C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation
The C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 grants supported organizations in Illinois, Virginia, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Washington, DC, including arts and cultural organizations, educational organizations, and public charities.
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation at a glance
In short: C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation gave $336K across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Illinois. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $336,096
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,185
- +11.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $2,616,767
- -6.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (6 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (64% 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 C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 N Lasalle St 2015, Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 568-5550
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Numbers USA Education and Research foundation ($75K). Together the top 10 received $297K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 163 grants of 172 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Illinois recipients received 64% of grant dollars, Virginia recipients 22%, Colorado recipients 6%, Massachusetts recipients 5%, and Washington, DC recipients 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 33 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $3K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 20% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 206% 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 $199K (2022) to $421K (2021). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $336K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers USA Education and Research foundation Arlington, VA | Civic and Community Support | $75,000 |
| Chicago Shakespeare Theatre Chicago, IL | Support for the Arts | $53,000 |
| Court Theater Chicago, IL | Education | $50,000 |
| Lyric Opera of Chicago Chicago, IL | Support for the Arts | $35,000 |
| Metropolitan Family Services Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $26,500 |
| Dearfield Academy Deerfield, MA | Community Support | $17,500 |
| Aspen Public Radio Aspen, CO | Public Media Support | $10,000 |
| Center For Immigration Studies Washington, DC | Public Charity Support | $10,000 |
| Northwestern Memorial Foundation Chicago, IL | Public Charity Support | $10,000 |
| Sacred Heart Schools Chicago, IL | Education | $10,000 |
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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 | $2,616,767 | $259,203 | $427,260 | $336,096 | 33 | $336,096 | $168,039 | $163,043 |
| 2023 | $2,784,824 | $84,417 | $352,973 | $274,965 | 30 | $274,965 | $19,366 | $156,406 |
| 2022 | $3,053,380 | $205,408 | $297,668 | $199,050 | 28 | $199,050 | $106,790 | $176,231 |
| 2021 | $3,145,440 | $357,913 | $502,224 | $421,250 | 41 | $421,250 | $269,432 | $184,620 |
| 2020 | $3,289,751 | $684,049 | $447,416 | $372,152 | 40 | — | $562,275 | $169,288 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation reported a distributable amount of $163K 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 included support identified as arts, education, civic and community support, public charity support, and public media support.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Lyric Opera of Chicago says it provides cultural service to the Chicago region and the nation and advances opera. Metropolitan Family Services describes its mission as strengthening families and communities. The Chicago Architecture Foundation says it inspires people to discover why design matters, and Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation says it raises and manages philanthropic support for the hospital’s needs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $336,096. Grants ranged from $120 to $75,000, with a median grant of $2,500. Among the largest were $75,000 to Numbers USA Education and Research Foundation, $53,000 to Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, $50,000 to Court Theater, $35,000 to Lyric Opera of Chicago, and $26,500 to Metropolitan Family Services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Cornelius Gary Gerst as President and Director, Virginia C Gerst as Secretary and Treasurer, and C Graham Gerst as Director.
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation is led by Cornelius Gary Gerst, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cornelius Gary Gerst
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
C Graham Gerst
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Virginia C Gerst
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation
How much does C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation give each year?
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation gave $336K across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $275K across 30 grants.
What is C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation's typical grant size?
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $10,185, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation give grants?
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (22%) and Colorado (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (19 grants) and Aspen, CO (4 grants).
Does C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Public Charity Support" (12 grants) and "Support for the Arts" (6 grants).
Who are C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation's largest grantees?
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Numbers USA Education and Research foundation ($75,000), Chicago Shakespeare Theatre ($53,000) and Court Theater ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation?
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $336K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $163K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support identified as arts, education, civic and community support, public charity support, and public media support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation?
The foundation 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 C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation's EIN?
C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3403692. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does C Gary and Virginia Gerst 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
(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). C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/c-gary-and-virginia-gerst-foundation-morg_f50b0b44917b4de8bf5caea7e45de696
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363403692_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{C Gary and Virginia Gerst Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/c-gary-and-virginia-gerst-foundation-morg_f50b0b44917b4de8bf5caea7e45de696},
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 C Gary and Virginia Gerst 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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