Bardes Fund
Bardes Fund is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2024, it made 29 grants totaling $210,200 to charitable organizations.
Bardes Fund at a glance
In short: Bardes Fund gave $210K across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), top state Florida. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $210,200
- +13.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- -12.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,248
- +29.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,385,963
- -5.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (5 of 29, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Florida (36% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bardes Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3874 Paxton Ave Ste 9208, Cincinnati, OH 45209
Phone: (513) 703-5402
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bardes Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Bath & Tennis Historic Bldg Preser Fdtn ($30K). Together the top 10 received $153K.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 122 grants of 123 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants show support for organizations in several states. Florida and Ohio received the largest listed shares of grant dollars, at 36% and 24%, respectively; Rhode Island also received 24%. Massachusetts received 6% and the District of Columbia 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bardes Fund open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 29 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 76% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 45% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 222% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $127K (2022) to $210K (2024). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $210K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bath & Tennis Historic Bldg Preser Fdtn Palm Beach, FL | Conservation / Preservation | $30,000 |
| SRBA Historic Building & Environ Pres Fdtn Newport, RI | Education / Awareness | $30,000 |
| Cincinnati Ballet Cincinnati, OH | Museums / Theatre | $17,550 |
| Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | Education / Awareness | $13,000 |
| The Seven Hills School Cincinnati, OH | Education / Awareness | $11,950 |
| Artswave Cincinnati, OH | Museums / Theatre | $10,000 |
| Palm Beach Day Academy Palm Beach, FL | Education / Awareness | $10,000 |
| Red Sneakers for Oakley West Palm Beach, FL | Education / Awareness | $10,000 |
| The Royal Poinciana Chapel Palm Beach, FL | Religious | $10,000 |
| United Way of Greater Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | Community Fund | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Bardes Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,385,963 | $146,261 | $231,070 | $210,200 | 29 | $210,200 | $126,091 | $94,600 |
| 2023 | $1,472,532 | $105,926 | $199,894 | $184,550 | 33 | $184,550 | $94,982 | $90,020 |
| 2022 | $1,564,670 | $147,157 | $142,301 | $127,101 | 17 | $127,101 | $132,401 | $93,185 |
| 2021 | $1,559,814 | $110,192 | $160,296 | $145,200 | 24 | $145,200 | $96,296 | $107,713 |
| 2020 | $1,609,918 | $163,333 | $200,432 | $186,250 | 20 | — | $74,351 | $94,429 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bardes Fund reported a distributable amount of $95K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the funder is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, the Seven Hills School says it prepares students for meaningful roles in a changing world, while St. George’s School says it aims to help students develop their particular gifts. Red Sneakers for Oakley describes its mission as promoting awareness and education about food allergies. The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum says it preserves and interprets Whitehall, Henry Flagler’s legacy, and America’s Gilded Age.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund made 29 grants totaling $210,200. Grants ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest grants were $30,000 each to Bath & Tennis Historic Building Preservation Foundation for conservation and preservation, and SRBA Historic Building & Environment Preservation Foundation for education and awareness. Other notable grants included $17,550 to Cincinnati Ballet, $13,000 to Boston College, and $11,950 to the Seven Hills School.
Additional 2024 grants included $10,000 each to ArtsWave, Palm Beach Day Academy, Red Sneakers for Oakley, the Royal Poinciana Chapel, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, and St. George’s School. The fund also gave $6,000 to the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Merrilyn Bardes as president, Rebecca Barron as treasurer, and Thomas Quinn as secretary.
Bardes Fund is led by Merrilyn Bardes, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Merrilyn Bardes
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Barron
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Quinn
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Bardes Fund
How much does Bardes Fund give each year?
Bardes Fund gave $210K across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $185K across 33 grants.
What is Bardes Fund's typical grant size?
Bardes Fund's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,248, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bardes Fund that year got $3K on average.
Where does Bardes Fund give grants?
Bardes Fund's top state is Florida, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Ohio (24%) and Rhode Island (24%). The most frequent recipient cities were Palm Beach, FL (5 grants), Cincinnati, OH (5 grants), Newport, RI (5 grants) and West Palm Beach, FL (5 grants).
Does Bardes Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 29 grants with a stated purpose on Bardes Fund's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education / Awareness" (12 grants), "Community Fund" (6 grants) and "Museums / Theatre" (4 grants).
Who are Bardes Fund's largest grantees?
Bardes Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Bath & Tennis Historic Bldg Preser Fdtn ($30,000), SRBA Historic Building & Environ Pres Fdtn ($30,000) and Cincinnati Ballet ($17,550), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bardes Fund?
Bardes Fund reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $210K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $95K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bardes Fund fund?
No mission statement for the funder is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, the Seven Hills School says it prepares students for meaningful roles in a changing world, while St. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bardes Fund?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bardes Fund's EIN?
Bardes Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-6036206. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Bardes Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bardes Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bardes-fund-morg_d036d955f1ee494baaf97cff01273f0a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_316036206_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bardes Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bardes-fund-morg_d036d955f1ee494baaf97cff01273f0a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bardes Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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