The Dodson Scholarship Trust
The Dodson Scholarship Trust is a private foundation located in Vandalia, Illinois. It provides scholarships to eligible graduating seniors at St. Elmo, Illinois, and Hugo, Oklahoma, high schools who choose to major in certain fields.
The Dodson Scholarship Trust at a glance
In short: The Dodson Scholarship Trust gave $63K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $62,500
- +2.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,808
- +9.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,489
- Total assets
- $1,529,991
- +7.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (59% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Dodson Scholarship Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust does not accept unsolicited requests. Its filing describes a selection process through the two school boards, rather than an open application to the trust. Eligible students must be graduating seniors at St. Elmo or Hugo high schools and choose to major in certain specified fields.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists March 31. That date has passed for 2026.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists March 31.
- Contact
Application contact: Dale Timmermann
Mailing address: 105 S 4Th, Vandalia, IL 62471
Phone: (618) 283-2371
Email: dale@timco.ws
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Dodson Scholarship Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 63 grants of 63 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The stated scholarship eligibility is limited to graduating seniors at St. Elmo, Illinois, and Hugo, Oklahoma, high schools. In 2025, 59% of grant dollars went to individual recipients in Illinois and 41% to individual recipients in Oklahoma.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Dodson Scholarship Trust gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $47K (2021) to $71K (2023). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $63K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 13 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $62,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,529,991 | $131,859 | $74,852 | $62,500 | 13 | $62,500 | $129,759 | $70,200 |
| 2024 | $1,422,853 | $112,336 | $72,108 | $61,298 | 14 | $61,298 | $75,298 | $64,017 |
| 2023 | $1,298,198 | $90,786 | $82,147 | $71,345 | 13 | $71,345 | $78,588 | $61,268 |
| 2022 | $1,292,160 | $93,891 | $70,509 | $61,591 | 11 | $61,591 | $86,793 | $67,068 |
| 2021 | $1,373,607 | $80,735 | $56,258 | $46,884 | 12 | — | $71,361 | $62,241 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Dodson Scholarship Trust reported a distributable amount of $70K 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. The trust’s 2024 filing describes scholarships for graduating seniors at St. Elmo and Hugo high schools who choose to major in specified fields. The fields are identified in the application and scholarship agreement.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 13 scholarship grants totaling $62,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,633 to $6,925, with a median of $5,489. The largest reported awards included $6,925 to an individual recipient in Illinois and awards of $6,000 to individual recipients in Illinois and Oklahoma.
According to the trust’s 2024 filing, the trustees provide the school boards of St. Elmo, Illinois, and Hugo, Oklahoma, with eligibility criteria. The school boards select qualifying individuals, excluding families of school board members and trust trustees. After recipients’ names are forwarded to the trustees, the trust enters into a signed contract with each recipient specifying the scholarship terms.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dale Timmermann and Jo Ann Wear as co-trustees.
The Dodson Scholarship Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dale Timmermann
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$5K (2021) → $7K (2025)
Jo Ann Wear
Co-Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
$3K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Carrie Dodson (2021–2024) — Co-Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $7K, to Dale Timmermann (Co-Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Dodson Scholarship Trust
How much does The Dodson Scholarship Trust give each year?
The Dodson Scholarship Trust gave $63K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $61K across 14 grants.
What is The Dodson Scholarship Trust's typical grant size?
The Dodson Scholarship Trust's median grant in 2025 was $5,489, and its average grant was $4,808, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Dodson Scholarship Trust give grants?
The Dodson Scholarship Trust gives mostly in Illinois: 59% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Oklahoma (41%).
Does The Dodson Scholarship Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on The Dodson Scholarship Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (13 grants).
How large is The Dodson Scholarship Trust?
The Dodson Scholarship Trust reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $63K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $70K (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 Dodson Scholarship Trust fund?
The available information does not state a mission. The trust’s 2024 filing describes scholarships for graduating seniors at St. Elmo and Hugo high schools who choose to major in specified fields. The fields are identified in the application and scholarship agreement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Dodson Scholarship Trust?
The trust does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Dodson Scholarship Trust's EIN?
The Dodson Scholarship Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-6365756. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Dodson Scholarship 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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