The Cole Foundation Trust
The Cole Foundation Trust is a private foundation based in Mobile, Alabama. Its 2025 filing reports 10 grants totaling $48,000 to organizations in Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, and Washington, DC.
The Cole Foundation Trust at a glance
In short: The Cole Foundation Trust gave $48K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Alabama. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $48,000
- +14.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,800
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $818,337
- -1.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (65% 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 Cole Foundation Trust
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It has no prescribed application form; applicants must provide a copy of their IRS determination letter with their request. Awards are restricted to Section 501(c)(3) organizations that are not private foundations. The filing lists Roger E Cole as the contact for requests.
- Contact
Application contact: Roger E Cole
Mailing address: Po Drawer 1628, Mobile, AL 36633-1628
Phone: (251) 431-8309
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Cole Foundation Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County ($13K). Together the top 10 received $48K.
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 39 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Alabama (65%), Mississippi (27%), Florida (6%), and Washington, DC (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Cole Foundation Trust open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2022 to 2025. 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $32K (2020) to $48K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $48K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County Brandon, MS | Operations | $13,000 |
| Nature Conservancy in Alabama Mobile, AL | Operationsfor Projects in Southwest Alabama | $12,000 |
| St John's Episcopal Church Mobile, AL | Operations | $9,000 |
| Child Advocacy Center Mobile, AL | Operations | $4,000 |
| Make-a-Wish Alabama Birmingham, AL | Operations | $2,500 |
| Light of the Village Prichard, AL | Operations | $2,500 |
| St Benedict's Episcopal Church Plantation, FL | Operations | $2,000 |
| Memorial Trust of the NSCDA in Alabama Washington, DC | Operations | $1,000 |
| Wave of Hearts Coconut Creek, FL | Operations | $1,000 |
| UMS-Wright Prepatory School Mobile, AL | Operations | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $818,337 | $55,123 | $63,040 | $48,000 | 10 | $49,450 | $42,461 | $49,745 |
| 2024 | $826,422 | $72,070 | $55,527 | $42,000 | 7 | $43,450 | $60,091 | $47,481 |
| 2023 | $809,930 | $38,411 | $56,404 | $44,000 | 7 | $45,450 | $26,131 | $43,797 |
| 2022 | $827,891 | $5,478 | $51,996 | $36,000 | 9 | $37,450 | $9,626 | $45,660 |
| 2021 | $874,493 | $149,337 | $44,916 | $32,000 | 6 | $33,700 | $138,243 | $50,212 |
| 2020 | $769,972 | $35,395 | $43,582 | $32,000 | 8 | — | $26,140 | $44,477 |
| 2019 | $778,271 | $41,110 | $52,193 | $40,000 | 9 | — | $31,374 | $42,457 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cole Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $50K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 10 grants totaling $48,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $13,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards were $13,000 to Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County in Brandon, Mississippi, for operations; $12,000 to Nature Conservancy in Alabama in Mobile for operations for projects in southwest Alabama; and $9,000 to St John's Episcopal Church in Mobile for operations. Other grants included $4,000 to Child Advocacy Center and $2,500 each to Make-A-Wish Alabama and Light of the Village, all for operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katherine Vance, Laura JC Menard, and Roger E Cole as trustees.
The Cole Foundation Trust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Laura Jc Menard
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roger E. Cole
Trustee
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Vance
Trustee
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Herbert P. Cole (2019–2021) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 The Cole Foundation Trust
How much does The Cole Foundation Trust give each year?
The Cole Foundation Trust gave $48K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $42K across 7 grants.
What is The Cole Foundation Trust's typical grant size?
The Cole Foundation Trust's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,800, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cole Foundation Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Cole Foundation Trust give grants?
The Cole Foundation Trust gives mostly in Alabama: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Mississippi (27%) and Florida (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Mobile, AL (4 grants).
Does The Cole Foundation Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Cole Foundation Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (9 grants).
Who are The Cole Foundation Trust's largest grantees?
The Cole Foundation Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Junior Auxiliary of Rankin County ($13,000), Nature Conservancy in Alabama ($12,000) and St John's Episcopal Church ($9,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Cole Foundation Trust?
The Cole Foundation Trust reported $818K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $49K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $50K (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.
How do I apply for a grant from The Cole Foundation Trust?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Cole Foundation Trust's EIN?
The Cole Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-2547408. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 21, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Cole Foundation Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Cole Foundation Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from The Cole Foundation 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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