The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Reno, Nevada. Its filing describes its purpose as charitable giving and community support within the philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking sector.
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust gave $165K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in Nevada. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $165,001
- -10.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,000
- -18.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,500
- Total assets
- $4,838,993
- +0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (3 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Nevada (99% 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 Scheffel Family 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: 2320 Kinney Ln, Reno, NV 89511
Phone: (415) 608-7860
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Big Brothers Big Sisters ($52K). Together the top 10 received $164K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 73 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nevada and 1% went to recipients in California. Most of the listed recipients are in the Reno area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 11 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 99% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 70% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $165K (2025) to $11.5M (2022). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $165K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Big Brothers Big Sisters Reno, NV | Youth Support | $52,000 |
| Renown Health Foundation Reno, NV | Community Health Support | $50,000 |
| Nevada Mueseum of Art Reno, NV | Community Support | $37,500 |
| The Eddy House Reno, NV | Youth Support | $10,000 |
| Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities Reno, NV | General support for independent, data analysis of critical policy issues for Nevada | $5,000 |
| Horsemanship for Heroes Reno, NV | Equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning program for veterans, emergency responders, and their families. | $4,500 |
| Food Bank of Northern Nevada Sparks, NV | Community Support | $2,000 |
| National Security Forum of Northern Nevada Reno, NV | General support for thoughtful consideration of international, politico-military, and geo-economic issues. | $1,001 |
| California Waterfowl Association Roseville, CA | Support for Preservation of Waterfowl Habitat | $1,000 |
| East Grassland Waterfowl Association Livingston, CA | Support for Preservation of Waterfowl Habitat | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Scheffel Family 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 | $4,838,993 | $238,753 | $208,613 | $165,001 | 11 | $165,001 | $203,607 | $236,237 |
| 2024 | $4,808,853 | $6,124 | $235,637 | $184,913 | 10 | $184,913 | $64,479 | $221,013 |
| 2023 | $5,038,366 | $-4,140 | $390,988 | $310,496 | 14 | $310,496 | $95,236 | $204,739 |
| 2022 | $5,433,390 | $2,908,793 | $11,489,525 | $11,465,255 | 10 | $11,465,255 | $2,894,478 | $529,286 |
| 2021 | $14,014,122 | $436,909 | $821,669 | $772,900 | 28 | — | $348,197 | $742,530 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $236K 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 filing describes the foundation’s purpose as charitable giving and community support. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in a range of areas. For example, Big Brothers Big Sisters says its mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Renown Health Foundation says it works to make a difference in the health and well-being of the people and communities it serves.
Other 2025 recipients describe their work as including independent policy analysis, equine-assisted support for veterans and emergency responders, food assistance, strengthening Reno’s arts industry, and waterfowl conservation. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a separate list of foundation priorities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $165,001. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $52,000, with a median grant of $4,500.
The largest grants were $52,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters for youth support, $50,000 to Renown Health Foundation for community health support, and $37,500 to Nevada Museum of Art for community support. Other reported grants included $10,000 to The Eddy House for youth support; $5,000 to the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities for independent policy analysis; and $4,500 to Horsemanship for Heroes for equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning.
The foundation also gave $2,000 to Food Bank of Northern Nevada, $1,001 to National Security Forum of Northern Nevada, $1,000 each to California Waterfowl Association and East Grassland Waterfowl Association for waterfowl habitat preservation, and $1,000 to Artown.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Clifford Scheffel, Gayle Rydinski Scheffel, Georgina Geen, and Emily R Olsen as co-trustees.
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Clifford Scheffel
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Emily R. Olsen
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Gayle Rydinski Scheffel
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Georgina Geen
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Cliff Sheffel (2021–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Kaye Scheffel Anderson (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Steven Scheffel (2021–2022) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust
How much does The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust give each year?
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust gave $165K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $185K across 10 grants.
What is The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $4,500, and its average grant was $15,000, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust that year got $18K on average.
Where does The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust give grants?
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust gives mostly in Nevada: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Reno, NV (8 grants).
Does The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 18% of The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Community Support" (3 grants).
Who are The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Big Brothers Big Sisters ($52,000), Renown Health Foundation ($50,000) and Nevada Mueseum of Art ($37,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust?
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust reported $4.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $165K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $236K (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 Scheffel Family Charitable Trust fund?
The filing describes the foundation’s purpose as charitable giving and community support. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations in a range of areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Scheffel Family 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 Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's EIN?
The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-1036243. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Scheffel Family 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-scheffel-family-charitable-trust-morg_5224577459de4fbea7cb1399aaad3529
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_271036243_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Scheffel Family Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-scheffel-family-charitable-trust-morg_5224577459de4fbea7cb1399aaad3529},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Scheffel Family 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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