The JSM Charitable Trust
The JSM Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including universities, cultural institutions, a hospital foundation, and community organizations.
The JSM Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: The JSM Charitable Trust gave $18.2M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $1.3M), mostly in Missouri. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $18,179,000
- +117.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,298,500
- +102.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $485,000
- Total assets
- $1,259
- +403.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (4 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (85% 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 JSM Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1034 S Brentwood 1860, St Louis, MO 63117-1229
Phone: (314) 862-1040
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The JSM Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Washington University ($9.1M). Together the top 10 received $17.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
57 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 17 grants of 57 (30%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri, 9% to Virginia, 3% to Pennsylvania, and 2% to West Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The JSM Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 14 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $485K; repeat grants $1.6M. How we count
Medians: $140K first-time, $560K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 157% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $6.1M (2020) to $18.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $18.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Washington University St. Louis, MO | General Support | $9,050,000 |
| Forest Park Forever St. Louis, MO | General Support | $2,180,000 |
| Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation St. Louis, MO | General Support | $1,730,000 |
| Hollins University Roanoke, VA | General Support | $1,640,000 |
| Missouri Historical Society St. Louis, MO | General Support | $1,039,000 |
| Einsenhower Fellowships Philadelphia, PA | General Support | $600,000 |
| St Louis Zoo St. Louis, MO | General Support | $520,000 |
| Davis & Elkins College Elkins, WV | General Support | $450,000 |
| International Institute Metro St Louis St. Louis, MO | General Support | $390,000 |
| Missouri Botanical Gardens St. Louis, MO | General Support | $230,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The JSM Charitable Trust?
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 | $1,259 | $18,180,009 | $18,179,000 | $18,179,000 | 14 | $18,179,000 | $1,009 | $41 |
| 2024 | $250 | $8,345,512 | $8,345,500 | $8,345,500 | 13 | $8,345,500 | $12 | $12 |
| 2023 | $238 | $8,053,011 | $8,053,000 | $8,053,000 | 10 | $8,053,000 | $11 | $11 |
| 2022 | $227 | $7,075,669 | $7,075,690 | $7,075,690 | 10 | $7,075,690 | $5 | $10 |
| 2021 | $156 | $6,571,387 | $6,575,988 | $6,575,988 | 10 | $6,575,988 | — | $8 |
| 2020 | $156 | $6,095,922 | $6,096,953 | $6,096,952 | 9 | — | $1 | $8 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The JSM Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $41 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
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Washington University, Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation, Forest Park Forever, and the Missouri Historical Society.
The grantees’ stated missions illustrate the kinds of work they do. Forest Park Forever says it works with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park as an urban public park. Hollins University describes itself as an independent liberal arts university dedicated to academic excellence and humane values. The Missouri Historical Society says its work includes educational and community programs, collections and conservation, library and research, and exhibitions. Davis & Elkins College says it prepares and inspires students for success and thoughtful engagement in the world.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 14 grants totaling $18,179,000. Grants ranged from $20,000 to $9,050,000, with a median of $485,000. The largest reported grants included $9,050,000 to Washington University, $2,180,000 to Forest Park Forever, $1,730,000 to Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation, $1,640,000 to Hollins University, and $1,039,000 to the Missouri Historical Society. Each was listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James S McDonnell III and Jeffrey M McDonnell as co-trustees.
The JSM Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James S. McDonnell III
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey M. McDonnell
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The JSM Charitable Trust
How much does The JSM Charitable Trust give each year?
The JSM Charitable Trust gave $18.2M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $8.3M across 13 grants.
What is The JSM Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
The JSM Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $485,000, and its average grant was $1,298,500, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The JSM Charitable Trust that year got $485K on average.
Where does The JSM Charitable Trust give grants?
The JSM Charitable Trust gives mostly in Missouri: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (11 grants).
Does The JSM Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The JSM Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The JSM Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
The JSM Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Washington University ($9,050,000), Forest Park Forever ($2,180,000) and Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation ($1,730,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The JSM Charitable Trust?
The JSM Charitable Trust reported $1K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $41 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The JSM Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including Washington University, Barnes Jewish Hospital Foundation, Forest Park Forever, and the Missouri Historical Society. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The JSM Charitable Trust?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The JSM Charitable Trust's EIN?
The JSM Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1769438. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The JSM Charitable 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 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 May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The JSM Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The JSM Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jsm-charitable-trust-morg_1818d57a0468495390af579b336d640a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431769438_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The JSM Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jsm-charitable-trust-morg_1818d57a0468495390af579b336d640a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 JSM 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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