The Ben May Charitable Trust
The Ben May Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Mobile, Alabama. Established in 1971, it supports charitable, scientific, and educational uses and purposes selected by its Distribution Committee.
The Ben May Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: The Ben May Charitable Trust gave $1.4M across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), top state New York. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,359,333
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- +16.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,848
- -12.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $38,918,423
- +22.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (11 of 56, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (33% 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 The Ben May Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing lists a letter application and a copy of the applicant’s IRS tax-exemption letter as required materials. It lists no deadlines or restrictions on awards. The trust’s program description says it accepts funding requests from 501(c)(3) organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: The Ben May Charitable Trust
Mailing address: Hancock Whitney Bank 25 W I-65, Service Rd N, Mobile, AL 36608
Phone: (228) 822-4365
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Ben May Charitable Trust
Who The Ben May Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science ($250K). Together the top 10 received $871K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($35,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
294 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 258 grants of 294 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (33%), Alabama (32%), Illinois (18%), and Washington, DC (6%), followed by Florida (4%). Listed recipients also included organizations in Louisiana and other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ben May Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 56 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% 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 $1.3M (2024) to $1.5M (2022). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science New York, NY | Ben May Center for Chemical Theory and Computation | $250,000 |
| The University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Cancer Research Funding | $250,000 |
| Order of St John Washington, DC | Research Genetic Eye Disease | $75,000 |
| Azalea Center for the Arts Mobile, AL | Tickets for Teachers Program | $55,000 |
| American Friends of the Peres Institute for Peace Coral Gables, FL | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience New Orleans, LA | Research Library and Reading Room | $50,000 |
| Fuse Project Mobile, AL | General Purposes | $40,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | General Purposes | $36,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $35,000 |
| St Ignatius Catholic School Mobile, AL | Playground at Early Learning Center | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ben May Charitable Trust?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $38,918,423 | $4,340,987 | $1,752,092 | $1,359,333 | 57 | $1,538,800 | $4,145,745 | $1,552,668 |
| 2024 | $31,688,196 | $1,149,004 | $1,746,272 | $1,332,233 | 49 | $1,508,244 | $918,020 | $1,553,102 |
| 2023 | $31,167,859 | $916,500 | $1,735,116 | $1,349,233 | 61 | $1,579,306 | $760,906 | $1,504,755 |
| 2022 | $30,524,569 | $943,998 | $1,848,869 | $1,501,833 | 60 | $1,650,808 | $751,863 | $1,574,230 |
| 2021 | $34,681,853 | $1,849,785 | $1,657,001 | $1,373,833 | 67 | $1,523,098 | $1,725,156 | $1,663,555 |
| 2020 | $33,643,201 | $1,165,007 | $1,781,933 | $1,380,733 | 67 | — | $973,512 | $1,548,825 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ben May Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.6M 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 trust was established for charitable, scientific, or educational uses and purposes. Its 2025 grants include support for cancer research, research into genetic eye disease, schools, arts programs, environmental restoration, and cultural institutions.
Among its grantees, the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science describes its mission as raising funds for scientific research; the University of Chicago received support for cancer research. The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience says it explores the history of Jews in the American South through exhibitions, collections, and programs. Mobile Baykeeper says it provides citizens a means to protect the Mobile Bay watershed, Alabama’s waterways, and coastal communities. These are grantees’ stated missions, not the trust’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 57 grants totaling $1,359,333. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median of $10,000.
Among the largest grants were $250,000 to the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science for the Ben May Center for Chemical Theory and Computation and $250,000 to the University of Chicago for cancer research. Other grants included $75,000 to the Order of St John for genetic eye disease research, $55,000 to Azalea Center for the Arts for its Tickets for Teachers program, and $40,000 to Fuse Project for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Vivian G Johnston III as Distribution Committee Chairman and Lynette P Koppel, John D Peebles, Steven Koppel, William B Peebles, and Vivian G Johnston V as Distribution Committee members. Ken Niemeyer is listed as Secretary, and Hancock Whitney Bank as Trustee.
The Ben May Charitable Trust is led by Vivian G. Johnston III, Dist. Committee Chairman on every filing since 2020; 6 of 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Vivian G. Johnston III
Dist. Committee Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2025)
Hancock Whitney Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$57K (2020) → $56K (2025)
John D. Peebles
Dist. Committee Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2025)
Ken Niemeyer
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2.4 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $10K (2025)
Vivian G. Johnston V
Dist. Committee Member
On filings since 2020
2.7 hrs/week
$8K (2020) → $8K (2025)
William B. Peebles
Dist. Committee Member
On filings since 2023
1.7 hrs/week
$8K (2023) → $8K (2025)
Lynette P. Koppel
Dist. Committee Member
On filings since 2020
2.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steven Koppel
Dist. Committee Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Allison H. Peebles (2020–2022) — Dist. Committee Member
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $56K, to Hancock Whitney Bank (Trustee). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Ben May Charitable Trust
How much does The Ben May Charitable Trust give each year?
The Ben May Charitable Trust gave $1.4M across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 49 grants.
What is The Ben May Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
The Ben May Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $23,848, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ben May Charitable Trust that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Ben May Charitable Trust give grants?
The Ben May Charitable Trust's top state is New York, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Alabama (32%) and Illinois (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Mobile, AL (21 grants), New York, NY (13 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Montgomery, AL (2 grants).
Does The Ben May Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 65% of The Ben May Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ben May Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
The Ben May Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science ($250,000), The University of Chicago ($250,000) and Order of St John ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($35,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ben May Charitable Trust?
The Ben May Charitable Trust reported $38.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.6M (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 The Ben May Charitable Trust fund?
The trust was established for charitable, scientific, or educational uses and purposes. Its 2025 grants include support for cancer research, research into genetic eye disease, schools, arts programs, environmental restoration, and cultural institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ben May Charitable Trust?
The 2025 filing lists a letter application and a copy of the applicant’s IRS tax-exemption letter as required materials. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ben May Charitable Trust's EIN?
The Ben May Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7145009. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ben May Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ben May Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ben-may-charitable-trust-morg_47e635812f7c4d5aadcfd4e01605b4f6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237145009_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ben May Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ben-may-charitable-trust-morg_47e635812f7c4d5aadcfd4e01605b4f6},
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 The Ben May 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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