Community Giving Foundation
Community Giving Foundation is a public charity based in Berwick, Pennsylvania. It manages charitable funds and makes grants and scholarships to benefit communities in Pennsylvania’s Central Susquehanna region. The Foundation says it serves a 5½-county area and manages more than 400 charitable funds.
Community Giving Foundation at a glance
In short: Community Giving Foundation gave $3.1M across 111 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,081,401
- +30.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 111
- +5.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,760
- +23.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,850
- Total assets
- $96,721,995
- +14.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (23 of 110, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Community Giving Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Eligible organizations can submit applications through the Foundation’s web-based application program, subject to each grant round’s criteria and service-area requirements. Individuals are not eligible to apply.
- Contact
Mailing address: 725 West Front Street, Berwick, PA 18603
Phone: (570) 752-3930
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
12 open opportunities from Community Giving Foundation
CGF: Berwick Fund (Under $10,000)
Community Giving Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
CGF: Bloomsburg Fund
Community Giving Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
CGF: Danville Fund
Community Giving Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Community Giving Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Milton Area School District ($362K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
476 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 416 grants of 476 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation describes its service area as the Central Susquehanna region of Pennsylvania, covering Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, and Union counties and portions of Luzerne County. Its grant programs may have narrower service areas. For example, the 2026 Berwick Health and Wellness Fund guidelines specify 23 locales in Columbia and Luzerne counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 111 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Community Giving Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 23 of 110 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $2.4M (2024) to $3.5M (2021). In 2025 it made 111 grants totaling $3.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Milton Area School District Milton, PA | Youth & Recreation | $362,355 |
| Agape Love from Above to Our Community (Alexander) Bloomsburg, PA | Health & Human Services | $185,970 |
| Berwick Area School District Berwick, PA | Youth & Recreation | $124,616 |
| Community Strategies Group (Kisner) Bloomsburg, PA | Health & Human Services | $118,890 |
| Columbia County Volunteers in Medicine Clinic Inc (Chopra) Mifflinville, PA | Health & Human Services | $118,600 |
| Beyond Violence Inc (Campbell) Berwick, PA | Health & Human Services | $96,900 |
| Christ Memorial Episcopal Church Danville, PA | Health & Human Services | $89,200 |
| The Dental Health Clinic Berwick, PA | Health & Human Services | $65,700 |
| Danville Area Community Center Danville, PA | Youth & Recreation | $57,350 |
| Danville Area School District (Nied) Danville, PA | Health & Human Services | $55,739 |
Ready to take the next step with Community Giving Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 1% to Virginia, and less than 1% to the District of Columbia.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,721,995 | $10,558,252 | $5,096,324 | $3,081,401 | 111 | $6,120,934 |
| 2024 | $84,164,407 | $9,211,505 | $4,546,849 | $2,358,177 | 105 | $2,548,730 |
| 2023 | $73,849,948 | $6,692,610 | $4,316,986 | $2,482,178 | 93 | $2,601,239 |
| 2022 | $64,313,270 | $-467,400 | $4,442,980 | $2,594,375 | 78 | $-2,417,291 |
| 2021 | $84,175,286 | $7,230,392 | $5,115,958 | $3,465,542 | 89 | $3,306,390 |
| 2020 | $76,469,315 | $6,294,728 | $4,733,939 | $3,398,649 | 89 | $904,978 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to grow and steward charitable resources that strengthen the communities it serves, help donors achieve their charitable goals, and improve quality of life across the region for current and future generations.
Its 2026 Berwick Health and Wellness Fund guidelines prioritize programs addressing children’s health and readiness for school, access to dental care, cardiovascular disease risks, and mental and behavioral health. Other Foundation programs have distinct purposes and service areas. For example, the Sunbury Fund focuses on children’s health, early childhood, oral health, issues affecting the working poor, and coronary care.
