Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust
The Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including educational, humanitarian, cultural, health, food-assistance, and disability-focused organizations.
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust gave $1.0M across 51 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in Massachusetts. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,010,500
- +17.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 51
- +15.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,814
- +1.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $10,767,101
- -1.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (9 of 51, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (62% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Nutter Mcclennen Fish Pob 51400, Boston, MA 02210
Phone: (617) 439-2000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New York University ($100K). Together the top 10 received $535K.
Grant Size Distribution
204 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 182 grants of 204 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 30% to recipients in New York. The filing also reports 1% each for recipients in Florida, Connecticut, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 51 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $524K (2020) to $1.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 51 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New York University New York, NY | Fbo nyu daily gift account for philip seymour hoffman scholarship (t3086) | $100,000 |
| Phillips Academy Andover, MA | For installments of charitable pledge agrement w/andover/philips academy dated 12/4/23 | $100,000 |
| Chernobyl Childrens Project International Inc Northport, NY | General Fund | $60,000 |
| 826 Boston Roxbury, MA | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | For Work in Gaza | $50,000 |
| Revolutionary Spaces Inc Boston, MA | General Fund | $50,000 |
| University of Buffalo School of Nursing Buffalo, NY | To Support Work of Emily Barr | $40,000 |
| Perkins School for the Blind Watertown, MA | General Fund | $30,000 |
| The Greater Boston Food Bank Boston, MA | General Fund | $30,000 |
| Boston Medical Center Boston, MA | General Fund | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $10,767,101 | $1,047,170 | $1,257,654 | $1,010,500 | 51 | $1,062,808 | $878,121 | $1,090,323 |
| 2024 | $10,977,579 | $1,222,457 | $1,041,782 | $862,000 | 44 | $904,964 | $1,155,718 | $1,038,664 |
| 2023 | $10,796,927 | $680,103 | $982,965 | $817,820 | 42 | $858,326 | $543,448 | $917,073 |
| 2022 | $11,099,789 | $502,616 | $1,201,862 | $973,342 | 29 | $1,028,617 | $326,964 | $937,300 |
| 2021 | $11,798,985 | $465,125 | $1,104,979 | $918,930 | 38 | $964,073 | $311,121 | $1,039,930 |
| 2020 | $12,438,839 | $344,383 | $667,529 | $523,500 | 31 | — | $224,981 | $867,140 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2025 — 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 available information does not state a mission for the trust. Its 2025 grants included support for New York University, which describes its primary missions as education, research and scholarship, and patient care; Revolutionary Spaces, which says it brings people together to explore the American struggle to create and sustain a free society; and 826 Boston, which describes its work as writing, tutoring, and publishing programs for students.
Other 2025 grantees describe work in humanitarian and medical aid, food distribution, services for people who are blind or have multiple disabilities, and accessible health care. These are descriptions of the grantees’ work, not stated focus areas of the trust.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust reported 51 grants totaling $1,010,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $100,000 to New York University, including support for a scholarship account, and $100,000 to Phillips Academy for installments of a charitable pledge. Other notable grants included $60,000 to Chernobyl Children’s Project International for its general fund; $50,000 each to 826 Boston, Revolutionary Spaces, and Doctors Without Borders, with the latter grant designated for work in Gaza; and $40,000 to the University of Buffalo School of Nursing to support the work of a named individual. Additional grants included $30,000 each to Perkins School for the Blind and the Greater Boston Food Bank, and $25,000 each to Boston Medical Center, Center for Independent Documentary, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas P. Jalkut and James D. Tobin as trustees.
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James D. Tobin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas P. Jalkut
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust
How much does Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust give each year?
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust gave $1.0M across 51 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $862K across 44 grants.
What is Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $19,814, across 51 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust that year got $14K on average.
Where does Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust give grants?
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust gives mostly in Massachusetts: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (30%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (16 grants), New York, NY (4 grants), Brookline, MA (2 grants) and Boca Raton, FL (2 grants).
Does Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 84% of Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (43 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include New York University ($100,000), Phillips Academy ($100,000) and Chernobyl Childrens Project International Inc ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust?
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust reported $10.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the trust. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust?
The foundation 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 Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's EIN?
Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-2865402. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sumner Roy Kates 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sumner-roy-kates-charitable-trust-morg_ab9acb7a0b1b4721884f6509516b0747
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_812865402_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sumner Roy Kates Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sumner-roy-kates-charitable-trust-morg_ab9acb7a0b1b4721884f6509516b0747},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Sumner Roy Kates 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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