Trott Family Philanthropies appears to make concentrated, large-dollar gifts focused on environmental conservation and targeted educational scholarships. In the most recent giving year they made two substantial grants: a major gift to a global conservation NGO as part of a spend-down initiative, and a seven-figure scholarship commitment supporting RootEd scholarships in the St. Louis area. The pattern suggests strategic, high-impact grants rather than many small donations.
Trott Family Philanthropies Inc has built a pattern of large, purpose-specific grants that mix conservation, scholarships, and named institutional commitments. The largest recent award in the data is a $2,000,000 spend-down grant to Conservation International for "Spend Down Fund 2.0," which signals a deliberate closeout-style commitment rather than routine annual giving. Education is another major thread: the foundation made a seven-figure gift to the Scholarship Foundation of St Louis for RootEd Scholarship, followed by another large grant for Eighty Three Rooted Scholarships. It also backed the University of Chicago with multiple gifts tied to rural leadership and business pathways, including the Trott Emerging Rural Leaders Program and Trott Careers in Business Program. Beyond those areas, the foundation has supported named chairs, sports facilities, museum exhibits, and pediatric care, suggesting a portfolio of targeted investments rather than a single-mode grantmaking approach. The recurring use of named programs and endowed commitments points to long-horizon support for specific institutions and initiatives.
Scholarship support is one of the clearest themes in the recent record. In 2025, the foundation gave $1,094,626 to the Scholarship Foundation of St Louis for RootEd Scholarship, and in 2024 it added $980,912 for Eighty Three Rooted Scholarships. At the University of Chicago, the Trott Emerging Rural Leaders Program received $833,333 in both 2023 and 2024, showing continued support for rural leadership development. The same university also received $700,000 in 2023 and $700,000 in 2024 for the Trott Careers in Business Program, plus another $700,000 in 2025 for Careers in Business and Trott Emerging Business Leaders. The foundation also funded facilities and institutional programs, including $1,000,000 to Ohio State University for the Schumaker Sports Center and $500,000 to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab for the David W. Trott Clinical Chair, Brain Innovation Center.
Typical grants cluster at the upper end of the range, with a p25 of $50,000 and both the median and p75 at $200,000. The recent record shows repeated support for several recipients across multiple years, including the University of Chicago, Horatio Alger Association, SAFE Project US, Ohio State University, and Scholarship Foundation of St Louis. That pattern suggests a mix of continuing commitments and one-off larger gifts. The foundation is a private family philanthropy and makes grants nationally. It also funds individuals, which is consistent with scholarship-oriented giving in the grant list.
$17.4M
$98.1M
$35.2M
$18.3M
Most grants fall between $50K and $200K, with a median of $200K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$200K
75th Percentile
$200K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Trott Family Philanthropies.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 191 | $43.7M | 99.5% |
| 2 | Canada |
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Very concentrated giving: a small number of large, one-off or limited-cycle gifts (including spend-down funding), split between global conservation and regional scholarship programs rather than broad diversified grantmaking.
Notable grantees: Conservation International, Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis (RootEd Scholarship)
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with 191 grants there and 1 in Canada. Illinois recipients account for 27% of grants, and the foundation’s Chicago presence appears alongside multiple Chicago-area awards, including the University of Chicago and Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Other repeated recipient locations include St Louis, Columbus, Arlington, and Alexandria. The list also reaches New Orleans, New York, Houston, Washington, and Valhalla, showing national spread rather than a narrow regional footprint.
The recent grants show support for conservation organizations, scholarship intermediaries, universities, healthcare institutions, and public-interest groups. Examples include Conservation International for a spend-down fund, the Scholarship Foundation of St Louis for RootEd Scholarship, and the University of Chicago for rural leadership and business programs.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the University of Chicago, Horatio Alger Association, SAFE Project US, Ohio State University, and Scholarship Foundation of St Louis. Some of those grants were tied to the same named initiative across years, such as the Trott Emerging Rural Leaders Program and Trott Careers in Business Program.
The grant-size data shows a p25 of $50,000 and both the median and p75 at $200,000. The recent list also includes much larger commitments, including multiple $500,000 and $1,000,000 awards, as well as a $2,000,000 spend-down grant.
