Gardner Foundation Incorporated
Gardner Foundation Incorporated is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky, established in 1979. It operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with no employees, relying on voluntary leadership to manage its grantmaking activities.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.7M
+1.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$93K
-6.5% YoY
Grant Count
82
+1.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1K
-7.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable causes including:
- Education
- Conservation and environmental protection
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
- Human services
- Religion and charitable work
- Historic preservation
- Medical research
- Civic education
Grantmaking
Grant Range
$250–$7,500
Average Grant
approximately $1,109
Review Cycle
May 1
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- Kentucky (primary focus, especially Louisville)
- Indiana
- Virginia
- Hawaii
- Colorado
The foundation also supports various cities across the United States including Cincinnati and Memphis.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Most Recent Filing (2023):
- Total assets: $1,665,277
- Total annual giving: $98,950
- Total revenues: $78,370
- Total expenses: $109,407
- Investment income and dividends: $55,985
Financial Trends:
- Investment income increased 7.6% from prior year
- Expense ratio: 139.6% of total revenue
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,683,702 | $1,665,277 | $1,696,314 |
| Revenue | $120,812 | $78,370 | $87,786 |
| Expenses | $102,387 | $109,407 | $111,214 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $102,387 | $109,407 | $111,214 |
| Net Investment Income | $110,925 | $67,913 | $76,822 |
| Distributable Amount | $107,807 | $100,662 | $103,336 |
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
200 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key personnel (all serving on a voluntary, unpaid basis):
- Marea B. Gardner – President
- William A. Gardner Jr. – Vice President and Treasurer
- Marea G. Clark – Secretary Trustee
- Michael Y. Gardner – Trustee
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM A GARDNER JR | Vice President | 14 | — |
| MAREA G CLARK | Secretary Trustee | 7 | — |
| MICHAEL Y GARDNER | Trustee | 7 | — |
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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