The Munger Charitable Trust Number Four favors a small number of large, targeted gifts, frequently donating appreciated securities to cultural, educational and religious institutions, with additional support for local health and conservation causes. A large share of funding goes to UK-focused cultural and religious organizations (Oxford-related philanthropy and St. James's Piccadilly), while smaller but significant grants support a major Los Angeles hospital and arts/museum institutions. The foundation appears transaction-driven (gifts of stock) and makes occasional repeat gifts to the same beneficiaries.
Concentrated giving: few, large grants (two gifts make up the majority of payout), frequent use of donated securities, mix of repeat grants to established beneficiaries and occasional one-off gifts to cultural/health/environmental organizations.
Munger Charitable Trust Number Four C/o William H Borthwick makes a small number of targeted grants, and its largest recent awards are routed through appreciated securities. In 2025, it gave $682,491 to Americans for Oxford Inc and $610,754 to American Friends of St James's Piccadilly, both structured as stock gifts rather than plain cash. That pattern sits alongside support for institutions in Los Angeles and for UK-linked cultural and religious organizations, showing a mix of local philanthropy and transatlantic institutional giving. The trust also appears to favor established nonprofits with clear operating uses. Cedars Sinai received $100,000 for charitable purposes, while the J. Paul Getty Trust and Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation received general support. A conservation grant to Pacific Rim Conservation adds an environmental dimension to the profile. Across these gifts, the foundation’s activity reads as selective and relationship-based, with repeated support to some recipients and large transfers that can be converted into operating funds.
Higher education and alumni philanthropy are prominent in the trust’s giving. Americans for Oxford Inc received $682,491 in 2025 and two smaller gifts in the same year, all in Berkshire Hathaway securities, pointing to sustained support rather than a single transaction. Religious and cultural institutions are another clear thread. American Friends of St James's Piccadilly received $610,754 in 2025, also through Berkshire Hathaway Class B securities, while Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation received $26,000 for general support. The trust also backs health and conservation work. Cedars Sinai was awarded $100,000 for charitable purposes, and Pacific Rim Conservation received $4,000 for general support. That mix suggests the trust supports both institutional operating needs and mission-based philanthropy across several sectors.
The typical grant size is $12,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $23,000 at the 75th percentile, but the recent record also includes much larger stock-based transfers. The trust looks transaction-driven: several 2025 awards were made in Berkshire Hathaway securities, and the same recipient, Americans for Oxford Inc, appears multiple times in the latest grants. That repetition suggests ongoing support to selected organizations rather than broad, one-time grantmaking. The trust is a private charitable trust; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$1.4M
$157.1M
$128.4M
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $12K and $23K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$23K
About 25% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: Americans for Oxford Inc, American Friends of St James's Piccadilly, Cedars-Sinai, Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation, The J. Paul Getty Trust
All recent grants in the sample went to U.S. recipients, with California the top state by grant count at 33% of grants. Los Angeles appears repeatedly through Cedars Sinai and the J. Paul Getty Trust, while New York shows up through Americans for Oxford Inc and Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation. Other named recipient locations include Newton Highlands, Massachusetts, and Honolulu, Hawaii. The pattern points to a mix of California-based giving and support for nationally organized nonprofits with U.S. offices.
Its recent grants go to higher education and alumni philanthropy, Anglican church support, major hospital philanthropy, museum and historic-house support, and conservation. The named recipients include Oxford-related philanthropy, St. James's Piccadilly, Cedars Sinai, the J. Paul Getty Trust, Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation, and Pacific Rim Conservation.
The grant-size distribution is relatively tight: the 25th percentile is $12,000, the median is $20,000, and the 75th percentile is $23,000. The recent record also includes much larger awards made in securities, including six-figure gifts.
Yes. Americans for Oxford Inc appears multiple times in the latest grants, including a $682,491 securities gift and two smaller securities gifts in 2025. That repeated pattern suggests ongoing support rather than a single one-off award.
The geographic scope of giving is regional, and all recent grants in the sample went to U.S. recipients. California is the top state by grant count at 33%, with repeated recipients in Los Angeles and additional grants to New York, Massachusetts, and Hawaii.
It often uses appreciated securities rather than only cash. Recent awards include Berkshire Hathaway Class A and Class B securities, and the trust's profile indicates acceptance of in-kind or stock donations, with grants that can convert into operating funds for recipients.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICANS FOR OXFORD INC | NEW YORK, NY | $682,491 | 2025 | (1) DESCRIPTION: 1 SHARE OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS A SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $99,488 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 10/09/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ST JAMES'S PICCADILLY | NEWTON HIGHLANDS, MA | $610,754 | 2025 | (1) DESCRIPTION: 1,350 SHARES OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS B SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $549,599 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 12/18/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CEDARS SINAI | LOS ANGELES, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| AMERICANS FOR OXFORD INC | NEW YORK, NY | $11,590 | 2025 | (1) DESCRIPTION: 25 SHARES OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS B SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $5,066 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 10/15/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AMERICANS FOR OXFORD INC | NEW YORK, NY | $6,827 | 2025 | (1) DESCRIPTION: 15 SHARES OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS B SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $995 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 10/09/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| THE J PAUL GETTY TRUST | LOS ANGELES, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PACIFIC RIM CONSERVATION | HONOLULU, HI | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $26,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
(1) DESCRIPTION: 1 SHARE OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS A SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $99,488 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 10/09/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ST JAMES'S PICCADILLY
$610,754(1) DESCRIPTION: 1,350 SHARES OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS B SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $549,599 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 12/18/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CEDARS SINAI
$100,000CHARITABLE
(1) DESCRIPTION: 25 SHARES OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS B SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $5,066 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 10/15/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
(1) DESCRIPTION: 15 SHARES OF BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY CLASS B SECURITIES (2) BOOK VALUE: $995 (3) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE BOOK VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE FOUNDATION. (4) METHOD USED TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET VALUE: AVERAGE OF THE HIGH/LOW ON THE DATE THE SECURITIES WERE DONATED. (5) DATE OF THE GIFT: 10/09/2024 (6) PURPOSE: GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
THE J PAUL GETTY TRUST
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT