Sam B Cook Foundation
The Sam B Cook Foundation is a private foundation based in Jefferson City, Missouri. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations in Missouri and several other states.
Sam B Cook Foundation at a glance
In short: Sam B Cook Foundation gave $490K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $38K), mostly in Ohio. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $490,000
- -2.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $37,692
- -9.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $14,241,132
- +15.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (76% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sam B Cook Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 238 Madison Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101
Phone: (314) 259-2000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sam B Cook Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($370K). Together the top 10 received $475K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 47 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants went to recipients in Ohio (76% of grant dollars), Missouri (18%), Minnesota (2%), Texas (2%), and Virginia (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sam B Cook Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $48K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 145% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 85% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $85K (2020) to $501K (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $490K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Cincinatti, OH | General Support | $370,000 |
| Lincoln University Jefferson City, MO | General support | $25,000 |
| United Way of Central MO Jefferson City, MO | General Support | $15,000 |
| University of Missouri Columbia, MO | General Support | $15,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Medical Research | $10,000 |
| Transformational Housing Jefferson City, MO | General Support | $10,000 |
| Southern Methodist Univ Dallas, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| State Historical Society of Missour Jefferson City, MO | General Support | $10,000 |
| First Christian Church Columbia, MO | General Support | $5,000 |
| Rivercity Habitat Jefferson City, MO | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sam B Cook Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $14,241,132 | $2,533,503 | $619,795 | $490,000 | 13 | $561,154 | $863,520 | $657,108 |
| 2023 | $12,327,424 | $2,636,717 | $574,723 | $500,500 | 12 | $538,504 | $890,544 | $528,282 |
| 2022 | $10,232,490 | $406,398 | $452,803 | $395,000 | 9 | $425,391 | $319,934 | $532,491 |
| 2021 | $10,278,895 | $4,493,820 | $290,701 | $200,000 | 7 | $265,487 | $213,862 | $470,673 |
| 2020 | $6,075,777 | $2,261,466 | $194,429 | $85,000 | 6 | — | $83,668 | $290,285 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sam B Cook Foundation reported a distributable amount of $657K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included general support for universities, community organizations, and other charitable organizations, as well as a grant for medical research.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $490,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $370,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $370,000 to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund for general support, $25,000 to Lincoln University for general support, and $15,000 each to United Way of Central Missouri and the University of Missouri for general support. Mayo Clinic received $10,000 for medical research.
The foundation’s filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John D Schaperkotter, Sam Bryan Cook, Robert M Robuck, Kenneth W Littlefield, and Charles A Weber as trustees.
Sam B Cook Foundation's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Charles A Weber
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John D Schaperkotter
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kenneth W Littlefield
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert M Robuck
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sam Bryan Cook
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Sam B Cook Foundation
How much does Sam B Cook Foundation give each year?
Sam B Cook Foundation gave $490K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $501K across 12 grants.
What is Sam B Cook Foundation's typical grant size?
Sam B Cook Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $37,692, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sam B Cook Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Sam B Cook Foundation give grants?
Sam B Cook Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Jefferson City, MO (5 grants) and Columbia, MO (3 grants).
Does Sam B Cook Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 92% of Sam B Cook Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sam B Cook Foundation's largest grantees?
Sam B Cook Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund ($370,000), Lincoln University ($25,000) and United Way of Central MO ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sam B Cook Foundation?
Sam B Cook Foundation reported $14.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $561K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $657K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Sam B Cook Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included general support for universities, community organizations, and other charitable organizations, as well as a grant for medical research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sam B Cook Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sam B Cook Foundation's EIN?
Sam B Cook Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-6624953. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sam B Cook Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sam B Cook Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sam-b-cook-foundation-morg_8e41fc16015b4925824da9d5f941db42
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_376624953_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sam B Cook Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sam-b-cook-foundation-morg_8e41fc16015b4925824da9d5f941db42},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Sam B Cook Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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