Georgetown Trust

Georgetown Trust is a micro-scale private foundation (EIN 74-3204748) based at 3331 Reservoir Rd NW in Washington, DC's Georgetown neighborhood. The foundation operates under the stewardship of Stephanie E. Bothwell and was established in April 2007. With total assets of approximately $44,454 and annual income of around $11,350 (primarily from dividends on corporate stock holdings), this is an extremely small family trust that makes only a handful of charitable grants each year. The foundation code classification is 4 (private non-operating foundation), and it files Form 990-PF annually. Its NTEE code B82 suggests a focus on educational support services. Given the micro-scale nature of this foundation, prospective grantees should understand that Georgetown Trust does not maintain a public website for grant applications, and all giving is likely directed personally by the trustee to pre-selected causes. Cold outreach is unlikely to be productive. Organizations in the Georgetown/DC area that have existing relationships with the Bothwell family or connections to the Georgetown University community may have the best prospects for receiving consideration.

Georgetown Trust's funding patterns reflect its status as a small family private foundation. Annual grant distributions have ranged from approximately $1,305 to $2,210 over the years tracked. The foundation holds the vast majority of its assets in corporate stock (approximately $46,088 in 2023), generating dividends and occasional capital gains. Net investment income for 2023 was $1,162 on which a 1.39% federal excise tax was paid. The minimum distribution requirement (5% of net assets) is approximately $2,200-$2,400 annually. Historically the foundation has made between three and nine charitable grants per year according to its 990-PF filings. Given the small asset base, individual grant awards almost certainly range from $100 to $1,000 per grant, with possibly one somewhat larger grant of $500-$2,500 to a favored organization. The foundation gives exclusively to IRS-recognized public charities and shows no pattern of multi-year commitments or capacity-building grants.

Georgetown Trust sits at the extreme low end of the private foundation size spectrum in Washington, DC. The following table compares it to similar small DC-area private foundations:

Georgetown Trust's giving capacity places it below even the threshold where most grant-seeking nonprofits would devote significant pursuit resources. Its peer group consists of small family foundations with assets under $100,000 that typically give to organizations with personal ties to the founding family. Unlike larger peer foundations in the DC area such as the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation or the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation, Georgetown Trust has no public grant programs, no application portal, and no staff to manage unsolicited inquiries. For grantseekers, this foundation is best understood as a private philanthropic vehicle rather than a competitive funding opportunity.

Georgetown Trust's most recent 990-PF filings (tax years 2022 and 2023) show a stable, modestly-performing endowment. In 2023, total revenue was $2,199 (comprising $1,000 in contributions and $1,199 in dividends), with total expenses of $1,342. The foundation's fair market value of assets stood at $48,852 at year-end 2023, up slightly from prior years. Investment holdings are concentrated in corporate stock (~$46,088), consistent with a passively managed portfolio. The foundation paid $16 in excise taxes in 2023. There is no evidence of any change in leadership, investment strategy, or giving priorities in recent filings. The 2022 filing shows distributions of $2,210 against minimum distribution requirements, suggesting the foundation distributed modestly above the legal floor. No grants to specific organizations are identified in the available extracted data. The foundation has maintained continuous IRS exempt status since 2007 with no adverse actions noted.

Given Georgetown Trust's micro-scale and private nature, conventional grant-seeking strategies are unlikely to be effective. Here is a realistic assessment for prospective grantees: (1) Do not submit unsolicited proposals - the foundation has no public application process, no website, and no program staff to receive them. (2) Focus on relationship development: the most likely pathway to a grant is through a personal introduction to Stephanie E. Bothwell or other family members. If your organization has board members, donors, or volunteers connected to the Georgetown DC neighborhood or Georgetown University alumni network, leverage those connections. (3) Right-size your ask: any grant from this foundation will almost certainly be under $1,500. Do not position this as a lead funder or capacity-building grant; treat a potential grant as a small gift from an individual philanthropist rather than a foundation grant. (4) NTEE code B82 (Educational Support Services) suggests the trustee may have particular interest in educational causes, though the "made charitable grants" description in 990-PF filings is generic. (5) Consider this a very low priority pursuit relative to DC-area foundations with public programs and documented giving histories.