Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio
The Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Durham, North Carolina. It makes grants to charitable organizations, including recipients working in food assistance, cancer care, education, the arts, and health.
Key facts about Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio
In short: Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio gave $278K across 47 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state North Carolina. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-3745038
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $278,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 47
- Average grant
- $5,915
- Median grant
- $2,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (8 of 47, 2025)
- Total assets
- $376,145
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (41% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$376K
+32.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$278K
+7.6% YoY
Grant Count
47
+17.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-8.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio reported a distributable amount of $13K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 47 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied charitable purposes. For example, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC describes its mission as nourishing people, building solutions, and empowering communities so no one goes hungry. The American Cancer Society describes its mission as improving the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support. Amherst Early Music says it promotes appreciation, study, instruction, and historically informed performance of music and related arts from before the nineteenth century.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 47 grants totaling $278,000. The grants ranged from $500 to $34,000, with a median award of $2,500. Listed grants were designated for general support. Among the largest were $34,000 to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC; $25,000 each to the American Cancer Society, Arts & Letters 305 United, Granville Education Foundation, and St. Jude Children’s Hospital; and $20,000 to Brown University.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 41% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 13% to New York, 9% each to Oklahoma and Tennessee, and 7% to Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 47 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $203K (2020) to $295K (2023). In 2025 it made 47 grants totaling $278K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC ($34K). Together the top 10 received $189K.
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 208 grants of 209 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC Raleigh, NC | General Support | $34,000 |
| American Cancer Society Oklahoma City, OK | General Support | $25,000 |
| Arts & Letters 305 United Brooklyn, NY | General Support | $25,000 |
| Granville Education Foundation Oxford, NC | General Support | $25,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | General Support | $25,000 |
| Brown University Providence, RI | General Support | $20,000 |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children Tampa, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| FD 13 Residency for the Arts Saint Paul, MN | General Support | $9,500 |
| Amherst Early Music Watertown, MA | General Support | $8,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity Americus, GA | General Support | $7,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $278,000 | 47 |
| 2024 | $258,312 | 40 |
| 2023 | $295,183 | 42 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $376,145 | $283,245 | $161,782 |
| Revenue | $377,730 | $475,532 | $213,751 |
| Expenses | $284,830 | $261,222 | $305,361 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $280,625 | $259,562 | $300,120 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,819 | $87,162 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $13,059 | $7,198 | $10,149 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 29, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan Gidwitz as president, John Gidwitz as vice president, and Adam Gidwitz as secretary/treasurer.
Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio is led by Susan Gidwitz, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan Gidwitz
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adam Gidwitz
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Gidwitz
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 404 Hunt Street 100, Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (919) 571-7055
Frequently asked questions about Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio
How much does Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio give each year?
Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio gave $278K across 47 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $258K across 40 grants.
What is Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's typical grant size?
Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $5,915, across 47 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio that year got $1K on average.
Where does Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio give grants?
Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's top state is North Carolina, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (13%) and Oklahoma (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durham, NC (15 grants), Raleigh, NC (4 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (47 of 47) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's largest grantees?
Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's largest 2025 grantees include Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC ($34,000), American Cancer Society ($25,000) and Arts & Letters 305 United ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio?
Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio reported $376K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $281K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $13K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied charitable purposes. For example, the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC describes its mission as nourishing people, building solutions, and empowering communities so no one goes hungry. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's EIN?
Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3745038. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Adele & Willard Gidwitz Family Foundatio accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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