Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust
The Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust is a private foundation based in Hill City, Kansas. Its filing describes assistance for graduates of Graham County High School pursuing further study, with first priority for specified medical and health-related fields.
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust at a glance
In short: Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust gave $43K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Kansas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $42,500
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,361
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $189,073
- -1.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Kansas (86% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the trust does not accept unsolicited requests. It instructs applicants to complete a loan application form and describes assistance for Graham County High School graduates, with first priority for the fields listed above.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists May 1 for summer and fall studies and December 1 for spring studies. As of October 2, 2026, these dates are past cycles; the filing does not establish that a future cycle is open.
- Deadline
- The filing lists May 1 for summer and fall studies and December 1 for spring studies.
- Contact
Application contact: Vernon Ada Vesper Education Trust
Mailing address: PO Box 369, Hill City, KS 67642
Phone: (785) 421-2168
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 101 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in Kansas and New Mexico: 86% of grant dollars went to Kansas and 14% to New Mexico. The filing’s stated eligibility restriction is for graduates of Graham County High School.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust gives
- Giving fell 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $41K (2021) to $56K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $43K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 18 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $42,500 |
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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 | $189,073 | $46,690 | $48,982 | $42,500 | 18 | $48,244 | $5,060 | $50,760 |
| 2024 | $191,365 | $42,293 | $50,318 | $42,000 | 18 | $49,768 | $4,928 | $49,082 |
| 2023 | $199,390 | $42,662 | $59,869 | $52,500 | 20 | $59,860 | $1,352 | $51,691 |
| 2022 | $216,597 | $50,870 | $66,379 | $55,800 | 26 | $59,138 | $615 | $61,675 |
| 2021 | $232,106 | $52,841 | $46,062 | $41,000 | 19 | — | $1,217 | $59,081 |
| 2020 | $225,327 | $59,382 | $51,097 | $47,500 | 21 | — | $1,993 | $68,092 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust reported a distributable amount of $51K 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 trust’s filing describes assistance for Graham County High School graduates. It gives first priority to those studying medicine, dentistry, nursing, or medical technology, or prerequisites for those fields. The 2025 grants listed were for student loans.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust gave 18 grants totaling $42,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $6,000, with a median of $1,500. The largest grants were $6,000 to an individual recipient in New Mexico and $4,500 to an individual recipient in Kansas, both for student loans.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bryant Muir, Joe Green, and Beth Beam as trustees.
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joe Green
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beth Beam
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bryant Muir
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Schulz (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Dianna Hart (2020) — Trustee
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 Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust
How much does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust give each year?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust gave $43K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $42K across 18 grants.
What is Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust's typical grant size?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,361, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust give grants?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust gives mostly in Kansas: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Mexico (14%).
Does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Student Loans" (18 grants).
How large is Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust reported $189K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $51K (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 Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust fund?
The trust’s filing describes assistance for Graham County High School graduates. It gives first priority to those studying medicine, dentistry, nursing, or medical technology, or prerequisites for those fields. The 2025 grants listed were for student loans. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust?
The filing says the trust does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust's EIN?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 48-6121219. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational 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 September 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 4, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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