Bernard Family Foundation
The Bernard Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It reported 16 grants totaling $802,500 in 2024, primarily to organizations in Maryland.
Bernard Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bernard Family Foundation gave $803K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $50K), mostly in Maryland. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $802,500
- +175.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $50,156
- +106.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $4,208,150
- -10.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (8 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (91% 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 Bernard Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests must include the grantee’s name, address, phone number, and email address; state the grant’s purpose; provide information substantiating the requested funds; and detail the requested amount and any additional funding requirements. Phone requests are not allowed. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- The filing says grants must be submitted by December 31 of the year before the year in which funds will be granted. For 2024 grants, that deadline was December 31, 2023, and has passed.
- Deadline
- The filing says grants must be submitted by December 31 of the year before the year in which funds will be granted.
- Contact
Application contact: Cathy S Bernard
Mailing address: 5532 Greystone Manor, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Phone: (301) 377-3029
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bernard Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Make a Wish Foundation ($230K). Together the top 10 received $782K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 64 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland, 6% to Texas, and 1% each to New York and Pennsylvania. California accounted for 0% as reported in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bernard Family Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 16 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $78K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $38K repeat.
- 38% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 91% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 406% 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 $292K (2023) to $803K (2024). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $803K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Make a Wish Foundation Bethesda, MD | General Support | $230,000 |
| Olney Theatre Center Olney, MD | General Support | $205,000 |
| Children's Inn at NIH Inc Bethesda, MD | General Support | $100,000 |
| Save a Child's Heart Foundation Potomac, MD | General Support | $60,000 |
| Susan G Komen for the Cure Dallas, TX | General Support | $50,000 |
| The McLean School of Maryland Inc Potomac, MD | General Support | $50,000 |
| Suburban Hospital Inc Bethesda, MD | General Support | $37,000 |
| United Jewish Endowment Fund North Bethesda, MD | General Support | $25,000 |
| Jewish Foundation for Group Homes Inc (Makom) Rockville, MD | General Support | $20,000 |
| Bethesda Cares Inc Bethesda, MD | General Support | $5,000 |
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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 | $4,208,150 | $342,502 | $852,725 | $802,500 | 16 | $805,100 | $293,216 | $198,438 |
| 2023 | $4,715,783 | $161,981 | $327,962 | $291,700 | 12 | $294,300 | $125,595 | $175,668 |
| 2022 | $4,881,738 | $55,618 | $410,876 | $360,000 | 6 | $374,424 | $91,823 | $182,171 |
| 2021 | $5,233,550 | $601,353 | $462,638 | $420,000 | 7 | $423,674 | $562,389 | $426,312 |
| 2020 | $5,043,962 | $105,238 | $471,135 | $435,800 | 23 | — | $79,242 | $347,549 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bernard Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $198K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including health care, medical research and support for families, education, housing and homelessness services, and Jewish community life. For example, the Children’s Inn at NIH says it supports families whose children are participating in pediatric research at NIH; Bethesda Cares says it helps people experiencing homelessness or other need in Montgomery County; and the McLean School of Maryland says it serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade, including students with dyslexia, anxiety, and attention issues. These are the organizations’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $802,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $230,000, with a median grant of $22,500. The largest grants included $230,000 to Make-A-Wish Foundation, $205,000 to Olney Theatre Center, $100,000 to the Children’s Inn at NIH, $60,000 to Save a Child’s Heart Foundation, and $50,000 each to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the McLean School of Maryland. The listed grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Cathy S. Bernard is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
Bernard Family Foundation is led by Cathy S. Bernard, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cathy S. Bernard
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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 Bernard Family Foundation
How much does Bernard Family Foundation give each year?
Bernard Family Foundation gave $803K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $292K across 12 grants.
What is Bernard Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bernard Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $22,500, and its average grant was $50,156, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bernard Family Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does Bernard Family Foundation give grants?
Bernard Family Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bethesda, MD (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Potomac, MD (2 grants).
Does Bernard Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bernard Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bernard Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bernard Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Make a Wish Foundation ($230,000), Olney Theatre Center ($205,000) and Children's Inn at NIH Inc ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 67% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Bernard Family Foundation?
Bernard Family Foundation reported $4.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $805K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $198K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bernard Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations working in areas including health care, medical research and support for families, education, housing and homelessness services, and Jewish community life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bernard Family Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bernard Family Foundation's EIN?
Bernard Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3850421. 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
Live grants for the work Bernard Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Bernard Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bernard Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bernard-family-foundation-morg_8f72177394974142b8eec69a77ab9d9c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203850421_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bernard Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bernard-family-foundation-morg_8f72177394974142b8eec69a77ab9d9c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Bernard 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.
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