Be a Gift Foundation
Be a Gift Foundation is a private foundation based in Sarasota, Florida. It provides financial assistance to people in need, typically when assistance is not available from other sources, and works through nonprofit organizations serving individuals and families.
Be a Gift Foundation at a glance
In short: Be a Gift Foundation gave $67K across 24 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), top state Idaho. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $67,445
- +100.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 24
- +84.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,810
- +8.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $156,436
- +3.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (10 of 24, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Idaho (44% 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 Be a Gift Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation says a nonprofit organization providing charitable social services to individuals and families in financial need may submit a request through its website. The 2024 filing says applications should include the organization’s name, address, phone number, tax ID number, contact person, email and phone number where applicable, and a brief description of the reason for the request. If approved, the foundation may pay a third-party vendor directly or pay the requesting organization to disburse funds on behalf of its client. Larger requests are considered case by case.
- Contact
Application contact: Elaine Donovan
Mailing address: 455 Longboat Club Rd Apt 406, Longboat Key, FL 34228-3839
Phone: (888) 255-8704
Email: info@beagiftfoundation.org
Website: https://www.beagiftfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Be a Gift Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St Lukes Medical Center ($30K). Together the top 10 received $57K.
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 86 grants of 86 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Sarasota, Florida. In 2024, its grant dollars went to recipients in Idaho (44%), Arizona (23%), Florida (17%), Ohio (6%), and Iowa (5%), among other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Be a Gift Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 24 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $918; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $928 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 50% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+0%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 201% 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 $34K (2023) to $73K (2020). In 2024 it made 24 grants totaling $67K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Lukes Medical Center Boise, ID | Support General Operations | $29,759 |
| Scottsdale Unified School District Scottsdale, AZ | Support General Operations | $5,997 |
| Safe Children Coalition Sarasota, FL | Support General Operations | $4,150 |
| University of Iowa Hospital Iowa City, IA | Support General Operations | $3,644 |
| Rainbow Babies & Children's Foundation Cleveland, OH | Support General Operations | $3,516 |
| Nemours Children's Health Jacksonville, FL | Support General Operations | $2,906 |
| Paiute Neighborhood Center Scottsdale, AZ | Support General Operations | $2,350 |
| St Vincent Depaul Cape Coral, FL | Support General Operations | $2,300 |
| RAE RAE of Light Peoria, AZ | Support General Operations | $1,525 |
| Kaiser Permanente Oakland, CA | Support General Operations | $1,350 |
Ready to take the next step with Be a Gift Foundation?
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 | $156,436 | $65,214 | $76,891 | $67,445 | 24 | $70,580 | $39,800 | $35,153 |
| 2023 | $150,677 | $45,743 | $37,206 | $33,591 | 13 | $34,816 | $44,422 | $36,498 |
| 2022 | $142,183 | $28,914 | $50,284 | $42,393 | 16 | $46,363 | $22,739 | $29,944 |
| 2021 | $164,163 | $120,813 | $69,370 | $67,238 | 14 | $67,238 | $132,082 | $32,848 |
| 2020 | $113,897 | $54,801 | $77,449 | $72,878 | 19 | — | $53,404 | $32,909 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Be a Gift Foundation reported a distributable amount of $35K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide financial assistance to people in need when such assistance is typically unavailable from other sources. Its website describes support for rent, utilities, transportation, emergency shelter, affordable housing, food, clothing, medical care, counseling, and other urgent needs. Examples also include assistance for young adults leaving foster care and families with pregnancy or newborn expenses.
The foundation gives through nonprofit organizations that provide charitable social services to individuals and families in financial need. Among its 2024 grantees, Safe Children Coalition describes its mission as protecting children and youth, strengthening families, and building community. Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation says it supports patient care, research, and educational programs at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. One Way Out Ministries says it works to rescue women and children from sexual exploitation; ElevateMed says it provides scholarship, mentorship, leadership, and professional-development opportunities for medical students.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 24 grants totaling $67,445. Grant amounts ranged from $347 to $29,759, with a median grant of $1,000. The foundation’s website says its average gift generally does not exceed $1,000; its 2024 filing says the average grant generally does not exceed $500, while noting that larger requests may be considered case by case.
Notable 2024 grants included $29,759 to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Boise, Idaho; $5,997 to Scottsdale Unified School District in Scottsdale, Arizona; $4,150 to Safe Children Coalition in Sarasota, Florida; $3,644 to University of Iowa Hospital; and $3,516 to Rainbow Babies & Children’s Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. The listed grant purposes were support for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Elaine Donovan as president, Lukas B. Donovan as vice-president/treasurer, John F. Donovan as secretary, and Ellyn Samsky as a member. The foundation’s website says its officers and directors volunteer their time and talents without compensation.
Be a Gift Foundation is led by Elaine Donovan, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elaine Donovan
President
Secretary & Treasurer → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellyn Samsky
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John F. Donovan
Secretary
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lukas B. Donovan
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Timothy R. Donovan (2020–2022) — President
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 Be a Gift Foundation
How much does Be a Gift Foundation give each year?
Be a Gift Foundation gave $67K across 24 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $34K across 13 grants.
What is Be a Gift Foundation's typical grant size?
Be a Gift Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,810, across 24 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Be a Gift Foundation that year got $918 on average.
Where does Be a Gift Foundation give grants?
Be a Gift Foundation's top state is Idaho, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Arizona (23%) and Florida (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Scottsdale, AZ (4 grants), Jacksonville, FL (2 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (2 grants).
Does Be a Gift Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Be a Gift Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 24) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Be a Gift Foundation's largest grantees?
Be a Gift Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include St Lukes Medical Center ($29,759), Scottsdale Unified School District ($5,997) and Safe Children Coalition ($4,150), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Be a Gift Foundation?
Be a Gift Foundation reported $156K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $71K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $35K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Be a Gift Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to provide financial assistance to people in need when such assistance is typically unavailable from other sources. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Be a Gift Foundation?
The foundation says a nonprofit organization providing charitable social services to individuals and families in financial need may submit a request through its website. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Be a Gift Foundation's EIN?
Be a Gift Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4118620. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 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). Be a Gift Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/be-a-gift-foundation-morg_910e23dea6944608a94d341187881fbd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_274118620_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Be a Gift Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/be-a-gift-foundation-morg_910e23dea6944608a94d341187881fbd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Be a Gift Foundation'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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