Gerson Family Foundation
Gerson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Olathe, Kansas. Its 2025 grants supported organizations including Jewish community organizations, arts and cultural institutions, health programs, and youth organizations.
Key facts about Gerson Family Foundation
In short: Gerson Family Foundation gave $167K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Kansas. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 43-6100486
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $167,414
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- Average grant
- $5,580
- Median grant
- $2,370
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (5 of 30, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,190,544
- Primary geography
- Kansas (75% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.2M
-0.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$167K
+8.9% YoY
Grant Count
30
-3.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
+12.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gerson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $171K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Gerson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 30 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 52% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% 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 (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Jewish Community Relations Bureau Inc. describes its mission as “combating antisemitism and pursuing justice,” while Jewish Family Services says it provides programs and services to address challenges faced by individuals and families. The Kansas City Symphony describes its mission as performing for greater audiences and advancing the orchestra’s profile and value.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $167,414. Awards ranged from $250 to $60,500, with a median grant of $2,370. The largest grants included $60,500 to Jewish Federation of Kansas City for an Israeli Emergency Fund, $31,000 to Jewish Community Foundation of Greater KC for the Peter Gerson Educational Scholarship Fund, and $12,500 to Chabad of KU as a general charitable contribution. Other grants included $7,500 to Jewish Community Relations Bureau and $7,500 to Kansas City Symphony, both for general charitable contributions.
The foundation’s 2024 grants also included support for Operation Breakthrough, which describes its mission as providing a safe, loving, and educational environment for children in poverty and empowering their families, and Blood Cancer United, whose mission is to cure blood cancers and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.
How to Apply
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing lists Elizabeth Hjalmarson as the contact; application form and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions are listed as N/A.
Ready to take the next step with Gerson Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Kansas recipients received 75% of grant dollars and Missouri recipients received 15%. Other reported recipient-state shares were New York (3%), Virginia (2%), and Massachusetts (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $110K (2022) to $167K (2025). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $167K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federation of Kansas City ($61K). Together the top 10 received $143K.
Grant Size Distribution
146 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 142 grants of 146 (97%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Kansas City Overland Park, KS | Israeli Emergency Fund | $60,500 |
| Jewish Community Foundation of Greater KC Overland Park, KS | Peter Gerson Educational Scholarship Fund | $31,000 |
| Chabad of Ku Lawrence, KS | General Charitable Contribution | $12,500 |
| Jewish Community Relations Bureau Overland Park, KS | General Charitable Contribution | $7,500 |
| Kansas City Symphony Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Contribution | $7,500 |
| Jewish Family Services Overland Park, KS | General Charitable Contribution | $5,000 |
| Nelson Gallery Foundation Kansas City, MO | General Charitable Contribution | $5,000 |
| Polly Labs New York, NY | General Charitable Contribution | $5,000 |
| The University of Kansas Health System Lenexa, KS | Ku Nurse Navigator Survivorship Program | $5,000 |
| Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | General Charitable Contribution | $4,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,190,544 | $177,806 | $209,298 | $167,414 |
| 2024 | $3,220,910 | $767,596 | $191,503 | $153,721 |
| 2023 | $2,645,095 | $93,882 | $167,449 | $147,958 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,190,544 | $3,220,910 | $2,645,095 |
| Revenue | $177,806 | $767,596 | $93,882 |
| Expenses | $209,298 | $191,503 | $167,449 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $168,794 | $155,101 | $149,988 |
| Net Investment Income | $148,549 | $732,197 | $75,692 |
| Distributable Amount | $171,038 | $152,340 | $148,228 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Elizabeth Hjalmarson as president and director, Jim Gerson as vice president and director, and Sara Hjalmarson Balawajder as chief investment officer and director.
Gerson Family Foundation is led by Elizabeth Hjalmarson, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Elizabeth Hjalmarson
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Gerson
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara Hjalmarson Balawajder
Chief Investment Officer & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Debbie Lindebaum (2020–2022) — Secretary & Director
- Former: David Gerson (2020) — Vice President & Director
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.
Contact
Application contact: Elizabeth Hjalmarson
Mailing address: 1450 S Lone Elm, Olathe, KS 66061
Phone: (913) 262-7400
Frequently asked questions about Gerson Family Foundation
How much does Gerson Family Foundation give each year?
Gerson Family Foundation gave $167K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $154K across 31 grants.
What is Gerson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Gerson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,370, and its average grant was $5,580, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gerson Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Gerson Family Foundation give grants?
Gerson Family Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (9 grants), Overland Park, KS (6 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Gerson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Gerson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (27 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Gerson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Gerson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federation of Kansas City ($60,500), Jewish Community Foundation of Greater KC ($31,000) and Chabad of Ku ($12,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gerson Family Foundation?
Gerson Family Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $169K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $171K (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 Gerson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gerson Family Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gerson Family Foundation's EIN?
Gerson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6100486. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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