The Marvin S Robinson Charitable Trust concentrates giving in and around Manhattan (Flint Hills), KS, prioritizing local higher education, community capital projects, and faith‑linked education and human services. Most grants support institution-building (major capital and program support for universities, technical college, cultural facilities and the community foundation) while a smaller but consistent share funds basic needs and disability/mental‑health services. Recipients are primarily local organizations and repeat grantees, indicating a place‑based, long‑term stake in community infrastructure.
Concentrated, place‑based giving with a small number of large gifts accounting for most dollars; frequent repeat grantees and multi‑grant relationships; emphasis on capital and institutional support rather than many small discretionary awards.
A 600,000-dollar general-support grant to Kansas State University Foundation in 2025 points to the Marvin S Robinson Charitable Trust’s core pattern: large, place-based gifts that strengthen institutions in Manhattan and the Flint Hills. The trust backs higher education, technical training, community facilities, faith-linked schools, and local human services, with most recipients serving the same Kansas communities year after year. Recent gifts also reached the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation for general support and the Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation, showing a focus on building local capacity rather than funding isolated projects. Smaller awards support basic-needs and behavioral health work, including food assistance and mental health services, alongside cultural and capital projects such as Wareham Hall Renovation Fund and Oz Musuem - Columbian Theatre Foundation Inc. The recipient list is concentrated in Manhattan, with nearby Wamego also appearing, which reinforces the trust’s local, institution-centered giving style. Across the recent grants, the trust appears to favor flexible support that can strengthen organizations’ core operations, facilities, and long-term programs.
Higher education is a central theme. In 2024 and 2025, the trust gave 500,000 dollars and 600,000 dollars to Kansas State University Foundation for general support, and it also awarded 100,000 dollars and 200,000 dollars to Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation. Community infrastructure is another clear area: Wareham Hall Renovation Fund received a 500,000-dollar grant for general support, and Oz Musuem - Columbian Theatre Foundation Inc received 100,000 dollars. Faith-linked schooling also appears in the recent record, with Flint Hills Christian School receiving 35,000 dollars in both 2024 and 2025. The trust also supports local safety-net services, including 250,000 dollars to Flint Hills Bread Basket and 10,000 dollars to Pawnee Mental Health Foundation for general support.
Grant sizes cluster in the mid-to-large range, with a p25 of 35,000 dollars, a median of 140,000 dollars, and a p75 of 240,379 dollars. The recent record shows repeat funding to several organizations across 2024 and 2025, including Kansas State University Foundation, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation, Flint Hills Christian School, and The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The trust operates as a charitable trust and, in this dataset, gives flexible general support rather than program-restricted project funding. No application process is stated in the data.
$3.3M
$21.4M
$2.3M
$3.4M
Most grants fall between $35K and $240K, with a median of $140K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$140K
75th Percentile
$240K
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Notable grantees: Kansas State University Foundation, Wareham Hall Renovation Fund, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation, Flint Hills Bread Basket
Giving is entirely local: 100% of recent grants went to recipients in Kansas, and the top giving state is KS. Manhattan dominates the map, with multiple grants to organizations there, including Kansas State University Foundation, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, and Be Able Inc. Wamego also appears through Oz Musuem - Columbian Theatre Foundation Inc and The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation. The recipient distribution does not extend beyond the state in the recent grants listed.
The trust backs higher education, technical college training, community capital projects, faith-linked education, and local human services. Recent examples include Kansas State University Foundation, Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation, Flint Hills Christian School, Flint Hills Bread Basket, and Pawnee Mental Health Foundation.
Recent grants cluster around a p25 of 35,000 dollars, a median of 140,000 dollars, and a p75 of 240,379 dollars. The list also includes larger awards such as 500,000 dollars and 600,000 dollars, showing a capacity for sizable institutional support.
No. All 17 recent grants went to US recipients, and every recipient in the recent list is in Kansas. The trust’s giving is described as local, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state, KS.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Kansas State University Foundation, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation, Flint Hills Christian School, and The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation. That indicates recurring support rather than isolated one-off gifts.
The recent grants are labeled general support across the list. That includes funding for Kansas State University Foundation, Wareham Hall Renovation Fund, Greater Manhattan Community Foundation, Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation, and several others, suggesting a preference for flexible, core-operating or broad institutional support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $1,750,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| GREATER MANHATTAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $1,210,397 | 2026 | General Support |
| FLINT HILLS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | MANHATTAN, KS | $185,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| CORNERSTONE FAMILY COUNSELING | MANHATTAN, KS | $100,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| MEADOWLARK HILLS FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| PAWNEE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| THE MANHATTAN CHAMBER FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| THE KANSAS RURAL COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION | WAMEGO, KS | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Kansas State University Foundation | Manhattan, KS | $600,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Flint Hills Bread Basket | MANHATTAN, KS | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Greater Manhattan Community Foundation | Manhattan, KS | $240,379 | 2025 | General Support |
| Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation | Manhattan, KS | $200,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| BE ABLE INC | MANHATTAN, KS | $140,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SPARK INC | MANHATTAN, KS | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| Flint Hills Christian School | Manhattan, KS | $35,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| PAWNEE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation | Wamego, KS | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Kansas State University Foundation | Manhattan, KS | $500,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Wareham Hall Renovation Fund | Manhattan, KS | $500,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| No Stone Unturned Foundation Inc | Manhattan, KS | $200,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Greater Manhattan Community Foundation | Manhattan, KS | $197,262 | 2024 | General Support |
| Oz Musuem - Columbian Theatre Foundation Inc | Wamego, KS | $100,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation | Manhattan, KS | $100,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Flint Hills Christian School | Manhattan, KS | $35,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation | Wamego, KS | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| CORNERSTONE FAMILY COUNSELING | MANHATTAN, KS | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREATER MANHATTAN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $88,712 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FLINT HILLS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL | MANHATTAN, KS | $30,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FLINT HILLS PRAISEFEST INC | MANHATTAN, KS | $7,500 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
FLINT HILLS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
$185,000General Support
CORNERSTONE FAMILY COUNSELING
$100,000General Support
MEADOWLARK HILLS FOUNDATION
$50,000General Support
PAWNEE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
$10,000General Support
THE MANHATTAN CHAMBER FOUNDATION
$10,000General Support
THE KANSAS RURAL COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION
$10,000General Support
Flint Hills Bread Basket
$250,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation
$200,000General Support
THE SPARK INC
$40,000GENERAL SUPPORT
Flint Hills Christian School
$35,000General Support
PAWNEE MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation
$10,000General Support
Oz Musuem - Columbian Theatre Foundation Inc
$100,000General Support
Manhattan Area Technical College Foundation
$100,000General Support
Flint Hills Christian School
$35,000General Support
The Kansas Rural Communities Foundation
$10,000General Support
CORNERSTONE FAMILY COUNSELING
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FLINT HILLS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FLINT HILLS PRAISEFEST INC
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT