The Robert Bigelow Jr Charitable Trust concentrates almost exclusively on Lutheran religious institutions, providing unrestricted/operational support to congregations, denominational bodies, and a Lutheran university. Grants are directed at sustaining institutional capacity rather than program-specific projects, indicating a preference for core support to trusted faith-based partners. Funding appears focused and mission-aligned rather than geographically broad or issue-diverse.
Concentrated, repeat giving to a small set of Lutheran organizations; mid-sized, unrestricted/operational grants rather than many small or highly diversified awards.
Robert Bigelow Jr Charitable Trust gives almost entirely through operational support to Lutheran institutions, with recent awards going to denominational organizations, a Lutheran university, and local congregations. In the latest grants listed, the largest award was $34,118 to the International Lutheran Laymen's Leag in St. Louis for operational support, followed by $32,728 and $29,997 to The Lutheran University Assoc Valpo / Valparaiso University for operational activities. That pattern points to a funder that favors core institutional capacity over short-term projects. The trust’s grant history also includes support for The Lutheran Church-missouri Synod and Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, showing a mix of national Lutheran bodies and local parish-level recipients. Across the recent grants, the trust appears to prioritize organizations that sustain Lutheran education, church life, and ministry infrastructure. Its giving is focused rather than broad, with a limited set of recurring partners appearing across multiple years. The foundation’s profile is defined less by issue diversity than by steady support for Lutheran organizational operations and affiliated educational work.
One clear theme is support for Lutheran denominational work. The trust gave $28,843 in 2024 to The Lutheran Church-missouri Synod for operational support, and $21,936 in 2023 for the same purpose, indicating repeated backing for the central structures of that denomination. A second area is Lutheran higher education. It awarded $32,728 in 2023 and $29,997 in 2024 to The Lutheran University Assoc Valpo / Valparaiso University for operational activities, suggesting ongoing support for the university’s institutional functions. The trust also funds local congregational life. Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge, Tennessee received $20,093 in 2023 and $10,549 in 2024, both for operational support. In the communications and outreach space, the International Lutheran Laymen's Leag in St. Louis received $34,118 in 2024 and $26,592 in 2023 for operational support.
Typical grants fall in a fairly tight band: p25 is $21,475, median is $27,718, and p75 is $30,680. The recent record shows repeat awards to the same recipients across 2023 and 2024, which suggests continuing relationships rather than one-off gifts. Grants are made as operational support or operational activities, with no indication of program-related investments and no individual giving. The pattern is best described as a small, recurring set of institutional grants rather than a broad competitive program.
$205K
$1.5M
$34K
$129K
Most grants fall between $21K and $31K, with a median of $28K.
25th Percentile
$21K
Median
$28K
75th Percentile
$31K
About 25% of grants go to recipients in MO.
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Notable grantees: Valparaiso University (The Lutheran University Association), International Lutheran Laymen's League (Lutheran Hour Ministries), The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church
The trust’s giving is regional and entirely domestic in the recent grants listed, with all 8 grants going to U.S. recipients. Missouri is the top state by grant count, driven by multiple awards in St. Louis. Indiana also appears through repeated support for Valparaiso University in Valparaiso. Tennessee recipients include Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oak Ridge. The trust’s HQ is in Knoxville, but most grants land outside the headquarters state.
It funds Lutheran institutions, especially through operational support and operational activities. Recent grants went to a Lutheran denomination, a Lutheran university, a laymen’s league, and a local Lutheran church, showing a strong preference for sustaining existing organizational capacity.
Its grants cluster in the high twenty-thousand-dollar range. The reported typical grant size is p25 $21,475, median $27,718, and p75 $30,680.
Yes. The same recipients appear across multiple years, including The Lutheran Church-missouri Synod, Valparaiso University, Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the International Lutheran Laymen's Leag. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
Missouri is the top state by grant count. Recent awards include multiple grants to organizations in St. Louis, while additional recipients in the record are in Valparaiso, Indiana and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
No. The profile shows funds individuals as false and makes program-related investments as false, so the giving is focused on grants to organizations rather than direct aid to people or PRI activity.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| INTERNATIONAL LUTHERAN LAYMEN'S LEAG | ST LOUIS, MO | $34,118 | 2024 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| THE LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY ASSOC VALPO VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY | VALPARAISO, IN | $29,997 | 2024 | OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES |
| THE LUTHERAN CHURCH-MISSOURI SYNOD | ST LOUIS, MO | $28,843 | 2024 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| FAITH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH | OAK RIDGE, TN | $10,549 | 2024 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| THE LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY ASSOC VALPO VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY | VALPARAISO, IN | $32,728 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES |
| INTERNATIONAL LUTHERAN LAYMEN'S LEAG | ST LOUIS, MO | $26,592 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| THE LUTHERAN CHURCH-MISSOURI SYNOD | ST LOUIS, MO | $21,936 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
| FAITH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH | OAK RIDGE, TN | $20,093 | 2023 | OPERATIONAL SUPPORT |
INTERNATIONAL LUTHERAN LAYMEN'S LEAG
$34,118OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
THE LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY ASSOC VALPO VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY
$29,997OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH-MISSOURI SYNOD
$28,843OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
FAITH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
$10,549OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
THE LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY ASSOC VALPO VALPARAISO UNIVERSITY
$32,728OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
INTERNATIONAL LUTHERAN LAYMEN'S LEAG
$26,592OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
THE LUTHERAN CHURCH-MISSOURI SYNOD
$21,936OPERATIONAL SUPPORT
FAITH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
$20,093OPERATIONAL SUPPORT