This foundation concentrates large, recurring annual gifts to a small set of Missouri-based nonprofits focused on secondary and post‑secondary education and regional hunger relief. Its largest commitments fund a Catholic college-preparatory high school and a major regional food bank, with additional support to a community college foundation and a philanthropic foundation. The giving pattern and grantee selection suggest a preference for sustaining established local institutions with ongoing operating support.
Concentrated, large annual gifts focused on a few repeat grantees; primarily unrestricted/annual operating support rather than many small or one‑off awards.
Cruse Lee H Trust Dtd 04301987 makes large annual gifts to a small group of Missouri nonprofits, with repeated support for Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School and Ozark Food Harvest standing out in the recent record. The trust’s giving shows a clear preference for long-running local institutions rather than one-time awards, and its largest grants reach the $300,000 to $350,000 range. The recurring pattern is visible across education, hunger relief, community services, and select health-related organizations. Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School in St. Louis has received several annual gifts, including $350,000 in 2024 and $300,000 in 2025. Ozark Food Harvest in Springfield has also been a major beneficiary, with gifts of $300,000 in 2025, $275,000 in 2024, and $300,000 in 2023. Other sizable awards have gone to Drew Lewis Foundation, Otc Foundation, Springfield Victory Mission, Planned Parenthood of Sw Missouri, and Mercy Health Foundation, showing a pattern of repeat support across a limited set of recipients. The trust’s recent record points to sustained backing for established organizations serving local needs in Missouri.
Education is one of the clearest threads in the trust’s grantmaking. It gave $250,000 to Otc Foundation in 2023, $125,000 in 2024, and $100,000 in 2025, indicating continued support for community college fundraising and workforce education. Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School also appears as a repeated education grantee, with annual gifts in the six-figure range. Hunger relief is another major area. Ozark Food Harvest received $300,000 in 2025, $275,000 in 2024, and $300,000 in 2023 for regional food distribution. The trust also supported Springfield Victory Mission with $90,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Help Give Hope with $85,000 in 2023. Community-facing service organizations appear again in grants to Council of Churches and Ozark Area Community Action.
Typical grant sizes cluster around six figures: p25 is $30,000, median grant size is $50,000, and p75 is $90,000. The recent record shows recurring annual gifts to the same organizations across multiple years, especially for Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, Ozark Food Harvest, Otc Foundation, Springfield Victory Mission, Council of Churches, Planned Parenthood of Sw Missouri, Mercy Health Foundation, and Drew Lewis Foundation. That repeated pattern fits a trust-style funder making ongoing operating support rather than one-off project grants. The data also identifies the fund as non-individual giving and shows no program-related investments.
$2.7M
$31.7M
$4M
$3.5M
Most grants fall between $30K and $90K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$90K
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Notable grantees: Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, Ozark Food Harvest, OTC Foundation, Drew Lewis Foundation
Giving is highly local: 93% of grants go to recipients in Missouri, and the top state by grant count is MO. Most recipients are in Springfield and St. Louis, including Springfield-based Ozark Food Harvest, Otc Foundation, Drew Lewis Foundation, Springfield Victory Mission, Council of Churches, and Planned Parenthood of Sw Missouri, plus St. Louis-based Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School and Reproductive Health Services. Outside Missouri, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota appears among the recent grants.
The recent grants show a strong pattern of support for Missouri nonprofits in education, hunger relief, and community services. Repeated recipients include Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, Ozark Food Harvest, Otc Foundation, Springfield Victory Mission, Council of Churches, and Ozark Area Community Action.
Typical grant size is $30,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $90,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants also include several larger annual gifts in the $250,000 to $350,000 range.
Yes. The recent record shows repeated annual gifts to several organizations across multiple years, including Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, Ozark Food Harvest, Otc Foundation, Springfield Victory Mission, Planned Parenthood of Sw Missouri, Mercy Health Foundation, and Council of Churches.
