Berry Foundation Inc
Berry Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wichita, Kansas. It makes charitable grants to organizations serving communities where Berry Companies operates, with stated priorities that include education, enrichment, and the wellbeing of under-resourced and vulnerable populations.
Berry Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Berry Foundation Inc gave $1.8M across 74 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), mostly in Kansas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,794,055
- +29.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 74
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $24,244
- +16.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,534,223
- +8670.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Kansas (87% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Berry Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says to contact the officers of the foundation. It states that contributions are made at the officers’ discretion to recognized charitable organizations. The filing lists no required form or materials, no award restrictions, and no deadline. The foundation’s website says funded organizations must have 501(c)(3) status; it also says it does not give directly to schools unless they meet its stated criteria, and does not give to election campaigns supporting or opposing candidates for public office.
- Contact
Application contact: Officers Of The Foundation
Mailing address: 2402 E 37Th St N, Wichita, KS 67219
Phone: (316) 832-0171
Website: https://berrycompaniesinc.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Berry Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sedgwick County Zoo ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
424 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 391 grants of 424 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed primarily in Kansas, which received 87%. Missouri, Virginia, and Texas each received 3%, and Illinois received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 74 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Berry Foundation Inc gives
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 364% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $387K (2022) to $1.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 74 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick County Zoo Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $250,000 |
| Music Theatre Wichita Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $230,000 |
| Quivira Council BSA Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $126,000 |
| The Orpheum Theatre Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $125,000 |
| Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $125,000 |
| Heartspring Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $125,000 |
| Hunter Health Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $125,000 |
| Eastminster Presbyterian Church Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $80,000 |
| United Way of the Plains Wichita, KS | Annual Gift | $55,000 |
| HumanKind Lynchburg, VA | Annual Gift | $50,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,534,223 | $4,302,939 | $1,797,611 | $1,794,055 | 74 | $1,797,268 | $22,614 | $60,549 |
| 2024 | $28,895 | $1,367,000 | $1,393,730 | $1,390,278 | 67 | $1,392,962 | — | $2,866 |
| 2023 | $55,625 | $271,973 | $743,681 | $740,562 | 99 | $743,369 | $1,322 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | $234,799 | $177,282 | $458,947 | $386,596 | 82 | $399,542 | — | $18,645 |
| 2021 | $516,464 | $830,756 | $693,096 | $643,870 | 102 | $640,131 | — | $20,424 |
| 2020 | $379,912 | $625,019 | $635,045 | $598,465 | 102 | — | — | $21,383 |
| 2019 | $386,842 | $351,106 | $562,992 | $526,769 | 1 | — | $886 | $24,261 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Berry Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $61K for 2025 — 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 vision is to “make a difference in the communities in which we do business.” It says it seeks to enrich and enhance communities and promote wellbeing and long-term success, prioritizing broader education, enrichment, and physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing for under-resourced and vulnerable people.
Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Music Theatre Wichita says it advances musical theatre through education and productions; Heartspring says it assesses, treats, educates, and inspires children with neurodevelopmental needs; and the Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County says it works to eliminate the suffering of abused children and coordinate services. Other recipients include United Way of the Plains, which says it works to improve lives and advance the common good in South Central Kansas, and Shepherd’s Way, which says it supports independent living for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 74 grants totaling $1,794,055. Awards ranged from $500 to $250,000, with a median of $5,000. Among its largest grants were $250,000 to Sedgwick County Zoo, $230,000 to Music Theatre Wichita, $126,000 to Quivira Council BSA, and $125,000 each to the Orpheum Theatre, Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County, Heartspring, and Hunter Health. These grants were listed as annual gifts.
The foundation says many grants are solicited by community organizations or initiated by board members. Requests are evaluated for fit with its values, vision, and mission. Annual gifts are reviewed every three years. The foundation website says it is not taking requests at this time.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation website identifies Walter Berry as Executive Chairman of BCI and Fred Berry as Vice-Chairman and Chairman Emeritus of BCI. Polly Berry is also listed on the foundation page.
Berry Foundation Inc is led by Walter T. Berry, President & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Walter T. Berry
President & Director
Secretary, Treasurer & Director → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fred F. Berry Jr.
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
President & Director → Secretary, Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Daniel J. Scheer (2019–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Berry Foundation Inc
How much does Berry Foundation Inc give each year?
Berry Foundation Inc gave $1.8M across 74 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 67 grants.
What is Berry Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Berry Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $24,244, across 74 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Berry Foundation Inc give grants?
Berry Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kansas: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wichita, KS (42 grants), Kansas City, MO (4 grants) and El Dorado, KS (2 grants).
Does Berry Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 74 grants with a stated purpose on Berry Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Annual Gift" (74 grants).
Who are Berry Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Berry Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Sedgwick County Zoo ($250,000), Music Theatre Wichita ($230,000) and Quivira Council BSA ($126,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Berry Foundation Inc?
Berry Foundation Inc reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $61K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Berry Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s vision is to “make a difference in the communities in which we do business.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Berry Foundation Inc?
The 2025 filing says to contact the officers of the foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Berry Foundation Inc's EIN?
Berry Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3942107. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 7, 2022)
- 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 June 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
Live grants for the work Berry Foundation Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Berry Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Berry Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/berry-foundation-inc-morg_9700c3eaa8c445deade1ae36d3ce2e21
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203942107_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Berry Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/berry-foundation-inc-morg_9700c3eaa8c445deade1ae36d3ce2e21},
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 Berry Foundation Inc'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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