The Harry C. Trexler Trust has awarded grants totaling over $5.7 million to 85 Lehigh County charities and the City of Allentown. L. Charles Marcon, Chair of the Board of Trustees, stated that “these grants come at a time when government funding has become uncertain.”
According to a press release, this year’s grants were awarded after reviewing 123 requests from different organizations seeking funds totaling almost $8 million.
The City of Allentown was awarded one-third of the trust’s yearly distribution of over $1.9 million, for the “improvements, extension and maintenance of all its Parks.”
“The Trexler Trust has been a stable and dependable source of support for dozens of Lehigh County charities for over 90 years.” said Marcon.
General Harry C. Trexler is known as the founder of the Allentown parks system, due to his financial and land donations, and involvement in systems planning.
The Trust also awarded supplemental grants this year to food banks and pantries in the Lehigh Valley to address the increased demand in the county amidst federal funding cuts and concerns.
Some notable organizations that have received grants include Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ+ Center (Received $30,000), The Cancer Support Community of the Lehigh Valley ($3,000), Whitehall-Coplay Hunger Initiative ($25,000), Lehigh County Humane Society ($10,000), and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley ($16,000).
The top five organizations that received the largest donation of grants are City of Allentown ($1.9 million), Allentown Parknership ($300,000), Baum School of Art ($300,000.00 for operating expenses), The Salvation Army ($175,000 for support services and programs in Allentown and a $25,000 supplemental grant for food services), and the Lehigh Conference of Churches ($150,000 for operating expenses and a $40,000 one-time grant for supplemental food services).
The Trexler Trust was established from the will of Harry C. Trexler after his death in 1933 and the death of his wife, Mary Mosser Trexler in 1934.
The Trust made its first distribution back in 1935. Since then, more than $193 million has been awarded to Allentown and Lehigh County charities.
“We know these grants will touch nearly every resident of Lehigh County in some way,” Marcon said. “We are especially pleased that we had the resources to support organizations that provide essential food to our neighbors when the need is high, and government funding has become uncertain.”
Applications for the 2026 Grant Program will open on September 1 at trexlertrust.org, with the deadline being December 1. To qualify, organizations must reside in Lehigh County.
