William R Lathers Charitable Trust
William R Lathers Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Mears, Michigan. It reported $93,500 in grants to 10 recipients in 2025, with most grant dollars going to organizations in Michigan.
William R Lathers Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: William R Lathers Charitable Trust gave $94K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $93,500
- +5.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -56.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,350
- +141.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,500
- Total assets
- $1,414,955
- +2.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Michigan (98% 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 William R Lathers Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 150, Mears, MI 49436
Phone: (231) 873-5128
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who William R Lathers Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Oceana County Communication ($50K). Together the top 6 received $94K.
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 85 grants of 86 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 1% to recipients in Maryland, and 1% to recipients in Georgia. Listed Michigan recipients included organizations in Pentwater, Hart, and Ludington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How William R Lathers Charitable Trust gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 127% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $69K (2023) to $179K (2019). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $94K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oceana County Communication Pentwater, MI | Donor Advised Fund | $50,000 |
| Oceana Cnty Historical & Genealogy Hart, MI | Museum Complex - Garden & Tree Renov | $10,000 |
| Oceana Cnty Historical & Genealogy Hart, MI | General Fund Donation | $10,000 |
| Oceana Cnty Historical & Genealogy Hart, MI | Old Town Hall Heating Proposal | $7,000 |
| Oceana Cnty Historical & Genealogy Hart, MI | Museum Renovations and Repairs | $5,000 |
| Oceana Cnty Historical & Genealogy Hart, MI | Plaque for Museum | $4,000 |
| Ludington Schools Resource Center Ludington, MI | General | $3,000 |
| Oceana Mason County Inmate & Hart, MI | General | $2,500 |
| Alzheimers Disease Research Clarksburg, MD | General | $1,000 |
| American Cancer Society Atlanta, GA | General | $1,000 |
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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 | $1,414,955 | $155,454 | $124,237 | $93,500 | 10 | $100,800 | $155,454 | $79,618 |
| 2024 | $1,383,713 | $122,185 | $123,998 | $88,960 | 23 | $103,448 | $117,840 | $77,843 |
| 2023 | $1,385,734 | $-54,349 | $90,020 | $68,500 | 18 | $76,080 | $53,351 | $70,910 |
| 2022 | $1,530,305 | $81,743 | $129,506 | $105,000 | 18 | $112,695 | $76,370 | $83,197 |
| 2021 | $1,578,176 | $151,764 | $133,631 | $117,000 | 17 | $121,510 | $83,205 | $80,746 |
| 2020 | $1,561,251 | $-92,763 | $109,139 | $87,000 | 15 | — | $35,281 | $73,367 |
| 2019 | $1,763,609 | $17,916 | $197,267 | $179,000 | 19 | — | $51,984 | $89,052 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William R Lathers Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $80K 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 supported historical and genealogy organizations, schools, and other charitable organizations. One recipient, the American Cancer Society, describes its mission as improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust awarded 10 grants totaling $93,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $4,500. The largest grant was $50,000 to Oceana County Communication in Pentwater, Michigan, for a donor-advised fund. Oceana County Historical & Genealogy in Hart, Michigan, received several grants, including $10,000 for its museum complex garden and tree renovation, $10,000 for its general fund, and $7,000 for an Old Town Hall heating proposal. Other listed recipients included Ludington Schools Resource Center ($3,000), Oceana Mason County Inmate & ($2,500), Alzheimer’s Disease Research ($1,000), and the American Cancer Society ($1,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Janet Lathers and Jeffrey Lathers as trustees.
William R Lathers Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Janet Lathers
Trustee
On filings since 2022
$3K (2022) → $10K (2025)
Jeffrey Lathers
Trustee
On filings since 2023
$10K (2023) → $10K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: S. Dale Lathers (2019–2022) — Trustee
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 $10K, to Janet Lathers (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about William R Lathers Charitable Trust
How much does William R Lathers Charitable Trust give each year?
William R Lathers Charitable Trust gave $94K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $89K across 23 grants.
What is William R Lathers Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
William R Lathers Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $4,500, and its average grant was $9,350, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does William R Lathers Charitable Trust give grants?
William R Lathers Charitable Trust gives mostly in Michigan: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hart, MI (6 grants).
Does William R Lathers Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of William R Lathers Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are William R Lathers Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
William R Lathers Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Oceana County Communication ($50,000), Oceana Cnty Historical & Genealogy ($36,000 across 5 grants) and Ludington Schools Resource Center ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William R Lathers Charitable Trust?
William R Lathers Charitable Trust reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $101K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $80K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does William R Lathers Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants supported historical and genealogy organizations, schools, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William R Lathers Charitable Trust?
The trust 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 William R Lathers Charitable Trust's EIN?
William R Lathers Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-6337639. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does William R Lathers 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 28, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). William R Lathers Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/william-r-lathers-charitable-trust-morg_015b1b8c952f4ffaaa19f70131ba2131
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_266337639_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{William R Lathers Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/william-r-lathers-charitable-trust-morg_015b1b8c952f4ffaaa19f70131ba2131},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 William R Lathers 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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