (Program Support) • The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania The trust provides program support funding to its grantees.

Where does Stearns Charitable Trust make grants?

The trust has demonstrated funding activity in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, with grants to organizations in these regions.

What size grants does Stearns Charitable Trust award?

In 2024, Stearns Charitable Trust awarded 41 grants totaling $397K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

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

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Stearns Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $404K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.