Gershman Foundation
Gershman Foundation is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 grants supported charitable organizations in areas including education, health, community services, civil rights, and Jewish life, with most grant dollars going to Missouri recipients.
Gershman Foundation at a glance
In short: Gershman Foundation gave $445K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Missouri. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $444,500
- +19.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- +34.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,337
- -11.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,893,888
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (18 of 43, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Gershman Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 60 Brighton Way 3 S, Saint Louis, MO 63105
Phone: (314) 889-0600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gershman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Doorways ($50K). Together the top 10 received $249K.
Grant Size Distribution
208 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 201 grants of 208 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri. Oregon, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Tennessee each received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gershman Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 43 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% 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 (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 $374K (2024) to $499K (2021). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $445K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doorways St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $50,000 |
| Jewish Federation of St Louis St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $40,000 |
| John Burroughs School St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $35,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $26,000 |
| Central Reform Congregation St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $25,000 |
| Siteman Cancer Center St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $25,000 |
| The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $15,000 |
| Nine PBS St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $12,500 |
| American Heart Association St Louis St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $10,000 |
| American Red Cross Greater St Louis Chapter St. Louis, MO | General Funding for Organization's Activities | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Gershman Foundation?
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 | $5,893,888 | $302,703 | $480,589 | $444,500 | 43 | $448,438 | $277,419 | $450,161 |
| 2024 | $6,082,512 | $428,704 | $412,044 | $373,500 | 32 | $377,438 | $406,141 | $420,085 |
| 2023 | $6,070,351 | $269,448 | $421,915 | $395,560 | 36 | $399,310 | $251,059 | $377,739 |
| 2022 | $6,225,635 | $313,210 | $435,410 | $403,285 | 48 | $406,660 | $290,335 | $403,689 |
| 2021 | $6,347,835 | $424,371 | $525,711 | $499,380 | 49 | — | $406,201 | $454,851 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gershman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $450K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Jewish Federation of St Louis says it mobilizes community resources to preserve and enhance Jewish life; John Burroughs School says it fosters students’ academic, physical, and creative fulfillment and strength of character. Other 2025 recipients included organizations focused on health care, housing, education, and community development.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 43 grants totaling $444,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest were $50,000 to Doorways, $40,000 to Jewish Federation of St Louis, $35,000 to John Burroughs School, and $26,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri. Other notable awards included $25,000 each to Central Reform Congregation and Siteman Cancer Center, and $15,000 to The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeffrey S Gershman, Karen G Stern, and Diane L Levine as trustees.
Gershman Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Diane L. Levine
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey S. Gershman
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karen G. Stern
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Gershman Foundation
How much does Gershman Foundation give each year?
Gershman Foundation gave $445K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $374K across 32 grants.
What is Gershman Foundation's typical grant size?
Gershman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,337, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gershman Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Gershman Foundation give grants?
Gershman Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (33 grants).
Does Gershman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Gershman Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (43 of 43) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Gershman Foundation's largest grantees?
Gershman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Doorways ($50,000), Jewish Federation of St Louis ($40,000) and John Burroughs School ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gershman Foundation?
Gershman Foundation reported $5.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $448K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $450K (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 Gershman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gershman Foundation?
Gershman Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
What is Gershman Foundation's EIN?
Gershman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1431049. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Gershman 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 2, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gershman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gershman-foundation-morg_b92d2bce50634a5ab823592717732d50
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431431049_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gershman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gershman-foundation-morg_b92d2bce50634a5ab823592717732d50},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-01. 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 Gershman 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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