The Thomas E. Riley Charitable Trust concentrates its giving on higher education and an international development/women’s economic empowerment program. Most dollars go to university-affiliated funds—likely scholarships, research, or capital/support at Wake Forest and the University of Florida—while a smaller portion supports a nonprofit focused on women’s livelihoods abroad. Grants are few and targeted rather than broadly distributed.
Concentrated, small-number giving: a handful of mid-sized grants with heavy weighting toward a couple of higher-education institutions rather than many small awards; mixes institutional higher-education gifts with selective international nonprofit support.
Thomas E Riley Charitable Trust’s largest recent grant went to Wake Forest University, a $50,000 general-support award that signals how central university funding is to its giving. In the latest 990 year on file, the trust made eight grants totaling $127,500, with most dollars directed to higher education and related institutional support. A second major award went to the University of Florida Foundation Inc for $20,000, also for general support, reinforcing the trust’s pattern of backing university-affiliated funds rather than operating in a broad, dispersed way. The rest of the recent slate is smaller and still targeted, including support for organizations such as One Purse Inc and Folds of Honor Foundation. Taken together, the grants suggest a funder that favors program-flexible support and concentrated relationships over many small awards. Its giving is national in scope, but the recent recipients show a clear preference for specific institutions and mission-driven nonprofits. The trust’s assets and annual payout place it in the category of a modest but active private funder with a limited number of grants each year.
Higher education is the clearest throughline in the trust’s recent grants. It gave $50,000 to Wake Forest University for general support and $20,000 to University of Florida Foundation Inc for general support, pointing to a strong emphasis on university-affiliated institutional funding. Beyond campuses, the trust also supports community-based nonprofits. It awarded $17,500 to One Purse Inc for general support, alongside $10,000 to Jobs Partnership of Florida Inc, also for general support. The portfolio includes organizations tied to service and resilience. Folds of Honor Foundation received $10,000 for general support, and Duchenne Without Borders received $7,500. Mission Increase also appears in the recent grants list with $2,500, showing that the trust’s smaller awards still follow the same general-support pattern.
The trust’s recent gifts cluster around standard mid-sized grants rather than very large or very small checks. In the latest year, the typical grant size sat at $9,375 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $18,125 at the 75th percentile. That spread matches a compact portfolio with a few larger university awards and several $10,000-level grants. The grant list suggests a repeatable, discretionary approach focused on general support. Every recent award in the data is labeled general support, and the trust is not shown making program-related investments or grants to individuals. Its giving appears targeted rather than highly fragmented, with eight grants in the latest year.
$271K
$20.8M
$35.2M
$488K
Most grants fall between $9K and $18K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$18K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in FL.
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Notable grantees: Wake Forest University, University of Florida Foundation, Inc., OnePurse, Inc.
Although the trust is headquartered in New York, none of its recent grants went to recipients in New York; 0% of grants were to the HQ state. Its giving is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. The strongest concentration is in Oklahoma, which is the top state by grant count. Florida also appears multiple times, including recipients in Orlando and Gainesville. Other recipient cities in the recent list include Winston Salem, Laguna Beach, and Portland, showing a spread across several states rather than a single local footprint.
Recent grants show a mix of higher education, community nonprofits, and mission-driven service organizations. University-affiliated recipients include Wake Forest University and University of Florida Foundation Inc, while other awards went to One Purse Inc, Jobs Partnership of Florida Inc, Folds of Honor Foundation, Duchenne Without Borders, and Mission Increase.
The trust’s grant-size distribution is centered in the five-figure range. The 25th percentile is $9,375, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $18,125, with one larger outlier at $50,000 in the recent list.
Yes. Every recent grant in the data is labeled general support, including awards to universities and nonprofits. That pattern suggests the trust often uses flexible funding rather than project-restricted grants.
By grant count, Oklahoma is the top state in the recent data. The recipient list also includes organizations in Florida, North Carolina, California, and Oregon, showing a national footprint rather than a single-state focus.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY | WINSTON SALEM, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VICTORY CUP INITIATIVE | WINTER PARK, FL | $45,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONE PURSE INC | ORLANDO, FL | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION INC | GAINESVILLE, FL | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANNIKA FOUNDATION | FRAMINGHAM, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE SACRED AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVE | OVIEDO, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOLDS OF HONOR | OWASSO, OK | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WOMEN DOING WELL INITIATIVES INC | CHATTANOOGA, TN | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANNIKA FOUNDATION | FRAMINGHAM, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOUNDATION TO ERADICATE DUCHENNE INC | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $7,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE RUSSELL HOME | ORLANDO, FL | $7,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CHILDREN'S HOME SOCIETY OF FLORIDA | ORLANDO, FL | $6,593 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ANNIKA FOUNDATION | FRAMINGHAM, MA | $5,025 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VICTORY CUP INITIATIVE | WINTER PARK, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIVE FOR TODAY FOUNDATION INC | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIVE FOR TODAY FOUNDATION INC | JACKSONVILLE, FL | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY | WINSTON SALEM, NC | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FOUNDATION INC | GAINESVILLE, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ONE PURSE INC | ORLANDO, FL | $17,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JOBS PARTNERSHIP OF FLORIDA INC | ORLANDO, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION | OWASSO, OK | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CAMPUS CRUSADES FOR CHRIST | ORLANDO, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DUCHENNE WITHOUT BORDERS | LAGUNA BEACH, CA | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MISSION INCREASE | PORTLAND, OR | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
ANNIKA FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE SACRED AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVE
GENERAL SUPPORT
FOLDS OF HONOR
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
WOMEN DOING WELL INITIATIVES INC
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ANNIKA FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOUNDATION TO ERADICATE DUCHENNE INC
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT
THE RUSSELL HOME
$7,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ANNIKA FOUNDATION
$5,025GENERAL SUPPORT
LIVE FOR TODAY FOUNDATION INC
$2,500GENERAL SUPPORT
LIVE FOR TODAY FOUNDATION INC
$2,000GENERAL SUPPORT
FOLDS OF HONOR FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CAMPUS CRUSADES FOR CHRIST
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DUCHENNE WITHOUT BORDERS
$7,500GENERAL SUPPORT