Gem City Scholarship Foundation
Gem City Scholarship Foundation is a private foundation based in Quincy, Illinois. It awards scholarships toward the unmet needs of qualified people attending or wishing to attend a vocational college.
Gem City Scholarship Foundation at a glance
In short: Gem City Scholarship Foundation gave $199K across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $198,680
- -8.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- -15.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,370
- +9.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,200
- Total assets
- $1,570,172
- -5.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (40% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Gem City Scholarship Foundation
- Review Cycle
- None stated on the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- None stated on the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Scholarship Chairman Gem City Sch
Mailing address: 700 State Street, Quincy, IL 62301
Phone: (217) 222-0391
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gem City Scholarship Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
202 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 202 grants of 202 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. Illinois received 40% of grant dollars, Missouri 29%, New York 7%, North Carolina 5%, and South Carolina 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Gem City Scholarship Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 266% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $151K (2021) to $223K (2022). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $199K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 37 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $198,680 |
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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 | $1,570,172 | $80,915 | $226,931 | $198,680 | 37 | $208,170 | $57,452 | $78,372 |
| 2024 | $1,652,678 | $199,989 | $238,890 | $216,354 | 44 | $223,814 | $184,913 | $78,858 |
| 2023 | $1,767,813 | $89,113 | $227,992 | $201,259 | 39 | $208,779 | $71,811 | $88,154 |
| 2022 | $1,877,825 | $210,936 | $255,277 | $223,437 | 48 | $231,132 | $186,188 | $97,444 |
| 2021 | $2,137,735 | $163,337 | $180,547 | $150,531 | 34 | — | $136,869 | $94,465 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gem City Scholarship Foundation reported a distributable amount of $78K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its awards as scholarships limited to the unmet needs of qualified people attending or wishing to attend a vocational college.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $198,680. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $9,200, with a median of $5,200. The largest awards included $9,200 to an individual recipient in Missouri, $8,000 to an individual recipient in South Carolina, and $7,954 to an individual recipient in Wisconsin; each was listed for scholarship purposes.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says students must submit an application providing personal information, course of study, program cost, financial aid assistance, unmet needs, and the amount requested.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Mahair (Director/Pre), Carl Adams (Director/VP), William Brown (Director/Tre), Janice Miller (Director/Sec), Mark Cassens, Russell Hagenah, Ryan Hagenah, and Rod Cookson as directors.
Gem City Scholarship Foundation is led by Michael Mahair, Director & President on every filing since 2021; none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Mahair
Director & President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carl Adams
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janice Miller
Director & Secretary
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Cassens
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rod Cookson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Russell Hagenah
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Hagenah
Director
Director & Treasurer → Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William Brown
Director & Treasurer
Director → Director & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Floyd Marshall (2021) — Director · Filing note: Deceased
- Former: Kyle Cookson (2021) — Director · Filing note: Term ended expired
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Gem City Scholarship Foundation
How much does Gem City Scholarship Foundation give each year?
Gem City Scholarship Foundation gave $199K across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $216K across 44 grants.
What is Gem City Scholarship Foundation's typical grant size?
Gem City Scholarship Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,200, and its average grant was $5,370, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Gem City Scholarship Foundation give grants?
Gem City Scholarship Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Missouri (29%) and New York (7%).
Does Gem City Scholarship Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on Gem City Scholarship Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (37 grants).
How large is Gem City Scholarship Foundation?
Gem City Scholarship Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $208K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $78K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gem City Scholarship Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its awards as scholarships limited to the unmet needs of qualified people attending or wishing to attend a vocational college. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gem City Scholarship Foundation?
Gem City Scholarship Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Gem City Scholarship Foundation's EIN?
Gem City Scholarship Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1206707. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Figures come from Gem City Scholarship 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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