The Spotts Trust
The Spotts Trust is a private foundation based in Hastings, Nebraska. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations and an educational institution, with all grant dollars going to recipients in Nebraska.
The Spotts Trust at a glance
In short: The Spotts Trust gave $93K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Nebraska. 4% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $92,695
- +12.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,708
- +7.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $1,610,687
- +0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (100% 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 Spotts Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 366, Hastings, NE 68902
Phone: (402) 462-4141
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Spotts Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Salvation Army ($24K). Together the top 10 received $89K.
Grant Size Distribution
118 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 118 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for filing year 2025 went to recipients in Nebraska. The listed 2025 recipients are in Hastings.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Spotts Trust open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 25 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $400 repeat.
- 96% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 (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 $83K (2024) to $98K (2022). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $93K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Salvation Army Hastings, NE | Charity | $23,674 |
| Saint Mark's Pro-Cathedral Hastings, NE | Charity | $23,374 |
| Hastings Community Foundation Hastings, NE | Charity | $18,527 |
| Hastings College Hastings, NE | Education | $9,270 |
| YMCA Hastings, NE | Charity | $8,000 |
| Crossroads Center Rescue Mission Hastings, NE | Charity | $1,500 |
| United Harvest Mobile Food Pantry Hastings, NE | Charity | $1,500 |
| Catholic Social Services - Food for Thought Open Table Program Hastings, NE | Charity | $1,250 |
| Hastings Food Pantry Hastings, NE | Charity | $1,000 |
| Hastings Public Schools - Food Pantry Hastings, NE | Charity | $750 |
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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 | $1,610,687 | $127,135 | $126,002 | $92,695 | 25 | $92,695 | $93,828 | $95,680 |
| 2024 | $1,609,790 | $79,414 | $116,439 | $82,747 | 24 | $82,747 | $45,722 | $92,695 |
| 2023 | $1,648,310 | $107,333 | $114,768 | $86,199 | 23 | $86,199 | $78,764 | $82,747 |
| 2022 | $1,654,705 | $72,326 | $130,173 | $98,107 | 23 | $98,107 | $40,260 | $86,199 |
| 2021 | $1,716,373 | $196,474 | $120,986 | $84,264 | 23 | $84,264 | $159,752 | $98,107 |
| 2020 | $1,641,734 | $63,242 | $115,551 | $84,632 | 21 | — | $32,323 | $84,264 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Spotts Trust reported a distributable amount of $96K for 2025 — 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 trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for charitable organizations and education. Among the recipients, Hastings College describes itself as a private, co-educational residential liberal arts college. Hastings Community Foundation says it works to enrich quality of life in Hastings and the surrounding area through the investment and management of philanthropic donations. Senior Action Inc describes work supporting the nutrition, health, and social well-being of elderly, disabled, and convalescing individuals. Hastings Museum Foundation says it provides financial support for the museum’s exhibits, educational programs, and building and grounds.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 25 grants totaling $92,695. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $23,674, with a median of $500. The largest grants included $23,674 to Salvation Army, $23,374 to Saint Mark’s Pro-Cathedral, $18,527 to Hastings Community Foundation, $9,270 to Hastings College, and $8,000 to YMCA. Other grants included $1,500 each to Crossroads Center Rescue Mission and United Harvest Mobile Food Pantry, and $1,250 to Catholic Social Services’ Food for Thought Open Table Program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles Hermes and Stephanie Bliss as trustees.
The Spotts Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Hermes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Bliss
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/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 Spotts Trust
How much does The Spotts Trust give each year?
The Spotts Trust gave $93K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $83K across 24 grants.
What is The Spotts Trust's typical grant size?
The Spotts Trust's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $3,708, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Spotts Trust that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Spotts Trust give grants?
The Spotts Trust gives mostly in Nebraska: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hastings, NE (24 grants).
Does The Spotts Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on The Spotts Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (24 grants).
Who are The Spotts Trust's largest grantees?
The Spotts Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Salvation Army ($23,674), Saint Mark's Pro-Cathedral ($23,374) and Hastings Community Foundation ($18,527), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Spotts Trust?
The Spotts Trust reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $93K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $96K (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 Spotts Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for charitable organizations and education. Among the recipients, Hastings College describes itself as a private, co-educational residential liberal arts college. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Spotts Trust?
The trust 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 Spotts Trust's EIN?
The Spotts Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-6126112. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Spotts 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 September 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 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 31, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Spotts Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-spotts-trust-morg_f73b325b2cfb497b93af58c0913397aa
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_476126112_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Spotts Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-spotts-trust-morg_f73b325b2cfb497b93af58c0913397aa},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Spotts 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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