The Trust concentrates its giving on large, unrestricted institutional grants, with a clear emphasis on Catholic faith-based institutions and higher education, along with significant support for regional healthcare. Grants are aimed at general operating support rather than project-specific funding, suggesting trust in long-term institutional sustainability.
George H Fearons III Charitable Trust’s largest recent grant went to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington for general support, signaling a pattern of large unrestricted awards to Catholic institutions. In 2025, the trust also made a major general support grant to University of Vermont Medical Center Inc, alongside support for Catholic higher education and clergy formation. The trust’s recent grants suggest a preference for institutional operating support rather than narrowly defined projects. Its portfolio in the latest filing is concentrated in a few familiar institution types: diocesan structures, a seminary, a university, and a healthcare system. Mount Saint Marys University received general support purposes, and Saint Meinrad Seminary also received general support purposes, extending the trust’s reach beyond Vermont into Catholic education and formation. The funding profile is consistent with a private foundation making sizable grants to established organizations that serve religious and community needs over the long term.
A central theme is Catholic institutional support. The trust gave $367,176 to Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington for general support grant, and $30,501 to Saint Meinrad Seminary for general support purposes, showing support for both diocesan operations and clergy formation. Higher education is another visible area. Mount Saint Marys University received $85,496 for general support purposes, placing a Catholic university among the trust’s larger recent beneficiaries. Healthcare also appears in the grant list. University of Vermont Medical Center Inc received $291,620 for general support grant, indicating that the trust funds regional medical institutions alongside faith-based organizations. The recent grants are almost entirely unrestricted in purpose language, with each award described as general support or general support purposes.
The recent grant set is top-heavy: the largest award is $367,176, followed by $291,620 and $85,496, then $30,501 and a token $329 grant. That pattern points to a small number of sizable institutional grants rather than many smaller awards. The trust is a private foundation, and the listed recipients all appear in the 2025 filing, so the available data shows one year of giving rather than a multi-year recipient pattern. Every recent grant is described as general support or general support purposes, which suggests broad operating support. No application process is listed in the data.
$775K
$13.5M
$1.1M
$932K
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Concentrated, large one-time or annual general-support grants to a small number of institutional grantees; emphasis on established faith-based and higher-education organizations rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, University of Vermont Medical Center, Mount Saint Mary’s University, Saint Meinrad Seminary
Recent grants were awarded entirely to U.S. recipients. Vermont stands out through Barton and Burlington, which together account for the two largest awards. Outside Vermont, the trust funded Los Angeles, St Meinrad in Indiana, and Westchester in Illinois. The recipient distribution shows 100% of the grants went to U.S. organizations, while the trust’s headquarters is in New York, NY and none of the recent grants went to recipients in New York state.
The recent grants point to Catholic diocesan institutions, a Catholic seminary, a Catholic university, and a healthcare provider. The largest awards went to Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington and University of Vermont Medical Center Inc, while Mount Saint Marys University and Saint Meinrad Seminary also received support.
The listed awards are consistently described as general support or general support purposes. That means the trust’s recent giving is framed as unrestricted institutional support rather than project-specific funding.
The recipients are all in the United States. Vermont appears most prominently, with Barton and Burlington receiving the two largest grants, and the other listed recipients are in Los Angeles, St Meinrad, and Westchester.
The recent grants range from $329 to $367,176. The largest awards are $367,176 and $291,620, while the smaller grants are $85,496, $30,501, and $329.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BURLINGTON | BARTON, VT | $367,176 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT MEDICAL CENTER INC | BURLINGTON, VT | $291,620 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT |
| MOUNT SAINT MARYS UNIVERSITY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $85,496 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT PURPOSES |
| SAINT MEINRAD SEMINARY | ST MEINRAD, IN | $30,501 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT PURPOSES |
| FOLLETT HIGHER EDUCATION GROUP | WESTCHESTER, IL | $329 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT PURPOSES |
ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BURLINGTON
$367,176GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT MEDICAL CENTER INC
$291,620GENERAL SUPPORT GRANT
MOUNT SAINT MARYS UNIVERSITY
$85,496GENERAL SUPPORT PURPOSES
SAINT MEINRAD SEMINARY
$30,501GENERAL SUPPORT PURPOSES
FOLLETT HIGHER EDUCATION GROUP
$329GENERAL SUPPORT PURPOSES