The Kansas State Capitol
Foundation Lookup

Form 990-PFTax year 2025EIN 46-4327372

The Rail Heritage Trust

A private foundation in Paola, KS. Its return for tax year 2025 lists 20 grants and $250,000 paid in grants.

See which foundations fund work like yours Matching by cause, place and grant size

Tax year 2025 (period ending Apr 30, 2026), read from the IRS e-file on Nov 11, 2026. Returns reach the IRS 5 to 18 months after the year they describe.

How to apply

Accepts applications

The return gives an application contact and rules, as below.

Contact
Charitable Foundations First Option
702 Baptiste Drive
Paola, KS 66071
(913) 294-9222
[email protected]
Form and materials
Application is available at: firstoptionbank.com/about-us/ foundations-and-scholarships/ submit online to: [email protected]. Email questions to [email protected].
Deadlines
Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM CST feb 1 of each year.
Restrictions
Funds will only be distributed to sec 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that provide to the public the actual experience of travel by rail during the golden age. Funds will be distributed to support the recreation, restoration and preservation of actual rail travel during the "golden age" of u.s. Rail passenger service - 1920 through 1960.

Assets and giving by year

6 returns on file
Grants paid by tax year. The latest year is in blue.

  • Tax year 2025

    $250,000

    Grants listed
    20
    Assets, end of year
    $6,804,420

  • Tax year 2024

    $250,000

    Grants listed
    18
    Assets, end of year
    $6,553,386

  • Tax year 2023

    $250,000

    Grants listed
    18
    Assets, end of year
    $6,394,817

  • Tax year 2022

    $250,000

    Grants listed
    21
    Assets, end of year
    $6,283,185

  • Tax year 2021

    $350,000

    Grants listed
    22
    Assets, end of year
    $6,885,659

  • Tax year 2020

    $325,000

    Grants listed
    22
    Assets, end of year
    $7,093,894

Grants paid in 2025

20 grants, largest first

As listed on the return.

  1. Nashville Steam Preservation SocietyNashville, TN

    Locomotive 576 eectrical components

    $45,000
  2. Oregon Rail Heritage FoundationPortland, OR

    Work on orns 197 locomotive

    $27,000
  3. Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation TrustBoyertown, PA

    Pullman woodland heating system

    $25,000
  4. Minnesota Transportation Museum IncSaint Paul, MN

    Passenger car 1213 modernization

    $20,000
  5. Watauga Valley RR Hist Society & Museum IncJonesborough, TN

    Work on car watx 100

    $15,550
  6. Western Michigan Society for Industrial HeritageCoopersville, MI

    Painting two CN coaches

    $15,000
  7. Adirondack Railway Preservation SocietyUtica, NY

    Return NYC RS3 8223 to service

    $11,100
  8. Railroad Museum Golden GateMiami, FL

    Restoration of fec coach #136

    $11,000
  9. Anthracite Railroads Historical Society IncFort Washington, PA

    B-unit generator rebuild

    $10,000
  10. Friends of the SP4449 IncPortland, OR

    Paint DLMX dining car

    $10,000
  11. Pacific Southwest Railway MuseumLa Mesa, CA

    Restoration SP 3709

    $10,000
  12. Smoky Hill Railway & Hist Society IncBelton, MO

    Repaint engine & caboose

    $10,000
  13. Tri-State Railway Historical Society IncBoonton, NJ

    Rewire of f3a locomotive

    $10,000
  14. Norfolk & Western Business Car 300 Preservation Soc IncChesterton, IN

    Hollins college windows

    $7,000
  15. Fox River Trolley Association IncSouth Elgin, IL

    Two projects

    $5,000
  16. North Carolina Transportation Museum FoundationSpencer, NC

    Restore N&W combine 1506

    $5,000
  17. Railways to Yesterday IncRockhill Furnace, PA

    Redo seats for ae&c car 315

    $5,000
  18. West Chester Railroad Heritage AssocWest Chester, PA

    Maintenance on ex-reading mu cars

    $5,000
  19. Connecticut Electric Rwy Assn IncEast Windsor, CT

    Relettering & painting ca&e 303

    $2,350
  20. El Dorado Western Railway FoundationPlacerville, CA

    Work on railroad cars

    $1,000

Where the money goes

By cause: grants to organizations we matched to the IRS list of exempt organizations, by their category.

  1. Arts and culture10 grants $163,000100% of the total

By State

Grants to organizations with a US address, latest year.

  1. Tennessee2 grants $60,550
  2. Pennsylvania4 grants $45,000
  3. Oregon2 grants $37,000
  4. Minnesota1 grant $20,000
  5. Michigan1 grant $15,000
  6. New York1 grant $11,100
  7. California2 grants $11,000
  8. Florida1 grant $11,000
  9. Missouri1 grant $10,000
  10. New Jersey1 grant $10,000

Officers, directors and trustees

1 person as filed

As filed on the return, with average hours per week and pay from the foundation.

  • First Option BankTRUSTEE Hours 2Pay $105,865

The return

More foundations

Similar foundations

Same main cause (arts and culture), giving between a quarter and four times this foundation’s where possible, nearby first.

  1. Allen W & Gladys Hawkins Charitable FDNPaola, KS 4 grants Accepts applications $114,313 giving
  2. Emil Babinger Charitable TrustEmporia, KS 12 grants Accepts applications $249,000 giving
  3. Minnesota Prairie Wind FoundationPrairie Village, KS 30 grants Accepts applications $268,200 giving
  4. Nancy T Beren & Dr Larry S Jefferson Foundation IncWichita, KS 15 grants Preselected only $213,781 giving
  5. R2 B4 Bramlage Family FoundationJunction City, KS 37 grants Preselected only $292,768 giving