The Vera Z Dwyer Charitable Trust concentrates its philanthropy in St. Joseph County, Indiana, funding a small number of relatively large, high-impact grants. Its support centers on local health care/hospice, K–12 and higher education, youth services, and affordable housing, suggesting a focus on sustaining core community institutions and services. Grants appear to be strategic rather than exploratory — sizable one-off or capital-style gifts to established organizations with clear community benefit.
Vera Z Dwyer Charitable Trust Uad 121920 makes some of its largest recent gifts to a small set of St. Joseph County institutions, led by a $1,150,000 grant to Hospice Foundation in Mishawaka and a $1,025,000 grant to Indiana University Foundation in Bloomington. Those awards point to a trust that supports core community needs through substantial, targeted gifts rather than broad, scattered giving. The grant list shows a clear preference for established organizations serving local health care, education, youth services, and housing. In 2023 and 2024, the trust gave $150,000 to Habitat for Humanity of St Joseph County and $150,000 to Youth Service Bureau St Joseph County, along with repeated support for A Rosie Place for Children, Ronald Mcdonald House South Bend Memorial Hospital, and Boys & Girls Clubs of St Joseph County. Its giving profile is place-based and concentrated in Indiana, with recipients located in Mishawaka, South Bend, Bloomington, Goshen, and Michigan City. The pattern is consistent with a trust that backs a small number of community institutions with grants large enough to support operations, facilities, or program continuity.
Health care and hospice are central to the trust’s recent grantmaking. Alongside the $1,150,000 gift to Hospice Foundation in Mishawaka, it also gave $10,000 to the same organization in 2024, indicating continued support for end-of-life care services in the local area. Education appears in two forms. The trust gave $1,025,000 to Indiana University Foundation in 2024 and $13,500 to the same grantee in 2023, while also supporting youth-serving education-adjacent organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of St Joseph County with gifts of $15,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Housing and family stability are another theme. In 2023, it gave $150,000 to Habitat for Humanity of St Joseph County, and in 2024 it followed with another $10,000 grant to the same organization. The trust also supported A Rosie Place for Children and Ronald Mcdonald House South Bend Memorial Hospital, both based in South Bend.
Typical grants are relatively large: the 25th percentile is $15,000, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $83,334. The recent record includes both very large gifts and repeated mid-sized grants, suggesting a mix of capital-style support and ongoing institutional funding. Several grantees appear in multiple years, including Hospice Foundation, Indiana University Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of St Joseph County, A Rosie Place for Children, Ronald Mcdonald House South Bend Memorial Hospital, and Boys & Girls Clubs of St Joseph County. That repeat pattern points to recurring support for established local organizations rather than one-time exploratory funding. The trust does not fund individuals and is not listed as making program-related investments.
$2.6M
$4.8M
$1.3M
$2.7M
Most grants fall between $15K and $83K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$83K
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Concentrated giving: very few, large grants concentrated locally; favors established institutions and direct-service nonprofits over many small awards.
Notable grantees: Hospice Foundation, Indiana University Foundation, Youth Service Bureau of St. Joseph County, Habitat for Humanity of St. Joseph County
The trust’s giving is entirely in the United States, and every recent grant goes to Indiana recipients. Most grantees are in South Bend, including Youth Service Bureau St Joseph County, A Rosie Place for Children, St Margaret's House, Riverbend Cancer Services, Ronald Mcdonald House South Bend Memorial Hospital, and Boys & Girls Clubs of St Joseph County. Other recipient cities include Mishawaka for Hospice Foundation, Bloomington for Indiana University Foundation, Goshen for Oaklawn Foundation, and Michigan City for Unity Foundation of Laporte County.
It supports established local institutions in health care and hospice, education, youth services, and housing. Recent grants include Hospice Foundation, Indiana University Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of St Joseph County, Youth Service Bureau St Joseph County, and Boys & Girls Clubs of St Joseph County.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Hospice Foundation, Indiana University Foundation, Habitat for Humanity of St Joseph County, A Rosie Place for Children, Ronald Mcdonald House South Bend Memorial Hospital, and Boys & Girls Clubs of St Joseph County.
The grant-size distribution is fairly substantial: the 25th percentile is $15,000, the median is $50,000, and the 75th percentile is $83,334. The recent record also includes much larger gifts, including $1,150,000 and $1,025,000.
