· Private foundation
Spears Charitable Trust
Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.
Where the money goes
Grants by size, and the largest recipients.
By grant size · FY2025
- Under $10k4 grants · $17k
- $10k–50k8 grants · $138k
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| GENERATION NEXT | $40,000 |
| TEXAS BAPTIST MISSIONS FOUNDATION | $20,000 |
| BAYLOR UNIVERSITY | $20,000 |
| PRE-BORN | $18,000 |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | $10,000 |
| FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH | $10,000 |
| REDEEMER CHURCH | $10,000 |
| OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY | $10,000 |
| MURPHY MINISTRIES | $5,000 |
| WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY | $5,000 |
| BAPTIST UNIVERSITY OF THE AMERICAS | $5,000 |
| PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT WORLDWIDE | $2,000 |
Does the money reach high-need areas?
Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.
Its human-services grants (FY19–25, $127k) land where the poverty rate runs at 16%, against an area that typically sits at 12%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.
How this is measured
Which US states its grants reach
How this is measured
Who it funds again
Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.
Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +25% since the first grant, against +22% for those funded once.
27 repeat relationships: 12 still active in FY2025, 15 since wound down.
How the two cohorts compare
Organizations
Total granted
Median revenue growth · since first grant
Still filing today
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
How this is measured
Backed again, and grew
- MPMission Pre-Born Inc6× · 2020–2025 · $125k · revenue +244%
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY9× · 2017–2025 · $91k · revenue +57%- OBOKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY9× · 2017–2025 · $80k · revenue +1%
Funded once
- AFAMERICAN FAMILY RADIOone grant, 2021 · $12k
- VAVCY AMERICA INCone grant, 2021 · $12k
- IFINTN'L FWSHP OF CHRISTIANS & JEWSone grant, 2024 · $10k
How this is measured
Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.
Closest unfunded matches
The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.
East texas baptist university (etbu) was founded in 1912 as a fully accredited institution of higher education. affiliated with the baptist general convention of texas, etbu educates students by integrating biblical faith and learning to…
John brown university (jbu) provides christ-centered education that prepares students to honor god and serve others by developing their intellectual, spiritual, and professional lives. (continued on schedule o)jbu serves traditional…
Faith's purpose is to mentor students for spirit-filled leadership in ministry, in light of the great commission. while academics are important, the classrooms are not the only learning place. through a combination of formal instruction,…
Moody Bible Institute is a higher education and media ministry that exists to equip people with the truth of God's word to be maturing followers of Christ who are making disciples around the world. Moody is best known for its education…
The university of mary hardin-baylor prepares students for leadership, service, and faith-informed discrenment in a global society. academic excellence, personal attention, broad-based scholarship and a commitment to a baptist vision for…
Gcu serves the global church by educating mission leaders to fulfill the great commission of jesus christ. gcu accomplishes this mission through a comprehensive program of biblical and general education, christ-centered service and…
See schedule o. founded in 1902, university of northwestern - st. paul is a nondenominational christian university that integrates the educational philosophy of "faith, learning and living" through two focuses: higher education and media.…
Asbury Theological Seminary is a community called to prepare theologically educated, sanctified, Spirit-filled men and women to evangelize and to spread scriptural holiness throughout the world through the love of Jesus Christ, in the…
North America Bible Institute (NABI) is an evangelical graduate school, made up of students who are diverse in both ethnicity and ministry aims -- but united in great love for Jesus and his gospel. As a graduate school, NABI offers them…
As an institution of higher education committed to the reformed christian perspective, dordt university equips students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary…
Evangel is a comprehensive christian university that is committed to excellence in educating and equipping students to become spirit empowered servants of god who will impact the church and society globally.
The university statement of values consists of christian heritage, baptist heritage, academic excellence, liberal arts, teamwork, a student-centered focus, community engagement and diversity.
How this is measured
14 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.
Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.
How this is measured
Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 14 of the 34 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.
Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.
Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee
Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding
A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.
- Who funds Mission Pre-Born Inc ↗
- Who funds BAYLOR UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds WAYLAND BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds SAMARITAN'S PURSE ↗
- Who funds VCY AMERICA INC ↗
- Who funds DALLAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds PARTNERS IN DEVELOPMENT WORLDWIDE ↗
- Who funds PEO Foundation ↗
- Who funds RUSS MURPHY MINISTRIES INC ↗
- Who funds SOUTH PLAINS FOOD BANK INC ↗
- Who funds American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches ↗
- Who funds THE GILBERT HERRERA EVANGELISTIC ASSOCIATION ↗
- Who funds THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION ↗
Co-funders
Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.
Open a dossier: Jpmorgan Chase Foundation · Natl Christian Charitable Fdn Inc · Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile Foundation
How this is measured
How much its grantees rely on government
Each dot is one organization Spears Charitable Trust funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Spears Charitable Trust. Bigger dots raise more.
How this is measured
Play a game based on Spears’ filings →