The James Foundation Charitable Trust
The James Foundation Charitable Trust is a private foundation located in Abilene, Texas. It made 14 grants totaling $34,000 in 2024, with the listed grants supporting organizations in Texas.
The James Foundation Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: The James Foundation Charitable Trust gave $34K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Texas. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $34,000
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,429
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $431,108
- +0.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Texas (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The James Foundation Charitable Trust
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists an informal letter of request, no deadlines, and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: The James Foundation
Mailing address: P O Box 701, Abilene, TX 79604
Phone: (325) 627-7100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The James Foundation Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 66 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2024 went to recipients in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The James Foundation Charitable Trust gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 137% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $25K (2022) to $34K (2024). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $34K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 14 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $34,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $431,108 | $44,138 | $42,679 | $34,000 | 14 | $34,000 | $33,346 | $24,812 |
| 2023 | $429,649 | $17,456 | $40,490 | $33,000 | 13 | $33,000 | $10,857 | $27,468 |
| 2022 | $452,683 | $24,703 | $32,840 | $24,500 | 12 | $24,500 | $16,277 | $28,652 |
| 2021 | $460,820 | $74,675 | $37,210 | $29,000 | 14 | $29,000 | $66,487 | $30,259 |
| 2020 | $423,355 | $24,137 | $34,159 | $27,000 | 13 | — | $16,992 | $28,331 |
| 2019 | $433,377 | $29,731 | $31,966 | $25,000 | 13 | — | $22,765 | $25,780 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The James Foundation Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $25K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations serving people through food assistance, child care, domestic-violence services, and other community programs. For example, Meals on Wheels describes its mission as preparing and delivering hot meals to elderly and disabled people five days a week. Day Nursery of Abilene says it provides affordable quality child care for children from birth to age 10. The Noah Project describes its mission as working to end domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault, and Serenity Foundation of Texas says it provides prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $34,000 through 14 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $2,000. The largest listed award was $10,000 to the University of Texas at El Paso for operations. Other notable awards included $4,000 to Food Bank of Abilene and $3,000 each to Meals on Wheels and BOBS (Breakfast on Beech Street), all for operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists First Financial Trust Asset Management as trustee.
The James Foundation Charitable Trust is led by First Financial Tr Asset Mgt, Trustee on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
First Financial Tr Asset Mgt
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$6K (2019) → $7K (2024)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $7K, to First Financial Tr Asset MGT (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about The James Foundation Charitable Trust
How much does The James Foundation Charitable Trust give each year?
The James Foundation Charitable Trust gave $34K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $33K across 13 grants.
What is The James Foundation Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
The James Foundation Charitable Trust's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,429, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The James Foundation Charitable Trust give grants?
The James Foundation Charitable Trust gives mostly in Texas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does The James Foundation Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on The James Foundation Charitable Trust's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (14 grants).
How large is The James Foundation Charitable Trust?
The James Foundation Charitable Trust reported $431K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $34K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $25K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The James Foundation Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations serving people through food assistance, child care, domestic-violence services, and other community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The James Foundation Charitable Trust?
The foundation’s filing says 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 James Foundation Charitable Trust's EIN?
The James Foundation Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-6306453. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 5, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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