Gateway Foundation
Gateway Foundation is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1986, it seeks to enrich life and culture in the St. Louis area by supporting durable art and urban design, including sculpture loans, lighting and parks projects, and grants to nonprofit arts organizations.
Gateway Foundation at a glance
In short: Gateway Foundation gave $1.2M across 6 grants in 2025 (avg $206K), mostly in Missouri. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,238,058
- -77.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 6
- -60.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $206,343
- -42.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $73,150
- Total assets
- $82,616,277
- +0.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Missouri (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Gateway Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website describes a web-form application for its funding priorities. For grants and project support, it requests a project budget, project description, and organizational narrative covering diversity, mission, audience, and history. Sculpture-loan applicants are asked for a location description, including geographic position and audience or expected traffic, and an organizational narrative covering mission and history.
- Contact
Mailing address: 800 Market Street Suite 1640, St Louis, MO 63101
Phone: (314) 241-3337
Website: https://gateway-foundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gateway Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was City of St Louis ($947K across 2 grants). Together the top 5 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 69 (62%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its grantmaking, project support, and sculpture-loan activity as serving the Greater St. Louis Community or St. Louis Metropolitan Area. All grant dollars listed for 2025 went to recipients in Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Gateway Foundation gives
- Giving fell 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2025) to $5.4M (2024). In 2025 it made 6 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of St Louis Saint Louis, MO | Maintenance of Citygarden | $892,190 |
| St Louis County Parks Foundation Saint Louis, MO | To Fund Kinloch Park Maintenance. | $100,797 |
| Contemporary Art Museum St Louis Saint Louis, MO | Funding of 3 artist awards, exhibition and administrative expenses | $88,265 |
| Grand Center Inc Saint Louis, MO | Lighting Strauss Park | $58,035 |
| City of St Louis Saint Louis, MO | Citygarden Expansion | $54,782 |
| National Park Service Saint Louis, MO | Fund the cost of electrical service and maintenance in connection with the lighting of the arch | $43,989 |
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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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $82,616,277 | $3,619,241 | $3,372,140 | $1,238,058 | 6 | $3,487,697 | $2,844,515 | $3,733,052 |
| 2024 | $82,369,167 | $1,368,590 | $7,133,919 | $5,385,590 | 15 | $5,781,257 | $624,435 | $3,522,047 |
| 2023 | $88,136,123 | $3,879,770 | $5,258,734 | $3,603,748 | 18 | $5,887,299 | $2,653,246 | $3,587,593 |
| 2022 | $89,513,233 | $9,077,826 | $3,246,757 | $1,853,172 | 18 | $2,803,990 | $7,925,266 | $3,942,133 |
| 2021 | $83,681,887 | $2,367,252 | $3,287,257 | $1,785,081 | 12 | — | $1,592,532 | $3,704,628 |
| 2020 | $84,601,892 | $3,089,104 | $2,878,559 | $1,301,608 | 14 | — | $1,930,776 | $3,382,982 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gateway Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.7M for 2025 — 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’s stated mission is to enrich life and culture in the St. Louis area by supporting efforts to acquire, create, or improve tangible and durable art and urban design. Its three funding realms are sculpture loans that make works accessible to local residents; support for lighting and parks projects; and grantmaking to nonprofit arts organizations based in and operating throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.
The foundation requires grantmaking applicants to be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), headquartered and providing services in the Greater St. Louis Community, and focused on arts and culture. Its sculpture-loan requirements also include ownership of the installation site, or authorization to represent the property owner or community. The foundation excludes individuals, for-profit businesses, organizations or projects outside the St. Louis Metropolitan Area, and organizations that discriminate on specified protected grounds. It does not fund endowments, capital campaigns, promotional projects such as publications or videos, general operations, travel or conferences, fundraising events or advertising, office equipment, or social service programming.
Among the 2025 recipients, the St. Louis County Parks Foundation describes its mission as supporting and promoting the facilities, programs, capital improvements, and resources of St. Louis County Parks. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis says it promotes meaningful engagement with relevant and innovative art being made today. Grand Center Inc. says it creates the conditions for a thriving creative community at Grand Center Arts District.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made six grants totaling $1,238,058. Grants ranged from $43,989 to $892,190, with a median of $73,150. Recent annual totals were $5,385,590 across 15 grants in 2024 and $3,603,748 across 18 grants in 2023.
The largest 2025 grant was $892,190 to the City of St. Louis for maintenance of Citygarden. Other grants included $100,797 to the St. Louis County Parks Foundation for Kinloch Park maintenance; $88,265 to Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis for three artist awards, an exhibition, and administrative expenses; $58,035 to Grand Center Inc. for Strauss Park lighting; $54,782 to the City of St. Louis for Citygarden expansion; and $43,989 to the National Park Service for electrical service and maintenance connected with lighting the Arch.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Matthew Fischer as president/trustee; Michael Fischer as vice-president/trustee; and Martha Fischer, Lisa Melandri, Andrew Newman, Meredith Malone, and Michelle Ohle as trustees. Heather Sweeney is listed as a director. The foundation’s website identifies Dr. Heather Sweeney as executive director, Lynn Payne as project director, and Nathan Attaway as operations manager.
Gateway Foundation is led by Matthew Fischer, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; 1 of 8 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Matthew Fischer
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Heather Sweeney
Director
Administrator → Director, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$51K (2023) → $122K (2025)
Andrew Newman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lisa Melandri
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Martha Fischer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Meredith Malone
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael Fischer
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michelle Ohle
Trustee
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Jennifer Sweet (2020–2023) — Administrator -
- Former: Susan Rava (2020–2023) — Secretary, Treasurer & Tte
- Former: Howard Jones (2020–2021) — Trustee -
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 $122K, to Heather Sweeney (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Gateway Foundation
How much does Gateway Foundation give each year?
Gateway Foundation gave $1.2M across 6 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $5.4M across 15 grants.
What is Gateway Foundation's typical grant size?
Gateway Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $73,150, and its average grant was $206,343, across 6 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Gateway Foundation give grants?
Gateway Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Louis, MO (6 grants).
Does Gateway Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 6 grants with a stated purpose on Gateway Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Gateway Foundation's largest grantees?
Gateway Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include City of St Louis ($946,972 across 2 grants), St Louis County Parks Foundation ($100,797) and Contemporary Art Museum St Louis ($88,265), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gateway Foundation?
Gateway Foundation reported $82.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.7M (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 Gateway Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to enrich life and culture in the St. Louis area by supporting efforts to acquire, create, or improve tangible and durable art and urban design. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gateway Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gateway Foundation's EIN?
Gateway Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6294706. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Gateway Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 11, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Gateway Foundation funds
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
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Gateway Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?