Most grants go to Missouri recipients. The data shows 93% of grants to organizations in the HQ state of Missouri, with most recent recipients in Springfield and St. Louis.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OZARK FOOD HARVEST | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $650,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| CARDINAL RITTER COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL | ST LOUIS, MO | $550,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| DREW LEWIS FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $350,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| OTC FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $125,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| OZARK AREA COMMUNITY ACTION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $125,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| SPRINGFIELD VICTORY MISSION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $115,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $100,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SW MISSOURI | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $75,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| COUNCIL OF CHURCHES | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $75,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $60,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES | ST LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| BREAST CANCER FOR OZARK | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| THE VICTIM CENTER | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| HOSPICE FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| OZARK PUBLIC TELEVISION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| GATEWAY TO HOPE | MAPLEWOOD, MO | $40,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| LIFT FOR LIFE | ST LOUIS, MO | $40,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE | BRIDGETON, MO | $35,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| CROWN CENTER FOR SENIOR LIVING | ST LOUIS, MO | $30,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| ZETA TAU ALPHA FOUNDATION - CLEMSON | CARMEL, IN | $30,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| THE K G WELLS JR ACADEMY FOR KIDS | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| RECOVERY FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $25,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| HOME WORKS | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| NAMI OF MISSOURI | JEFFERSON CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| CARDINAL RITTER COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL | ST LOUIS, MO | $300,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| OZARK FOOD HARVEST | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $300,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| DREW LEWIS FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $250,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| OZARK AREA COMMUNITY ACTION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $125,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $100,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| OTC FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| SPRINGFIELD VICTORY MISSION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $90,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SW MISSOURI | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $75,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| COUNCIL OF CHURCHES | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $75,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| GREENE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $52,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| BREAST CANCER FOR OZARK | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| HOSPICE FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES | ST LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| THE VICTIM CENTER | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| OZARK PUBLIC TELEVISION | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $40,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| LIFT FOR LIFE | ST LOUIS, MO | $40,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| GATEWAY TO HOPE | MAPLEWOOD, MO | $40,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE | BRIDGETON, MO | $35,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| CROWN CENTER FOR SENIOR LIVING | ST LOUIS, MO | $30,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| RECOVERY FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| THE K G WELLS JR ACADEMY FOR KIDS | SPRINGFIELD, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| ZETA TAU ALPHA FOUNDATION - CLEMSON | CARMEL, IN | $20,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| NAMI OF MISSOURI | JEFFERSON CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| HOME WORKS | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT |
| CARDINAL RITTER COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL | ST LOUIS, MO | $350,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL GIFT |
OZARK FOOD HARVEST
$650,000ANNUAL GIFT
CARDINAL RITTER COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL
$550,000ANNUAL GIFT
OTC FOUNDATION
$125,000ANNUAL GIFT
OZARK AREA COMMUNITY ACTION
$125,000ANNUAL GIFT
ANNUAL GIFT
MAYO CLINIC
$100,000ANNUAL GIFT
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SW MISSOURI
$75,000ANNUAL GIFT
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
$75,000ANNUAL GIFT
MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION
$60,000ANNUAL GIFT
THE VICTIM CENTER
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
HOSPICE FOUNDATION
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
OZARK PUBLIC TELEVISION
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
LIFT FOR LIFE
$40,000ANNUAL GIFT
BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE
$35,000ANNUAL GIFT
ZETA TAU ALPHA FOUNDATION - CLEMSON
$30,000ANNUAL GIFT
THE K G WELLS JR ACADEMY FOR KIDS
$25,000ANNUAL GIFT
RECOVERY FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES
$25,000ANNUAL GIFT
NAMI OF MISSOURI
$10,000ANNUAL GIFT
CARDINAL RITTER COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL
$300,000ANNUAL GIFT
OZARK FOOD HARVEST
$300,000ANNUAL GIFT
OZARK AREA COMMUNITY ACTION
$125,000ANNUAL GIFT
MAYO CLINIC
$100,000ANNUAL GIFT
OTC FOUNDATION
$100,000ANNUAL GIFT
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SW MISSOURI
$75,000ANNUAL GIFT
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
$75,000ANNUAL GIFT
GREENE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
$52,000ANNUAL GIFT
BREAST CANCER FOR OZARK
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
HOSPICE FOUNDATION
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
MERCY HEALTH FOUNDATION
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
THE VICTIM CENTER
$50,000ANNUAL GIFT
OZARK PUBLIC TELEVISION
$40,000ANNUAL GIFT
LIFT FOR LIFE
$40,000ANNUAL GIFT
BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE
$35,000ANNUAL GIFT
RECOVERY FELLOWSHIP MINISTRIES
$25,000ANNUAL GIFT
THE K G WELLS JR ACADEMY FOR KIDS
$25,000ANNUAL GIFT
ZETA TAU ALPHA FOUNDATION - CLEMSON
$20,000ANNUAL GIFT
NAMI OF MISSOURI
$10,000ANNUAL GIFT
HOME WORKS
$10,000ANNUAL GIFT
CARDINAL RITTER COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL
$350,000ANNUAL GIFT