The Rail Heritage Trust First Option Bank Trustee
Historical funder research: IRS Form 990-PF filings from US private foundations, showing who funded what in past years. This is not a list of currently open grant calls, and we do not track open RFPs from private foundations. From public IRS Form 990-PF filings (latest on file for this funder: tax year 2025). Coverage: tax years 2019–2025. Freshness: the IRS releases these returns 1.5–2+ years after the tax year ends, so 2025 is still partial and a funder's newest grants may not appear yet. Last updated: November 14, 2026. Filings can contain errors, so confirm current priorities and deadlines with the funder before applying.
Year 2025 is still partial because many returns have not been filed or released yet. That is a freshness issue — coverage in our dataset is tax years 2019–2025.
Only 64.9% of this funder's organizational grants could be linked to an IRS cause code.
- Form & materials
- APPLICATION IS AVAILABLE AT: FIRSTOPTIONBANK.COM/ABOUT-US/ FOUNDATIONS-AND-SCHOLARSHIPS/ SUBMIT ONLINE TO: APPLICATION@EMERYRAILHERITAGETRUST.ORG. EMAIL QUESTIONS TO QUESTIONS@EMERYRAILHERITAGETRUST.ORG.
- 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.
| Recipient | Location | Purpose (as filed) | Amount | Tax yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Steam Preservation Society | Nashville, TN | LOCOMOTIVE 576 EECTRICAL COMPONENTS | $45,000 | 2025 |
| Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation | Portland, OR | WORK ON ORNS 197 LOCOMOTIVE | $27,000 | 2025 |
| Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust | Boyertown, PA | PULLMAN WOODLAND HEATING SYSTEM | $25,000 | 2025 |
| Minnesota Transportation Museum Inc | St Paul, MN | PASSENGER CAR 1213 MODERNIZATION | $20,000 | 2025 |
| Watauga Valley RR Hist Society & Museum Inc | Jonesborough, TN | WORK ON CAR WATX 100 | $15,550 | 2025 |
| Western Michigan Society for Industrial Heritage | Coopersville, MI | PAINTING TWO CN COACHES | $15,000 | 2025 |
| Adirondack Railway Preservation Society | Utica, NY | RETURN NYC RS3 8223 TO SERVICE | $11,100 | 2025 |
| Railroad Museum Golden Gate | Miami, FL | RESTORATION OF FEC COACH #136 | $11,000 | 2025 |
| Tri-State Railway Historical Society Inc | Boonton, NJ | REWIRE OF F3A LOCOMOTIVE | $10,000 | 2025 |
| Smoky Hill Railway & Hist Society Inc | Belton, MO | REPAINT ENGINE & CABOOSE | $10,000 | 2025 |
| Pacific Southwest Railway Museum | La Mesa, CA | RESTORATION SP 3709 | $10,000 | 2025 |
| Friends of the SP4449 Inc | Portland, OR | PAINT DLMX DINING CAR | $10,000 | 2025 |
| Anthracite Railroads Historical Society Inc | Fort Washington, PA | B-UNIT GENERATOR REBUILD | $10,000 | 2025 |
| Norfolk & Western Business Car 300 Preservation Soc Inc | Chesterton, IN | HOLLINS COLLEGE WINDOWS | $7,000 | 2025 |
| West Chester Railroad Heritage Assoc | West Chester, PA | MAINTENANCE ON EX-READING MU CARS | $5,000 | 2025 |
| Railways to Yesterday Inc | Rockhill Furnace, PA | REDO SEATS FOR AE&C CAR 315 | $5,000 | 2025 |
| North Carolina Transportation Museum Foundation | Spencer, NC | RESTORE N&W COMBINE 1506 | $5,000 | 2025 |
| Fox River Trolley Association Inc | South Elgin, IL | TWO PROJECTS | $5,000 | 2025 |
| Connecticut Electric Rwy Assn Inc | East Windsor, CT | RELETTERING & PAINTING CA&E 303 | $2,350 | 2025 |
| El Dorado Western Railway Foundation | Placerville, CA | WORK ON RAILROAD CARS | $1,000 | 2025 |
| Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation | Portland, OR | GRANTS, DONATIONS, HOLIDAY EXPRESS TRAINS | $27,000 | 2024 |
| Railway Restoration Project #113 | Minersville, PA | PRIVATE & PUBLIC DONATIONS, TICKET SALES, NRHS | $25,000 | 2024 |
| Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Inc | Chattanooga, TN | TICKET SALES, SPONSORSHIPS AND DONATIONS | $20,000 | 2024 |
| Western Maryland Scenic Railroad Development Corporation | Cumberland, MD | MARYLAND BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS | $15,000 | 2024 |
| United Railroad Historical Society of NJ Inc | Boonton, NJ | HUDSON RIVER RAIL EXCURSIONS | $15,000 | 2024 |
Grants to individuals are counted but not named.
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