The foundation gives nationally, but Illinois is the top state by grant count at 27% of grants. The recipient country distribution is almost entirely U.S.-based, with 191 grants in the United States and 1 in Canada.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 1 |
| $200K |
0.5% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scholarship Foundation of St Louis | St Louis, MO | $1,094,626 | 2025 | RootEd Scholarship |
| National World War II Museum Inc | New Orleans, LA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | David W. Trott Liberation Pavilion |
| Ohio State University Foundation | Columbus, OH | $1,000,000 | 2025 | For the Schumaker Sports Center |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $700,000 | 2025 | Careers in Business |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $700,000 | 2025 | Trott Emerging Business Leaders |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $500,000 | 2025 | To Support The Tina Trott Chair in Integrative Hea |
| Stand Together Foundation | Arlington, VA | $500,000 | 2025 | The Phoenix and CarePortal |
| The University of Texas MD Anderson Cance | Houston, TX | $500,000 | 2025 | To support the children's oncology treatment and r |
| American Overseas Memorial Day Foundation | Valhalla, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | Battle of the Bulge Digital Exhibit, Bastogne |
| Horatio Alger Association of Distinguishe | Alexandria, VA | $400,000 | 2025 | Endowment (2021) |
| Shirley Ryan AbilityLab | Chicago, IL | $400,000 | 2025 | David W. Trott Clinical Chair, Brain Innovation Ce |
| Washington University | St Louis, MO | $300,000 | 2025 | Stars Pilot Virtual Counselor Program |
| University of Texas at Austin (Foundation | Austin, TX | $300,000 | 2025 | Stars Pilot Virtual Counselor Program |
| Horatio Alger Association of Distinguishe | Alexandria, VA | $275,000 | 2025 | Awards Sponsorship |
| UNICEF USA | New York, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | Plastic Bricks-WASH Stations, Cote d'Ivoire |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $250,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted Naming Gifts - Paris Center |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $233,334 | 2025 | Emerging Rural Leaders Program |
| Ohio State University Foundation | Columbus, OH | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Auburn University | Auburn, AL | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Maryland | College Park, MD | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Brown University | Providence, RI | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Texas at Austin (Foundation | Austin, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of South Carolina Educational | Columbia, SC | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Colby College | Waterville, ME | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars Pilot Virtual Counselor Program |
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| David Foster Foundation | Victoria, BC | $200,000 | 2025 | Unrestricted Charitable Gift |
| University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Spelman College | Atlanta, GA | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas, TX | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars Operations |
| University of Iowa | IOWA CITY, IA | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | Madison, WI | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Washington University | St Louis, MO | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| UNICEF USA | New York, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | Experiential Tour |
| Amherst College | Amherst, MA | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Notre Dame Du Lac | Notre Dame, IN | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Denver | Denver, CO | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
| University of Arkansas Foundation | Fayetteville, AR | $200,000 | 2025 | Stars College Network Program |
National World War II Museum Inc
$1,000,000David W. Trott Liberation Pavilion
Ohio State University Foundation
$1,000,000For the Schumaker Sports Center
University of Chicago
$700,000Trott Emerging Business Leaders
To Support The Tina Trott Chair in Integrative Hea
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cance
$500,000To support the children's oncology treatment and r
American Overseas Memorial Day Foundation
$500,000Battle of the Bulge Digital Exhibit, Bastogne
Horatio Alger Association of Distinguishe
$400,000Endowment (2021)
University of Texas at Austin (Foundation
$300,000Stars Pilot Virtual Counselor Program
Horatio Alger Association of Distinguishe
$275,000Awards Sponsorship
UNICEF USA
$250,000Plastic Bricks-WASH Stations, Cote d'Ivoire
Ohio State University Foundation
$200,000Stars College Network Program
Auburn University
$200,000Stars College Network Program
Columbia University
$200,000Stars College Network Program
Brown University
$200,000Stars College Network Program
University of Texas at Austin (Foundation
$200,000Stars College Network Program
University of Chicago
$200,000Stars College Network Program
Stanford University
$200,000Stars College Network Program
David Foster Foundation
$200,000Unrestricted Charitable Gift
University of Alabama
$200,000Stars College Network Program
Case Western Reserve University
$200,000Stars College Network Program
University of Iowa
$200,000Stars College Network Program
University of Wisconsin-Madison
$200,000Stars College Network Program
Yale University
$200,000Stars College Network Program
University of Arizona
$200,000Stars College Network Program
UNICEF USA
$200,000Experiential Tour
Amherst College
$200,000Stars College Network Program
Dartmouth College
$200,000Stars College Network Program
University of Notre Dame Du Lac
$200,000Stars College Network Program