The Foundation’s website says its grants are awarded to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits and governmental organizations, not individuals. Among the organizations receiving 2025 grants, Columbia County Volunteers in Medicine describes its work as providing medical care to uninsured working people through a volunteer clinic; Beyond Violence says it assists victims of domestic violence; and the Dental Health Clinic says it provides oral health care to low-income residents and others in need in its service area.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported 111 grants totaling $3,081,401. Grant amounts ranged from $5,361 to $362,355, with a median grant of $13,850. The largest awards included $362,355 to Milton Area School District for youth and recreation, $185,970 to Agape Love From Above to Our Community for health and human services, and $124,616 to Berwick Area School District for youth and recreation.
The Foundation’s website describes competitive grant rounds administered for its affiliates and funds, each with its own purpose, timeline, and service-area requirements. Applications are submitted through a web-based program. Applicants must be eligible nonprofits or governmental organizations, and grants must benefit residents and communities in the applicable service area. The Foundation’s 2026 competitive grant-round announcement gave a January 31, 2026 application deadline; that cycle is past.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these directors: Bernadette Boerckel, Richard Cashman, Jeff Cerminaro, Jeffrey Erdly, Michael Goresh, Emily Gorski, John Grabusky, Jeff Hollenbach, Chad Lauer, and Cynthia Lombard.
Community Giving Foundation is led by Kara Seesholtz, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2022); 2 of 20 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kara Seesholtz
President & CEO
President, CEO & Beginning → President & CEO, 2023
On filings since 2022
45 hrs/week
$99K (2022) → $133K (2025)
Harry Mathias
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Cerminaro
Director
Secretary → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Hollenbach
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Thompson
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Goresh
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Cashman
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lynda Schlegel Culver
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Grabusky
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan McNally
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bernadette Boerckel
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine O'Neil
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Lombard
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Emily Gorski
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Erdly
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chad Lauer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Albert Meale
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$86K (2020) → $105K (2025)
Julie Eriksson
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Tripoli
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marissa Marshall Golla
Vice Chair
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Angela Motto (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Greg Martz (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: John M. Kurelja (2020–2023) — Chair
- Former: Nancy J. Marr (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Robert L. Albertson (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: M. Holly Morrison (2020–2022) — President & CEO
- Former: Tom Kapelewski (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Connie Tressler (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Peggy Fullmer (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Timothy J. Apple (2020) — Chair
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $133K, to Kara Seesholtz (President & CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Community Giving Foundation
How much does Community Giving Foundation give each year?
Community Giving Foundation gave $3.1M across 111 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.4M across 105 grants.
What is Community Giving Foundation's typical grant size?
Community Giving Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,850, and its average grant was $27,760, across 111 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Giving Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does Community Giving Foundation give grants?
Community Giving Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bloomsburg, PA (20 grants), Berwick, PA (19 grants), Danville, PA (15 grants) and Sunbury, PA (8 grants).
Does Community Giving Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 111 grants with a stated purpose on Community Giving Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Health & Human Services" (64 grants), "Youth & Recreation" (35 grants) and "Arts & Culture" (5 grants).
Who are Community Giving Foundation's largest grantees?
Community Giving Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Milton Area School District ($362,355), Agape Love from Above to Our Community (Alexander) ($185,970) and Berwick Area School District ($124,616), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Community Giving Foundation?
Community Giving Foundation reported $96.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $10.6M.
What does Community Giving Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to grow and steward charitable resources that strengthen the communities it serves, help donors achieve their charitable goals, and improve quality of life across the region for current and future generations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Giving Foundation?
Eligible organizations can submit applications through the Foundation’s web-based application program, subject to each grant round’s criteria and service-area requirements. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Community Giving Foundation's EIN?
Community Giving Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-2982141. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 11, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Community Giving Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Community Giving Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/community-giving-foundation-morg_316d7388335845258d081f4dab3a5d78
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_232982141_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Community Giving Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/community-giving-foundation-morg_316d7388335845258d081f4dab3a5d78},
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 Community Giving 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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