Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It made 13 charitable grants totaling $114,500 in filing year 2025, supporting organizations whose work includes pregnancy-related services, youth and student initiatives, legal advocacy, and health services.
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc gave $115K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), top state New Jersey. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $114,500
- +7.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,808
- -17.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $2,392,787
- +38.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (49% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 349 Walnut Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone: (732) 857-5870
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Solutions Health & Pregnancy Center ($25K). Together the top 10 received $110K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 48 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were reported as 49% to recipients in New Jersey, 17% in Virginia, 9% in Arizona, 9% in Illinois, and 9% in Michigan. Listed 2025 recipients were also located in Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $95K (2023) to $117K (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $115K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Solutions Health & Pregnancy Center Shrewsbury, NJ | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Aslan Youth Ministries Red Bank, NJ | Charitable | $25,000 |
| Students for Life of America Fredericksburg, VA | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Turning Point USA Phoenix, AZ | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Thomas More Society Chicago, IL | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Shriners Hostpitals for Chicldren Tampa, FL | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Love Thy Neighbor Long Branch, NJ | Charitable | $2,500 |
| St Jude Childrens Hospital Memphis, TN | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Baby Steps Auburn, AL | Charitable | $2,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,392,787 | $58,718 | $129,024 | $114,500 | 13 | $114,500 | $58,718 |
| 2024 | $1,726,224 | $50,047 | $119,734 | $106,125 | 10 | — | $50,047 |
| 2023 | $2,061,699 | $44,377 | $107,052 | $94,900 | 8 | — | $44,377 |
| 2022 | $1,897,967 | $49,858 | $130,755 | $117,360 | 12 | — | $48,408 |
| 2021 | $1,921,456 | $36,109 | $125,532 | $114,585 | 5 | — | $38,717 |
| 2020 | $2,010,879 | $2,012,631 | $1,752 | — | — | — | $33,853 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Students for Life of America describes its work as empowering people affected by abortion, supporting those facing unplanned pregnancies, and advancing a human rights movement. Baby Steps says it works to improve how universities and communities support student-moms. Thomas More Society describes itself as a public interest law firm focused on human rights and civil and constitutional rights.
Other 2025 grantees describe their work as mobilizing Christian churches to serve communities (Love Thy Neighbor), providing food, clothing, and support to people affected by addiction (Jersey Shore Dream Center), and supporting women with cancer through complementary services (Mary’s Place by the Sea).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $114,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $2,500.
Notable grants included $25,000 each to Solutions Health & Pregnancy Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, and Aslan Youth Ministries in Red Bank, New Jersey; $20,000 to Students for Life of America in Fredericksburg, Virginia; and $10,000 each to Turning Point USA in Phoenix, Arizona, Thomas More Society in Chicago, Illinois, and Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. Other listed grants included $2,500 to Baby Steps and $2,000 to Jersey Shore Dream Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gil D. Messina, Charles Fallon, and Joyce Messina as trustees.
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Fallon
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gil D. Messina
Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Messina
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc
How much does Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc gave $115K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $106K across 10 grants.
What is Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $8,808, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's top state is New Jersey, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (17%) and Arizona (9%).
Does Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (13 grants).
Who are Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Solutions Health & Pregnancy Center ($25,000), Aslan Youth Ministries ($25,000) and Students for Life of America ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc?
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $59K.
What does Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-1228011. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 20, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gary-messina-family-foundation-inc-morg_cdaf4e4a038440a993f16f2d4582010c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_851228011_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gary-messina-family-foundation-inc-morg_cdaf4e4a038440a993f16f2d4582010c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Gary Messina Family Foundation Inc'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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