Bissell Family Foundation
Bissell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including a college, a theater company, arts and cultural organizations, and organizations focused on emergency assistance and brain aneurysm research.
Bissell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bissell Family Foundation gave $108K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), top state Michigan. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $107,800
- -62.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -11.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,187
- -57.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,304,035
- +0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (5 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (47% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bissell Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 35 Regency Plaza, Glen Mills, PA 19342
Phone: (610) 359-1051
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bissell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kalmazoo College ($50K). Together the top 10 received $103K.
Grant Size Distribution
120 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 120 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars were reported as 47% to recipients in Michigan, 38% in Pennsylvania, 8% in New Jersey, 2% in Ohio, and 2% in Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bissell Family Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 15 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 20% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $108K (2025) to $290K (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $108K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kalmazoo College Kalamazoo, MI | General | $50,200 |
| Lantern Theater Company Philadelphia, PA | General | $25,000 |
| Inheritance of Hope Newbrunswik, NJ | General | $6,500 |
| Whyy Philadelphia, PA | General | $5,000 |
| Philadelphia Zoo Philadelphia, PA | General | $3,500 |
| The Barnes Foundation Philadelphia, PA | General | $3,000 |
| Cape Regional Foundation Cape May Court House, NJ | General | $2,500 |
| Marietta College Marietta, OH | General | $2,500 |
| Trustees of the University of Penn Philadelphia, PA | General | $2,500 |
| Emergency Assistance Foundation West Palm Beach, FL | General | $2,000 |
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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 | $1,304,035 | $126,198 | $118,585 | $107,800 | 15 | $107,800 | $117,338 | $98,129 |
| 2024 | $1,296,422 | $132,625 | $302,294 | $289,500 | 17 | $289,500 | $119,831 | $96,592 |
| 2023 | $1,466,091 | $140,536 | $122,365 | $110,269 | 26 | $110,269 | $130,290 | $91,350 |
| 2022 | $1,447,920 | $66,920 | $128,060 | $112,395 | 29 | $112,395 | $56,560 | $94,308 |
| 2021 | $1,509,060 | $181,811 | $124,559 | $112,222 | 33 | $112,222 | $170,060 | $99,146 |
| 2020 | $1,451,808 | $83,342 | $145,307 | $124,900 | 26 | — | $73,779 | $85,777 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bissell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $98K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. Lantern Theater Company says its mission is to produce plays, offer audience enrichment programs, and educate young people through theater and literature. The Barnes Foundation describes its mission as advancing education and appreciation of fine arts and horticulture, and maintaining an art gallery. Marietta College says it provides undergraduate and graduate education grounded in the liberal arts and professional practice. Emergency Assistance Foundation says it provides financial assistance after disasters and personal hardships. The Bee Foundation says it raises awareness of brain aneurysms and funds research.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $107,800. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $50,200, with a median of $2,500. The largest awards included $50,200 to Kalamazoo College, $25,000 to Lantern Theater Company, $6,500 to Inheritance of Hope, and $5,000 to WHYY. Other reported recipients included the Philadelphia Zoo ($3,500), the Barnes Foundation ($3,000), Marietta College ($2,500), Emergency Assistance Foundation ($2,000), and the Bee Foundation ($1,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Eugene V N Bissell as president and Joann S Bissell and Jennifer D S Bissell as directors.
Bissell Family Foundation is led by Eugene V. N. Bissell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Eugene V. N. Bissell
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jennifer D. S. Bissell
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Joann S. Bissell
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Bissell Family Foundation
How much does Bissell Family Foundation give each year?
Bissell Family Foundation gave $108K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $290K across 17 grants.
What is Bissell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bissell Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $7,187, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bissell Family Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Bissell Family Foundation give grants?
Bissell Family Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 47% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (38%) and New Jersey (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (5 grants).
Does Bissell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bissell Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bissell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bissell Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Kalmazoo College ($50,200), Lantern Theater Company ($25,000) and Inheritance of Hope ($6,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bissell Family Foundation?
Bissell Family Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $108K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $98K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Bissell Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. Lantern Theater Company says its mission is to produce plays, offer audience enrichment programs, and educate young people through theater and literature. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bissell Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bissell Family Foundation's EIN?
Bissell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4173512. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Bissell Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Bissell Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bissell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bissell-family-foundation-morg_6a1be4a6cd7d48eca12e4ec21d46a489
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464173512_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bissell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bissell-family-foundation-morg_6a1be4a6cd7d48eca12e4ec21d46a489},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Bissell 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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