Trusted Choice Inc
Trusted Choice Inc is a public charity based in Alexandria, Virginia. Formed in 2001, it is a national marketing brand created to educate consumers about the benefits of using an independent insurance agent or broker and to highlight the value of independent agents.
Trusted Choice Inc at a glance
In short: Trusted Choice Inc gave $429K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), top state North Carolina. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $428,992
- +28.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,899
- -10.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $43,693
- Total assets
- $5,167,882
- +44.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (14% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Trusted Choice Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 127 South Peyton St, Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 683-4422
Website: https://trustedchoice.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Trusted Choice Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina Inc ($60K). Together the top 10 received $429K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 59 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to North Carolina, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, at 14% each, followed by Maine at 10%. The listed 2025 grants also went to organizations in Virginia, Nebraska, South Dakota, California, and Oklahoma.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Trusted Choice Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $31K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $31K first-time, $52K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $334K (2024) to $1.5M (2019). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $429K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina Inc Cary, NC | Advertising | $60,000 |
| Independent Insurance Agents of Rhode Island Warwick, RI | Advertising | $60,000 |
| Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents Inc Milford, MA | Advertising | $60,000 |
| Independent Insurance Agents of NJ Trenton, NJ | Advertising | $58,539 |
| Maine Insurance Agents Association Hallowell, ME | Advertising | $45,000 |
| Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America Alexandria, VA | General Support | $42,386 |
| Independent Insurance Agents of Nebraska Lincoln, NE | Advertising | $41,400 |
| Independent Insurance Agents of South Dakota Ft Pierre, SD | Advertising | $30,000 |
| Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of California San Diego, CA | Advertising | $20,000 |
| Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma Oklahoma City, OK | Advertising | $11,667 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,167,882 | $3,967,828 | $2,596,915 | $428,992 | 10 | $20,220 |
| 2024 | $3,581,469 | $4,314,771 | $3,507,341 | $334,075 | 7 | $12,816 |
| 2023 | $2,851,197 | $4,763,426 | $4,488,761 | $631,346 | 15 | $8,956 |
| 2022 | $3,003,484 | $4,862,551 | $5,074,383 | $802,464 | 17 | $3,661 |
| 2021 | $2,879,409 | $4,834,266 | $5,382,619 | $473,002 | 10 | $3,232 |
| 2020 | $3,522,353 | $4,886,423 | $6,389,219 | $1,444,305 | 26 | $7,068 |
| 2019 | $4,723,016 | $4,867,548 | $4,584,023 | $1,500,042 | 29 | $6,521 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization describes its mission as helping educate consumers about the benefits of using an independent insurance agent or broker when buying insurance. Its filing says the brand is designed to highlight independent agents’ choice, customization, and advocacy, and is not a market-access program.
In 2025, the organization supported independent insurance agent associations, chiefly for advertising. The Independent Insurance Agents of New Jersey describes its own mission as advancing the independent agency system through advocacy and professionalism while supporting member success. The Maine Insurance Agents Association describes its mission as representing, supporting, and promoting independent insurance agents.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Trusted Choice Inc awarded 10 grants totaling $428,992. Grants ranged from $11,667 to $60,000, with a median of $43,693. Nine grants were listed for advertising; one was listed for general support.
Among the largest awards were $60,000 each to the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina, the Independent Insurance Agents of Rhode Island, and the Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents; $58,539 to the Independent Insurance Agents of NJ; and $45,000 to the Maine Insurance Agents Association. The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America received $42,386 for general support.
The organization’s 2024 filing says state-association grantees must submit documentation showing how approved grant funds were used for their intended purpose. It provides no application instructions or statement about unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charles Symington as president; George Daly as chair; Eugene S Cocke as treasurer; and April Goodin, Brad Greer, Drew Higginbothom, Jared Burkhart, Jeff Schlitt, Matt Simon, and Mike Barrett as directors.
Trusted Choice Inc is led by Charles Symington, President on every filing since 2024; 5 of 13 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Symington
President
On filings since 2024
9 hrs/week
$96K (2024) → $164K (2025)
George Daly
Chair
Director → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Schlitt
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brad Greer
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jared Burkhart
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Simon
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Barrett
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
April Goodin
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Drew Higginbothom
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eugene S. Cocke
Treasurer
CFO → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$18K (2019) → $23K (2025)
Scott D. Kneeland
Chief Counsel & Secretary
Chief Counsel & Secretary → Chief Counsel, 2023
Chief Counsel → Chief Counsel & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
$14K (2019) → $16K (2025)
Kevin Brandt
Vice President
On filings since 2020
33 hrs/week
$185K (2020) → $163K (2025)
Arumugan Pillai
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
$5K (2025)
Former officers (20)
- Former: Robert A. Rusbuldt (2019–2024) — Former President
- Former: John Barbour (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Jon Jensen (2022–2024) — Chair
- Former: Scott Stanford (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert Nitsche (2022) — Director
- Former: David Walker (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Tara Purvis (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Clinton Graham (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Robbie Moore (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Brian Harrison (2021) — Director
- Former: Cindi Gresham (2021) — Director
- Former: Jeannie Giesler (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Stark Harbour (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Leland S. Stanford (2020) — Director
- Former: Mike McCartin (2020) — Director
- Former: Don Whitaker (2019) — Director
- Former: Jason P. Pals (2019) — Systems Architect
- Former: Mark Male (2019) — Director
- Former: Michael McBride (2019) — Chair
- Former: Michael McCartin (2019) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $164K, to Charles Symington (President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Trusted Choice Inc
How much does Trusted Choice Inc give each year?
Trusted Choice Inc gave $429K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $334K across 7 grants.
What is Trusted Choice Inc's typical grant size?
Trusted Choice Inc's median grant in 2025 was $43,693, and its average grant was $42,899, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Trusted Choice Inc that year got $31K on average.
Where does Trusted Choice Inc give grants?
Trusted Choice Inc's top state is North Carolina, with 14% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Rhode Island (14%) and Massachusetts (14%).
Does Trusted Choice Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of Trusted Choice Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Advertising" (9 grants).
Who are Trusted Choice Inc's largest grantees?
Trusted Choice Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina Inc ($60,000), Independent Insurance Agents of Rhode Island ($60,000) and Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents Inc ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Trusted Choice Inc?
Trusted Choice Inc reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.0M.
What does Trusted Choice Inc fund?
The organization describes its mission as helping educate consumers about the benefits of using an independent insurance agent or broker when buying insurance. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Trusted Choice Inc?
Trusted Choice Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check trustedchoice.com for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Trusted Choice Inc's EIN?
Trusted Choice Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-2052195. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 17, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 24, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Trusted Choice Inc funds
Community Improvement & Capacity Building Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Trusted Choice Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Trusted Choice Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/trusted-choice-inc-morg_32a40e4c322e40baab289437e738f7f3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_542052195_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Trusted Choice Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/trusted-choice-inc-morg_32a40e4c322e40baab289437e738f7f3},
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 Trusted Choice Inc'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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