Bardes Fund

Foundation · Grantmaker Cincinnati, OH EIN: 31-6036206 Website

The Bardes Fund is a private, non-operating foundation established in 1955 and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The foundation supports organizations involved with arts and culture and human services.

Key facts about Bardes Fund

EIN: 31-6036206
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $210,200
Grants made (2024): 29
Average grant: $7,248
Median grant: $5,000
New grantees (estimate): 17% first-time grantees (5 of 29, 2024)
Total assets: $1,385,963
Primary geography: Florida (36% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
How to apply: Applicants must contact the foundation directly for application guidelines. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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.

Who Bardes Fund funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Bardes Fund's 29 itemized 2024 grants were Florida (36%), 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). None of its 29 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education / Awareness" (12 grants), "Community Fund" (6 grants) and "Museums / Theatre" (4 grants).

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 IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with Bardes Fund

How to evaluate Bardes Fund as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.4M

-5.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$210K

+13.9% YoY

Grant Count

-12.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$7K

+29.6% YoY

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 April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily supports organizations in the following areas:

Arts & Culture (approximately 30% of giving)
Education (approximately 28% of giving)
Social & Human Services (approximately 27% of giving)

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$100–$36,000

Review Cycle

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation distributes grants nationally across the United States.

Grant Distribution by State

Florida $76K (36%)

Ohio $51K (24%)

Rhode Island $50K (24%)

Massachusetts $13K (6%)

District of Columbia $6K (3%)

All other $15K (7%)

Share of all 29 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

District of Columbia Florida Massachusetts Michigan New Jersey New Mexico Ohio Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Virginia

Cities

CincinnatiPalm BeachWest Palm BeachNewportWashingtonChestnut HillAnn ArborCharlottesvilleLawrencevilleMiddletownMemphisTaosUniversity Park

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $1,385,963
Total Giving: $210,200
Total Revenues: $146,261
Total Expenses: $231,070

Revenue Composition (2024):

Investment income and dividends: $44,185
Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $102,076

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$1,385,963	$1,472,532	$1,564,670
Revenue	$146,261	$105,926	$147,157
Expenses	$231,070	$199,894	$142,301
Qualifying Distributions	$210,200	$184,550	$127,101
Net Investment Income	$126,091	$94,982	$132,401
Distributable Amount	$94,600	$90,020	$93,185

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

123 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Bath & Tennis Historic Bldg Preser Fdtn ($30,000), Srba Historic Building & Environ Pres Fdtn ($30,000), Cincinnati Ballet ($17,550).

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

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Merrilyn Bardes – President
Rebecca Barron – Treasurer
Thomas Quinn – Secretary

Donor: Bardes Corp.

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2022 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Merrilyn Bardes	President	0.5	—
Rebecca Barron	Treasurer	4	—
Thomas Quinn	Secretary	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bardes Fund fund?

The foundation primarily supports organizations in the following areas: • **Arts & Culture** (approximately 30% of giving) • **Education** (approximately 28% of giving) • **Social & Human Services** (approximately 27% of giving)

How do I apply for a grant from Bardes Fund?

Applicants must contact the foundation directly for application guidelines. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does Bardes Fund make grants?

The foundation distributes grants nationally across the United States.

What size grants does Bardes Fund award?

In 2024, Bardes Fund awarded 29 grants totaling $210K — an average of about $7K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Bardes Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Bardes Fund reported a distributable amount of $95K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.