Gainey Foundation
The Gainey Foundation is a private foundation based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that supports organizations enriching young people’s lives in their communities. Founded by the Gainey family in 2007, it says its grantmaking honors Laura and Cathy Gainey and focuses on arts, education, the environment, and youth.
Gainey Foundation at a glance
In short: Gainey Foundation gave $1.9M across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $66K), mostly in California. 35% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,926,000
- -0.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- +3.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $66,414
- -3.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $37,952,097
- -0.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (9 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (87% 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 Gainey Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it says it reaches out directly to organizations whose work aligns with its focus areas. Its filing states that applicants should contact the foundation in letter format. It supports publicly supported charitable organizations and 501(c)(3) organizations; it may also provide scholarships, with the school and geographical area to be determined.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Gainey Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 30340, Santa Barbara, CA 93130-0340
Phone: (888) 265-7962
Website: https://gaineyfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gainey Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Santa Ynez Valley - Cottage Hospital Fdn ($170K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 60 grants of 123 (49%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2024, 87% of its grant dollars went to recipients in California, 5% to New Mexico, 4% to Minnesota, 3% to Oregon, and 1% to Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Gainey Foundation open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 26 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $51K; repeat grants $74K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 90% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $1.9M (2024) to $2.1M (2020). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Ynez Valley - Cottage Hospital Fdn Solvang, CA | Scholarships & Capital | $170,000 |
| Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Santa Barbara, CA | Westside Clinic Equipment | $150,000 |
| Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Solar Power Project | $150,000 |
| Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Santa Barbara, CA | Grotenhuis Construction | $100,000 |
| University of Santa Barbara Foundation Lamy, NM | Community Fellows Fund | $100,000 |
| Santa Barbara Education Foundation Santa Barbara, CA | Teacher Grants, DP & | $100,000 |
| Transition House Santa Barbara, CA | Housing Case Mgmt Program | $100,000 |
| CHC Central Coast Santa Maria, CA | Dental Workforce Training | $100,000 |
| Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA | Scholarships | $91,000 |
| ISD 761 Foundation Owatonna, MN | Scholarships | $80,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Gainey Foundation?
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 | $37,952,097 | $2,218,539 | $2,480,177 | $1,926,000 | 29 | $2,203,212 | $1,951,987 | $2,434,671 |
| 2023 | $38,225,223 | $1,421,386 | $2,451,616 | $1,936,000 | 28 | $2,203,429 | $1,175,814 | $2,190,424 |
| 2022 | $39,268,609 | $1,841,702 | $2,520,616 | $2,000,000 | 26 | $2,272,565 | $1,604,931 | $2,231,953 |
| 2021 | $39,961,987 | $4,897,405 | $2,586,090 | $2,025,000 | 20 | $2,283,045 | $4,641,170 | $2,568,428 |
| 2020 | $37,791,676 | $2,172,905 | $2,591,411 | $2,105,000 | 20 | — | $1,940,847 | $2,186,329 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gainey Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.4M 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
The foundation describes its work as supporting organizations that enrich the lives of young people. Its stated areas of focus are art, education, the environment, and youth: it aims to encourage creative expression, foster a lifelong passion for learning from the early years, and support initiatives that provide young people access to healthier ways of living.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of activities. For example, Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation says it manages and renovates the Santa Barbara Bowl, presents music and performing arts, and promotes cultural and artistic awareness. Santa Barbara Education Foundation says it supports programs for students’ academic, artistic, and personal development. Other grantees describe work in health care, family homelessness services, and student scholarships; these are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 29 grants totaling $1,926,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $170,000, with a median of $50,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $170,000 to Santa Ynez Valley–Cottage Hospital Foundation for scholarships and capital; $150,000 each to Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics for Westside Clinic equipment and Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation for a solar power project; and $100,000 each to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for construction, Santa Barbara Education Foundation for teacher grants, Transition House for a housing case management program, and CHC Central Coast for dental workforce training. The foundation also awarded $91,000 to Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara for scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel H Gainey as president and treasurer, Diane P Gainey as vice president and secretary, and Wiliam K Rodgers and Morgan Gainey as board members.
Gainey Foundation is led by Daniel H. Gainey, President & Tresurer on every filing since 2020; all 4 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Daniel H. Gainey
President & Tresurer
On filings since 2020
16 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $166K (2024)
Diane P. Gainey
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $10K (2024)
Wiliam K. Rodgers
Board Member
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$10K (2020) → $10K (2024)
Morgan Gainey
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$5K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $166K, to Daniel H Gainey (President & Tresurer). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Gainey Foundation
How much does Gainey Foundation give each year?
Gainey Foundation gave $1.9M across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.9M across 28 grants.
What is Gainey Foundation's typical grant size?
Gainey Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $66,414, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gainey Foundation that year got $51K on average.
Where does Gainey Foundation give grants?
Gainey Foundation gives mostly in California: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Mexico (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Barbara, CA (17 grants) and Solvang, CA (3 grants).
Does Gainey Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 17% of Gainey Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (4 grants) and "Scholarships" (3 grants).
Who are Gainey Foundation's largest grantees?
Gainey Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Santa Ynez Valley - Cottage Hospital Fdn ($170,000), Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics ($150,000) and Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Gainey Foundation?
Gainey Foundation reported $38.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Gainey Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its work as supporting organizations that enrich the lives of young people. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gainey Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it says it reaches out directly to organizations whose work aligns with its focus areas. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gainey Foundation's EIN?
Gainey Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5632706. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Gainey 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). Gainey Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gainey-foundation-morg_d024d11c469e4aa9aab4541679aa0374
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205632706_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gainey Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gainey-foundation-morg_d024d11c469e4aa9aab4541679aa0374},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Gainey 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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