The Bonham Trust
The Bonham Trust is a private foundation based in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Its 2026 filing lists grants to individual recipients for college scholarships, and its 2024 filing describes eligibility for awards to Britton-Hecla High School students who are in a postsecondary program or are high school seniors on track for graduation.
The Bonham Trust at a glance
In short: The Bonham Trust gave $16K across 11 grants in 2026 (avg $1K), mostly in South Dakota. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $15,500
- +0.0% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $1,409
- -18.2% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $409,549
- +3.8% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- South Dakota (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Bonham Trust
- Review Cycle
- Deadlines are defined each year in the annual scholarship application.
- Deadline
- Deadlines are defined each year in the annual scholarship application.
- Contact
Application contact: Cassie Backman
Mailing address: PO Box 1210, Aberdeen, SD 57402-1210
Phone: (605) 229-7119
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bonham Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 53 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars listed for 2026 went to recipients in South Dakota. The 2024 filing’s award restrictions specify eligible students at Britton-Hecla High School.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Bonham Trust gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (−11%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2021) to $18K (2023). In 2026 it made 11 grants totaling $16K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 11 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $15,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $409,549 | $38,363 | $23,358 | $15,500 | 11 | $20,461 | $36,485 | $22,251 |
| 2025 | $394,544 | $46,154 | $22,190 | $15,500 | 9 | $20,175 | $44,376 | $21,148 |
| 2024 | $370,580 | $24,458 | $21,015 | $14,750 | 14 | $19,262 | $22,838 | $19,425 |
| 2023 | $367,137 | $22,732 | $23,816 | $17,500 | 10 | $21,565 | $21,068 | $19,135 |
| 2022 | $368,221 | $35,436 | $22,761 | $16,500 | 9 | $20,786 | $33,586 | $21,947 |
| 2021 | $355,546 | $24,862 | $20,190 | $14,625 | 11 | — | $23,238 | $19,578 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bonham Trust reported a distributable amount of $22K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The listed 2026 grants were for college scholarships.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the Trust gave 11 grants totaling $15,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $2,000, with a median of $1,500. All listed grants went to individual recipients in South Dakota for college scholarships.
The Trust’s 2024 filing says application materials are available upon request from Britton-Hecla High School or on the school’s website. Awards are restricted to Britton-Hecla High School students currently in a postsecondary program or high school seniors on track for graduation. The application contact listed on the filing is Cassie Backman.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Dacotah Bank as trustee.
The Bonham Trust's only listed officer is Dacotah Bank, Trustee on every filing since 2021 (compensated).
Officers on the 2026 filing
Dacotah Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$4K (2021) → $5K (2026)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $5K, to Dacotah Bank (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The Bonham Trust
How much does The Bonham Trust give each year?
The Bonham Trust gave $16K across 11 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $16K across 9 grants.
What is The Bonham Trust's typical grant size?
The Bonham Trust's median grant in 2026 was $1,500, and its average grant was $1,409, across 11 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Bonham Trust give grants?
The Bonham Trust gives mostly in South Dakota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does The Bonham Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Bonham Trust's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "College Scholarship" (11 grants).
How large is The Bonham Trust?
The Bonham Trust reported $410K in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $20K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $22K (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 Bonham Trust fund?
No mission statement is provided. The listed 2026 grants were for college scholarships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bonham Trust?
The Bonham Trust has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Bonham Trust's EIN?
The Bonham Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-6171509. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS March 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2026
Live grants for the work The Bonham Trust funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Bonham Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from The Bonham 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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