Cross Charitable Foundation

BOZEMAN, MT EIN: 83-0331707 Website

Cross Charitable Foundation is a private independent foundation based in Bozeman, Montana. Established in 2001, it operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization dedicated to philanthropic giving across multiple focus areas and geographic regions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$58.2M

+7.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.6M

-8.9% YoY

Grant Count

110

-2.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$23K

-6.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cross Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission centers on assisting organizations in the following areas:

Education: Supporting organizations actively engaged in promoting education to enable youth to become productive, contributing members of society
Human Services: Assisting organizations engaged in helping the homeless and oppressed
Wildlife Conservation: Supporting organizations actively engaged in promoting the conservation and preservation of wildlife in the country and the world
Environmental Conservation: Assisting organizations promoting conservation of the environment, with particular emphasis on conserving wildlife habitat and wildlife migratory routes
Animal Welfare: Promoting the health, care, and welfare of dogs, including the training of dogs to assist and benefit in improving the quality of life for humans and other animals

Grantmaking

Invitation Only

**: The foundation accepts grants only by invitation of the Board. Organizations selected to submit applications receive an access code by separate letter, which allows them to apply through the Foundant software program.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, including:

Arizona
California
Colorado
Idaho
Maryland
Montana
Nevada
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Utah
Vermont
Washington
Wyoming

The foundation also supports various cities nationwide, including San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Washington D.C., Bigfork, and Quilcene.

Grant Distribution by State

Montana $2.4M (35%)

Utah $1.2M (18%)

Idaho $1.0M (15%)

Washington $645K (10%)

Wyoming $505K (7%)

California $345K (5%)

Virginia $255K (4%)

District of Columbia $160K (2%)

+7 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Idaho Maryland Montana New Mexico Oregon Pennsylvania Tennessee Utah Virginia Washington Wyoming

Cities

ArlingtonAshtonBelgradeBigforkBillingBillingsBoiseBoulderBozemanBuffaloCheyenneCoeur DaleneCorvallisDellDes MoinesDraperDriggsElkridgeEugeneEvanston

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $54.2 million to $58.2 million (depending on reporting period)

Annual Giving: Approximately $2.5 to $2.8 million

Annual Revenue: $4.2 million (2023)

Annual Expenses: $3.73 million (2023)

Total Liabilities: $0 (2023)

Employees: 0 (foundation operates without staff)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$58,247,035	$54,233,963	$49,624,722
Revenue	$3,992,619	$4,203,133	$2,662,275
Expenses	$3,562,762	$3,725,971	$4,106,751
Qualifying Distributions	$2,709,321	$2,971,599	$3,234,839
Net Investment Income	$3,209,024	$3,301,283	$1,865,363
Distributable Amount	$3,358,342	$2,797,857	$2,894,374

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from Cross Charitable Foundation

Foundation

Cross Charitable Foundation Grant

CROSS CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Ogden-weber Atc Foundation ($100,000), Earthjustice ($75,000), Paws of Jackson Hole ($60,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
OGDEN-WEBER ATC FOUNDATION OGDEN, UT	CONSTRUCTION OF SCHOOL BUILDING	$100,000
CLIMB WYOMING CHEYENNE, WY	General Fund	$35,000
WESTERN WATERSHEDS HAILEY, ID	General Fund	$25,000
BIG SKY YOUTH EMPOWERMENT BOZEMAN, MT	General Fund	$30,000
UTAH ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER SALT LAKE CITY, UT	General Fund	$10,000
ANIMAL ADOPTION CENTER JACKSON, WY	General Fund	$25,000
ABILITY FOUND SALT LAKE CITY, UT	GENERAL FUND	$15,000
JR ACHIEVEMENT OF UTAH SALT LAKE CITY, UT	GENERAL FUND	$10,000
SOUTH VALLEY SANCTUARY WEST JORDAN, UT	GENERAL FUND	$20,000
SAE INTERNATIONAL WASHINGTON DC, DC	GENERAL FUND	$30,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Carol Gonnella - Secretary
John R. Clark - Treasurer
Mary Beth Thompson - Vice President
Ryan Kirkham - Vice President

Leadership team members in part-time roles receive compensation of $40,000 annually.

The foundation mourned the passing of Chuck Folland, who served as Foundation President.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CAROL GONNELLA	Secretary	5	$42,000
JOHN R CLARK	Treasurer	5	$42,000
MARY BETH THOMPSON	Vice President	5	$42,000
RYAN KIRKHAM	Vice President	5	$42,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has made grants supporting wildlife and environmental conservation initiatives, including funding for forestry and habitat restoration projects in the Rocky Mountain region.

Cross Charitable Foundation Grants NWTF Funding for Big Sky Fores...

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cross Charitable Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission centers on assisting organizations in the following areas: • **Education**: Supporting organizations actively engaged in promoting education to enable youth to become productive, contributing members of society • **Human Services**: Assisting organizations engaged in helping the homeless and oppressed • **Wildlife Conservation**: Supporting organizations actively engaged in promoting the conservation and preservation of wildlife in the country and the world • **Environm…

How do I apply for a grant from Cross Charitable Foundation?

**Grant Amounts**: Typical awards range from $5,000 to $271,000. **Application Process**: The foundation accepts grants only by invitation of the Board. Organizations selected to submit applications receive an access code by separate letter, which allows them to apply through the Foundant software program. **Recent Activity**: The foundation awarded approximately $2.8 million in grants in the most recent year, with total giving reported at $2,572,000 in another reporting period.

Where does Cross Charitable Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, including: • Arizona • California • Colorado • Idaho • Maryland • Montana • Nevada • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Utah • Vermont • Washington • Wyoming The foundation also supports various cities nationwide, including San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Washington D.C., Bigfork, and Quilcene.

What size grants does Cross Charitable Foundation award?

In 2024, Cross Charitable Foundation awarded 110 grants totaling $2.6M — an average of about $23K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Cross Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Cross Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.