All recent grants go to Indiana recipients, with 100% of grants in the state. South Bend appears most often among recipient cities, followed by Mishawaka, Bloomington, Goshen, and Michigan City.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $1,000,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| A ROSIE PLACE FOR CHILDREN | SOUTH BEND, IN | $550,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| OAKLAWN FOUNDATION | GOSHEN, IN | $176,666 | 2026 | GIFT |
| CULTIVATE FOOD RESCUE | SOUTH BEND, IN | $167,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| HOPE MINISTRIES | SOUTH BEND, IN | $150,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| DUSTINS PLACE | PLYMOUTH, IN | $150,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| LOGAN | SOUTH BEND, IN | $125,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| HOSPICE FOUNDATION | MISHAWAKA, IN | $122,543 | 2026 | GIFT |
| UNITY FOUNDATION OF LAPORTE COUNTY | MICHIGAN CITY, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| LoveWay Inc | Middlebury, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SOUTH BEND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | SOUTH BEND, IN | $13,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| FOREVER LEARNING INSTITUTE | SOUTH BEND, IN | $10,000 | 2026 | GIFT |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $2,000,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| CULTIVATE FOOD RESCUE | SOUTH BEND, IN | $197,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| YOUTH SERVICE BUREAU ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $150,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| HOSPICE FOUNDATION | MISHAWAKA, IN | $132,543 | 2025 | GIFT |
| A ROSIE PLACE FOR CHILDREN | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| HOPE MINISTRIES | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| ST MARGARET'S HOUSE | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| DUSTINS PLACE | PLYMOUTH, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| FOREVER LEARNING INSTITUTE | SOUTH BEND, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| LIFE HAS NO BOUNDARIES CO | LAFAYETTE, IN | $5,000 | 2025 | GIFT |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $1,025,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| YOUTH SERVICE BUREAU ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $150,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| OAKLAWN FOUNDATION | GOSHEN, IN | $83,334 | 2024 | GIFT |
| A ROSIE PLACE FOR CHILDREN | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| ST MARGARET'S HOUSE | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SOUTH BEND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | SOUTH BEND, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $15,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| HOSPICE FOUNDATION | MISHAWAKA, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | GIFT |
| HOSPICE FOUNDATION | MISHAWAKA, IN | $1,150,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $150,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| UNITY FOUNDATION OF LAPORTE COUNTY | MICHIGAN CITY, IN | $50,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| A ROSIE PLACE FOR CHILDREN | SOUTH BEND, IN | $50,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| RIVERBEND CANCER SERVICES | SOUTH BEND, IN | $35,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY | SOUTH BEND, IN | $15,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | BLOOMINTON, IN | $13,500 | 2023 | GIFT |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SOUTH BEND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL | SOUTH BEND, IN | $10,000 | 2023 | GIFT |
OAKLAWN FOUNDATION
$176,666GIFT
HOPE MINISTRIES
$150,000GIFT
DUSTINS PLACE
$150,000GIFT
LOGAN
$125,000GIFT
HOSPICE FOUNDATION
$122,543GIFT
UNITY FOUNDATION OF LAPORTE COUNTY
$50,000GIFT
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY
$50,000GIFT
LoveWay Inc
$20,000GENERAL PURPOSE
FOREVER LEARNING INSTITUTE
$10,000GIFT
HOSPICE FOUNDATION
$132,543GIFT
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY
$50,000GIFT
HOPE MINISTRIES
$50,000GIFT
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY
$50,000GIFT
DUSTINS PLACE
$10,000GIFT
FOREVER LEARNING INSTITUTE
$10,000GIFT
LIFE HAS NO BOUNDARIES CO
$5,000GIFT
OAKLAWN FOUNDATION
$83,334GIFT
A ROSIE PLACE FOR CHILDREN
$50,000GIFT
HOSPICE FOUNDATION
$10,000GIFT
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY
$10,000GIFT
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF ST JOSEPH COUNTY
$150,000GIFT
UNITY FOUNDATION OF LAPORTE COUNTY
$50,000GIFT
RIVERBEND CANCER SERVICES
$35,000GIFT
RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE SOUTH BEND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
$10,000GIFT