Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions
TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF CHARITABLE is a private foundation based in Pennington, New Jersey. In 2025, it gave $50,500 in grants to 10 organizations, including arts and opera organizations, educational institutions, and organizations serving children and students.
Key facts about Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions
In short: Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions gave $51K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in New York. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 81-6353323
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $50,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $5,050
- Median grant
- $3,750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025)
- Total assets
- $937,583
- Primary geography
- New York (55% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$938K
+2.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$51K
+14.5% YoY
Grant Count
10
+42.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5K
-19.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions reported a distributable amount of $56K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2022 to 2025. 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, YIVO Institute for Jewish Research says its mission is to study Jewish life in Eastern Europe and Russia and preserve related archival and library materials. Musicopia says it provides equitable access to music education and enrichment for pre-K–12 students and their communities. Wagner Free Institute of Science says it provides free public science education and preserves its historic building and collections.
Other 2025 grantees describe their work as supporting New Jersey high school students through tuition assistance and mentoring (Student Partner Alliance), helping children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder (Sesame Workshop), and presenting opera and related educational and outreach programs (Opera Carolina).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $50,500. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $16,000, with a median of $3,750.
Its largest 2025 grants were $16,000 to Metropolitan Opera Association for its Met Opera HD Live Program; $5,000 each to YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Wagner Free Institute of Science, and Musicopia; and $4,000 to Student Partner Alliance. Other grants included $3,500 each to Sesame Workshop, Glimmerglass Opera, and Opera Carolina; $3,000 to Portland Opera Association; and $2,000 to Opera Company of Philadelphia.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. No application process or required materials are stated.
Ready to take the next step with Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to organizations in New York (55% of grant dollars), Pennsylvania (24%), New Jersey (8%), North Carolina (7%), and Oregon (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $42K (2022) to $51K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $51K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Metropolitan Opera Association ($16K). Together the top 10 received $51K.
Grant Size Distribution
37 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 37 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Opera Association New York, NY | Met Opera HD Live Program | $16,000 |
| Yivo Institute for Jewish Research New York, NY | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| Wagner Free Institute of Science Philadelphia, PA | Educational Programs | $5,000 |
| Musicopia Philadelphia, PA | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| Student Partner Alliance Summit, NJ | Unrestricted General | $4,000 |
| Sesame Workshop New York, NY | Unrestricted General | $3,500 |
| Glimmerglas Opera Cooperstown, NY | Unrestricted General | $3,500 |
| Opera Carolina Charlotte, NC | Unrestricted General | $3,500 |
| Portland Opera Assoc Inc Portland, OR | Unrestricted General | $3,000 |
| Opera Company of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Unrestricted General | $2,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $937,583 | $71,866 | $59,136 | $50,500 | 10 |
| 2024 | $916,190 | $63,453 | $54,551 | $44,100 | 7 |
| 2023 | $907,329 | $45,452 | $56,672 | $47,000 | 8 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $937,583 | $916,190 | $907,329 |
| Revenue | $71,866 | $63,453 | $45,452 |
| Expenses | $59,136 | $54,551 | $56,672 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $54,242 | $50,314 | $53,029 |
| Net Investment Income | $58,629 | $50,412 | $33,084 |
| Distributable Amount | $55,848 | $54,237 | $50,189 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 18, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lisa W Celona and Toby W Ruda as co-TTEE.
Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa W. Celona
Co-Ttee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Toby W. Ruda
Co-Ttee
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1532 Aft, Pennington, NJ 08534
Phone: (888) 866-3275
Frequently asked questions about Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions
How much does Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions give each year?
Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions gave $51K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $44K across 7 grants.
What is Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's typical grant size?
Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's median grant in 2025 was $3,750, and its average grant was $5,050, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions that year got $3K on average.
Where does Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions give grants?
Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions gives mostly in New York: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (24%) and New Jersey (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants) and Philadelphia, PA (3 grants).
Does Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's largest grantees?
Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's largest 2025 grantees include Metropolitan Opera Association ($16,000), Yivo Institute for Jewish Research ($5,000) and Wagner Free Institute of Science ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions?
Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions reported $938K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $54K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $56K (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 Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions?
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 Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's EIN?
Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-6353323. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Trust for the Benefit of Charitable Educational Institutions 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.
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