Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust Grant

The Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust is a private philanthropic entity managed by Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., acting as the corporate co-trustee. This trust was established in accordance with the Last Will and Testament of Mabel Y. Hughes, a resident of Denver, Colorado, who passed away in 1969. The trust continues her legacy by funding nonprofit organizations operating within the state of Colorado. As part of Wells Fargo’s Trust Philanthropic Services, the trust emphasizes a structured and reliable grantmaking process with dedicated cycles and well-defined eligibility requirements. The trust's core mission is to benefit charitable, educational, religious, and hospital institutions across Colorado. Its grantmaking areas span several major program categories, including arts, culture, and humanities; education; environment and animal welfare; health; human services; and religion. These focus areas reflect the trust’s broad commitment to supporting the civic, cultural, educational, and health needs of Colorado communities. Organizations seeking funding must be classified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Grants are only awarded to nonprofit organizations operating within the state of Colorado, and organizations are limited to one application per calendar year. The trust accepts applications on a rolling basis but only reviews them at three fixed points during the year—March 1, July 1, and November 1. To be considered for a particular review cycle, applications must be submitted by the respective deadline. The average grant size ranges between $5,000 and $25,000, with total annual giving averaging approximately $575,000 across roughly 75 grants. Once submitted, applicants receive an automated email confirmation. Funding decisions are generally communicated within one to two months following the respective application deadline. Periodic progress reports and final reports may be required for funded projects, ensuring accountability and transparency in how grant dollars are utilized. The trust does not provide explicit application guidance in the public documentation, nor does it outline a specific format or list of application questions. However, since applications are submitted online, organizations should be prepared with typical documentation required by foundations, such as organizational background, project narratives, budgets, and proof of nonprofit status. There is no pre-application requirement such as a Letter of Intent or concept paper. Grants from the Mabel Y. Hughes Charitable Trust are recurring and occur three times annually. Since the application deadline of November 1, 2025 has passed, and given that the trust operates on a triannual basis, the next due date is March 1, 2026. Applications are reviewed shortly after submission deadlines, with decisions issued in the following one to two months. No contact person is named, and applicants are directed to interact with Wells Fargo Trust Philanthropic Services. There is no direct PDF guidance document linked from the funder site.