Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker La Crosse, WI EIN: 39-1624154

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It made 17 grants totaling $419,000 in filing year 2025, supporting charitable organizations including arts, health, education, religious, and community organizations.

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc gave $419K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), top state Colorado. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$419,000
+1.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
17
-19.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$24,647
+25.9% vs 2024
Median grant
$20,000
Total assets
$6,288,203
-3.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Colorado (26% 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 Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation stated on its 2023 IRS filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Contact

Mailing address: 205 5Th Ave S Ste 600 PO Box 1626, La Crosse, WI 54602-1626
Phone: (608) 784-5678

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Church by the Sea: $45KChurch by the Sea$45KJohns Hopkins Center for Chronic: $42KJohns Hopkins Center forChronic$42KMPN Research Foundation: $42KMPN Research Foundation$42KFlorida Grand Opera: $38KFlorida Grand Opera$38KArcs Colorado: $32KArcs Colorado$32KCentral Christian Church: $30KCentral Christian Church$30KBeacon Unitarian Congreg Summit: $25KBeacon Unitarian CongregSummit$25KBooks to Kids Inc: $25KBooks to Kids Inc$25KFather Gabriel Richard High School: $20KFather Gabriel Richard HighSchool$20KImmanuel Lutheran: $20KImmanuel Lutheran$20K

The largest 2025 recipient was Church by the Sea ($45K). Together the top 10 received $318K.

Grant Size Distribution

118 grants across all recorded years

116<$50K2$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 118 (98%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (26%), Wisconsin (20%), Florida (20%), Illinois (13%), and Maryland (10%), among other states.

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.

Cities

DenverLacrosseAnn ArborArlington HeightsBal HarbourBaltimoreChicagoCoon ValleyMiamiLas VegasRoxburySummitWest SalemBoca RatonCentennialCoral GablesNew YorkSeattleHillsdaleLoveland

Is Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

12%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $26K. How we count

Medians: $12K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 (2019–2025). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K22 grants2019 28 grants2021 27 grants2022 25 grants2023 21 grants2024 17 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $411K (2024) to $484K (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $419K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Church by the Sea Bal Harbour, FLGeneral$45,000
Johns Hopkins Center for Chronic Baltimore, MDGeneral$41,500
MPN Research Foundation Chicago, ILGeneral$41,500
Florida Grand Opera Miami, FLGeneral$38,000
Arcs Colorado Denver, COGeneral$32,000
Central Christian Church Denver, COGeneral$30,000
Beacon Unitarian Congreg Summit Summit, NJGeneral$25,000
Books to Kids Inc Denver, COGeneral$25,000
Father Gabriel Richard High School Ann Arbor, MIGeneral$20,000
Immanuel Lutheran Loveland, COGeneral$20,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$6,288,203$210,592$467,337$419,00017$419,000$167,394$439,052
2024$6,544,948$163,530$457,769$411,00021$411,000$184,844$415,468
2023$6,839,187$276,797$516,755$450,00025$450,000$230,042$423,423
2022$7,079,145$336,506$534,267$484,00027$484,000$286,239$463,988
2021$7,276,906$330,871$483,883$433,79028—$280,778$457,844
2019$7,657,989$314,667$459,641$413,60022—$268,626$442,030

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $439K 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 available grant records show support for organizations with varied activities. Florida Grand Opera describes its mission as enriching people’s lives through awareness and appreciation of opera, producing opera, and expanding its reach to diverse communities. Mississippi Valley Conservancy describes its mission as conserving native habitats and farmlands in the Driftless Area for the health and well-being of current and future generations. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission of the foundation.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $419,000 through 17 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $45,000, with a median of $20,000. Listed grants were designated for general purposes.

Notable 2025 grants included $45,000 to Church by the Sea in Bal Harbour, Florida; $41,500 each to Johns Hopkins Center for Chronic in Baltimore, Maryland, and MPN Research Foundation in Chicago, Illinois; $38,000 to Florida Grand Opera in Miami, Florida; and $32,000 to ARCS Colorado in Denver, Colorado. Other recipients included Central Christian Church ($30,000), Books to Kids Inc. ($25,000), and Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation ($19,000).

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Sarah J Gephart as president, treasurer, and director; Brent L Gephart Sr as vice president and director; and Marc A Lavoie as secretary and director.

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc is led by Sarah J. Gephart, President, Treasurer & D on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Sarah J. Gephart

    President, Treasurer & D

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Brent L. Gephart Sr.

    Vice President & Director

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Marc A. Lavoie

    Secretary & Director

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc

How much does Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc give each year?

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc gave $419K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $411K across 21 grants.

What is Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $24,647, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc that year got $12K on average.

Where does Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc give grants?

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's top state is Colorado, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Wisconsin (20%) and Florida (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (3 grants), Lacrosse, WI (3 grants) and Loveland, CO (2 grants).

Does Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Church by the Sea ($45,000), Johns Hopkins Center for Chronic ($41,500) and MPN Research Foundation ($41,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc?

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc reported $6.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $419K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $439K (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 Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc fund?

The available grant records show support for organizations with varied activities. Florida Grand Opera describes its mission as enriching people’s lives through awareness and appreciation of opera, producing opera, and expanding its reach to diverse communities. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc?

The foundation stated on its 2023 IRS filing 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 Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's EIN?

Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1624154. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Gelatt-Gephart 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

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS December 6, 2019)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 7, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 5, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 10, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 25, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 24, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gelatt-gephart-foundation-inc-morg_f618f29caa6945b5b12a941b8ec64ae5

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391624154_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Gelatt-Gephart Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/gelatt-gephart-foundation-inc-morg_f618f29caa6945b5b12a941b8ec64ae5},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Gelatt-Gephart 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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