The Sam B Cook Foundation concentrates its giving into a very small number of large grants, with a clear local emphasis on K–12 public education in Jefferson City, MO. Two substantial gifts went to the Jefferson City Public School Foundation (operational/program support for local public schools), while the largest recipient was Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, indicating use of donor-advised or pass-through philanthropy. Overall the foundation appears focused, locally oriented, and donor-directed rather than broadly diversified across causes.
Highly concentrated: very few, large grants; repeated funding to the same local school foundation and to a donor-advised/pass-through fund rather than many small or geographically dispersed awards.
The Sam B Cook Foundation’s recent grant history is dominated by a repeated local commitment to Jefferson City institutions, especially K–12 public education and community support organizations. The largest grants in the record went through Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, including $370,000 in 2025 and $300,000 in 2024, alongside a $310,000 grant in 2023 to Jefferson City Public School Foundation and a $90,000 grant in 2024 to the same school-support organization. That pattern points to a foundation that uses a small number of large awards and often channels support through a pass-through vehicle. Beyond those headline gifts, the foundation also shows a steady multi-year relationship with local civic and educational nonprofits in Jefferson City, such as Lincoln University, United Way of Central Missouri, the State Historical Society of Missouri, and Transformational Housing. Its grantmaking also reaches into medical research through Mayo Clinic and into higher education through Southern Methodist University. The overall picture is of a regional funder with a concentrated giving pattern, substantial annual grantmaking, and recurring support for institutions tied to Jefferson City and nearby Missouri communities.
A clear education thread runs through the foundation’s giving. Jefferson City Public School Foundation received $310,000 in 2023 and $90,000 in 2024 for general support, while Lincoln University received $25,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also supports community and civic organizations. United Way of Central Missouri received $15,000 in 2024 and 2025, and $10,000 in 2023, showing a repeated pattern of general support for local community infrastructure. Another visible area is cultural and public-interest support in Jefferson City. The State Historical Society of Missouri received $10,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Transformational Housing received $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024, followed by another $10,000 in 2025. Medical research appears as a separate line of giving through Mayo Clinic, which received $10,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The foundation’s recent grant sizes cluster tightly around modest awards: p25 is $10,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. That said, the record also includes a much larger set of grants routed through Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, which stands apart from the otherwise compact middle of the distribution. Multiple recipients appear across several years, including 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time support. The grant list also includes an expenditure responsibility grant for public improvements. The foundation does not fund individuals and is not described as using program-related investments.
$1.4M
$14.2M
$2.5M
$620K
Most grants fall between $10K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 76% of grants go to recipients in MO.
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Notable grantees: Jefferson City Public School Foundation, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, Jefferson City public schools (via the local foundation)
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, with all 35 grants going to U.S. organizations. Missouri is the main state of support, accounting for 76% of grants and anchoring recipients in Jefferson City and Columbia. Jefferson City appears repeatedly through Jefferson City Public School Foundation, Lincoln University, United Way of Central Missouri, Transformational Housing, State Historical Society of Missouri, Rivercity Habitat, and Riverview Cemetery. Outside Missouri, recipient cities include Cincinnati, Rochester, and Dallas.
The foundation’s middle range is tightly grouped: p25 is $10,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $15,000. The recent record also includes much larger awards, including $370,000 and $300,000 through Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund.
The recent grants go to nonprofit organizations, a medical research institution, and public-improvement recipients. Examples in the data include a school foundation, a university, a community nonprofit, a medical clinic/research institution, and a public-improvements grant for a cemetery.
Yes. Missouri is the top state by grant count, and 76% of grants go to recipients in MO. Jefferson City and Columbia account for much of the activity, with additional awards going to organizations in other U.S. cities such as Cincinnati, Rochester, and Dallas.
Yes. Several recipients appear in 2023, 2024, and 2025, including Lincoln University, United Way of Central Missouri, the State Historical Society of Missouri, Transformational Housing, Mayo Clinic, and Southern Methodist University. That pattern indicates repeated support rather than isolated one-off grants.
Education is prominent through Jefferson City Public School Foundation and Lincoln University. The record also includes community support via United Way of Central Missouri, cultural/public-interest funding through the State Historical Society of Missouri, housing through Transformational Housing, and medical research through Mayo Clinic.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund | Cincinatti, OH | $370,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Lincoln University | Jefferson City, MO | $25,000 | 2025 | General support |
| United Way of Central MO | Jefferson City, MO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| University of Missouri | Columbia, MO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Southern Methodist Univ | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| State Historical Society of Missour | Jefferson City, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Transformational Housing | Jefferson City, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $10,000 | 2025 | Medical Research |
| Washington and Lee Univ | Lexington, VA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Rivercity Habitat | Jefferson City, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Baptist Health Foundation | Columbia, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| First Christian Church | Columbia, MO | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Prager University Fnd | Sherman Oaks, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund | Cincinatti, OH | $300,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Jefferson City Public School Founda | Jefferson City, MO | $90,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Lincoln University | Jefferson City, MO | $25,000 | 2024 | General support |
| University of Missouri | Columbia, MO | $15,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| United Way of Central MO | Jefferson City, MO | $15,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Transformational Housing | Jefferson City, MO | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Southern Methodist Univ | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| State Historical Society of Missour | Jefferson City, MO | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $10,000 | 2024 | Medical Research |
| Riverview Cemetery | Jefferson City, MO | $5,500 | 2024 | Expenditure Responsibility GrantPublic improvements |
| Baptist Health Foundation | Columbia, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| First Christian Church | Columbia, MO | $5,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Jefferson City Public School Founda | Jefferson City, MO | $310,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Lincoln University | Jefferson City, MO | $25,000 | 2023 | General support |
| Transformational Housing | Jefferson City, MO | $10,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| United Way of Central MO | Jefferson City, MO | $10,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $10,000 | 2023 | Medical Research |
| Southern Methodist Univ | Dallas, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| State Historical Society of Missour | Jefferson City, MO | $10,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Baptist Health Foundation | Columbia, MO | $5,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| First Christian Church | Columbia, MO | $5,000 | 2023 | General Support |
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
$370,000General Support
Lincoln University
$25,000General support
United Way of Central MO
$15,000General Support
University of Missouri
$15,000General Support
Southern Methodist Univ
$10,000General Support
State Historical Society of Missour
$10,000General Support
Transformational Housing
$10,000General Support
Mayo Clinic
$10,000Medical Research
Washington and Lee Univ
$5,000General Support
Rivercity Habitat
$5,000General Support
Baptist Health Foundation
$5,000General Support
First Christian Church
$5,000General Support
Prager University Fnd
$5,000General Support
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
$300,000General Support
Jefferson City Public School Founda
$90,000General Support
Lincoln University
$25,000General support
University of Missouri
$15,000General Support
United Way of Central MO
$15,000General Support
Transformational Housing
$10,000General Support
Southern Methodist Univ
$10,000General Support
State Historical Society of Missour
$10,000General Support
Mayo Clinic
$10,000Medical Research
Riverview Cemetery
$5,500Expenditure Responsibility GrantPublic improvements
Baptist Health Foundation
$5,000General Support
First Christian Church
$5,000General Support
Jefferson City Public School Founda
$310,000General Support
Lincoln University
$25,000General support
Transformational Housing
$10,000General Support
United Way of Central MO
$10,000General Support
Mayo Clinic
$10,000Medical Research
Southern Methodist Univ
$10,000General Support
State Historical Society of Missour
$10,000General Support
Baptist Health Foundation
$5,000General Support
First Christian Church
$5,000General Support