Berges Family Foundation
The Berges Family Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. It supports organizations that make Saint Louis a great place to live, work, visit, and invest, with stated priorities in youth and families, STEM futures, first responders and veterans, and a thriving St. Louis.
Berges Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Berges Family Foundation gave $16.2M across 57 grants in 2024 (avg $285K), mostly in Missouri. 44% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $16,229,105
- +122.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 57
- +35.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $284,721
- +64.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $100,699,673
- +16.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 44% first-time grantees (25 of 57, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (96% 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 Berges Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website describes a two-phase process beginning with an online Letter of Inquiry. LOIs are reviewed, and a limited number of applicants are invited to submit full applications for consideration at quarterly trustee meetings. The 2024 filing describes online submission materials that include contact information, funding area, type of request, and a description of the requesting organization or project. The filing states that there are no restrictions on awards and that giving is not limited to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists August 31 as the deadline for 2026 review LOIs. That deadline has passed. It also says the grants portal will be closed from September 1 through November 15, 2026, while internal processes are updated; grantees with follow-ups due during that period may still submit through the portal.
- Deadline
- The website lists August 31 as the deadline for 2026 review LOIs.
- Contact
Application contact: Berges Family Foundation
Mailing address: 5501 Delmar Blvd Suite G200, St Louis, MO 63112
Phone: (314) 735-0085
Website: https://bergesfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Berges Family Foundation
Who Berges Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was St Louis Symphony Orchestra ($4.0M). Together the top 10 received $11.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
211 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 67 grants of 211 (32%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website focuses its mission on Saint Louis. In filing year 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to Missouri recipients, 3% to California, and 1% to Virginia; Minnesota and Texas each accounted for a rounded 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Berges Family Foundation open to new grantees?
44%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 25 of 57 grantees (44%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $276K; repeat grants $291K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $88K repeat.
- 42% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 88% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 396% 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 $4.6M (2020) to $16.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 57 grants totaling $16.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Louis Symphony Orchestra St. Louis, MO | General Support | $4,000,000 |
| St Louis Children's Hospital Foundation St. Louis, MO | General Support | $2,000,000 |
| Great Rivers Greenway St. Louis, MO | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Urban Sprouts University City, MO | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Saint Louis Zoo St. Louis, MO | General Support | $1,000,000 |
| Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition St. Louis, MO | General Support | $750,000 |
| Forest Park Forever St. Louis, MO | General Support | $500,000 |
| Metropolitan Golf Oakland, CA | General Support | $500,000 |
| Mercy Health Fdn St Louis St. Louis, MO | General Support | $500,000 |
| Vets Community Project Kansas City, MO | General Support | $500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Berges Family 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 | $100,699,673 | $21,545,443 | $18,000,310 | $16,229,105 | 57 | $16,425,962 | $20,083,977 | $4,149,484 |
| 2023 | $86,838,334 | $32,397,920 | $9,305,584 | $7,282,717 | 42 | $7,498,439 | $29,466,256 | $2,042,525 |
| 2022 | $56,492,706 | $10,755,160 | $10,875,927 | $8,867,913 | 43 | $8,962,865 | $7,577,536 | $1,871,262 |
| 2021 | $57,651,104 | $11,821,447 | $8,854,375 | $8,639,347 | 42 | $8,639,347 | $7,748,503 | $1,538,334 |
| 2020 | $46,814,269 | $7,937,874 | $5,706,611 | $4,553,447 | 27 | — | $3,584,241 | $1,826,852 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Berges Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.1M 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
The foundation’s stated mission is to support organizations that make Saint Louis a great place to live, work, visit, and invest. Its focus areas are empowering youth and strengthening families, nurturing S.T.E.M. futures, supporting first responders and veterans, and building a thriving Saint Louis through arts, cultural, and civic-minded organizations.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. For example, Urban Sprouts Child Development Center describes its mission as empowering children’s learning and development; The Covering House provides refuge and restoration for girls under 18 who have been sexually exploited or trafficked; and Forest Park Forever works with the City of St. Louis to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park. St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation says it supports pediatric care, including patient and family experience and access to care.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 57 grants totaling $16,229,105. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $4,000,000, with a median of $100,000. Among the largest awards were $4,000,000 to St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, $2,000,000 to St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation, and $1,000,000 each to Great Rivers Greenway, Urban Sprouts, and Saint Louis Zoo. These grants were listed as general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Elizabeth Mannen Berges, James G. Berges, Kevin James Berges, Michael Silver, Malory Caltagirone, Katherine Wackerman, and Kris Mannen as trustees; James G. Berges is also listed as settlor.
The foundation’s website identifies Kelly Pollock as chief executive officer and Rebecca Punselie as administrative coordinator.
Berges Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 7 officers; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth Mannen Berges
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
James G. Berges
Settlor & Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kevin James Berges
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael Silver
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Katherine Wackerman
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Kris Mannen
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Malory Caltagirone
Trustee
On filings since 2022
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 Berges Family Foundation
How much does Berges Family Foundation give each year?
Berges Family Foundation gave $16.2M across 57 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $7.3M across 42 grants.
What is Berges Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Berges Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $284,721, across 57 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Berges Family Foundation that year got $276K on average.
Where does Berges Family Foundation give grants?
Berges Family Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (40 grants) and University City, MO (2 grants).
Does Berges Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Berges Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (57 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Berges Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Berges Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include St Louis Symphony Orchestra ($4,000,000), St Louis Children's Hospital Foundation ($2,000,000) and Great Rivers Greenway ($1,000,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Berges Family Foundation?
Berges Family Foundation reported $100.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Berges Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support organizations that make Saint Louis a great place to live, work, visit, and invest. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Berges Family Foundation?
The foundation’s website describes a two-phase process beginning with an online Letter of Inquiry. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Berges Family Foundation's EIN?
Berges Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1426743. 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 16, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Berges Family Foundation funds
Public, Societal Benefit Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Berges Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Berges Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/berges-family-foundation-morg_5a259943eeb3446aae801b9899602eb2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471426743_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Berges Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/berges-family-foundation-morg_5a259943eeb3446aae801b9899602eb2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Berges Family 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.
Berges Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?