Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives is a private foundation based in Nashville, Tennessee. It supports nonprofit organizations and programs that use guitars to bring education or healing through music.
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives at a glance
In short: Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives gave $2.5M across 316 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), top state Tennessee. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,483,350
- -21.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 316
- -2.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,859
- -20.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,421
- Total assets
- $626,234
- -1.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (27% 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 Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says applications can be submitted through the online application form and that donation requests are reviewed monthly after each month ends. The filing names Erica Krusen as the application contact. The stated award restriction is that programs must bring education or healing through music and use guitar. The grant program description says to allow at least four weeks of processing after receipt of a properly completed request.
- Review Cycle
- Requests are reviewed monthly after the end of each month, according to the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- Requests are reviewed monthly after the end of each month, according to the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Erica Krusen
Mailing address: 209 10Th Avenue South Suite 460, Nashville, TN 37203
Phone: (615) 871-4500
Email: gibsonfoundation@gibson.com
Website: https://www.gibsongives.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives
Who Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Guitar Center Music Foundation ($214K). Together the top 10 received $763K.
Grant Size Distribution
829 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 794 grants of 829 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in Tennessee and California each received 27% of grant dollars. New York received 8%, while Florida and Colorado each received 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 316 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives gives
- 36% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 64% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $373K (2020) to $3.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 316 grants totaling $2.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Guitar Center Music Foundation Westlake Village, CA | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $214,115 |
| Musicares Santa Monica, CA | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $143,068 |
| Free Guitars 4 Kids St Louis Park, MN | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $59,606 |
| Save the Music Foundation New York, NY | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $50,142 |
| Williamson County Board of Education Franklin, TN | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $49,410 |
| Songbirds Foundation Chattanooga, TN | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $42,250 |
| ACM Lifting Lives Nashville, TN | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $40,241 |
| Save the Music Foundation New York, NY | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $40,000 |
| Women Who Rock Pittsburgh, PA | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $40,000 |
| Launch Pad Foundation Nashville, TN | Program Use & Fundraising Efforts | $35,686 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $626,234 | $3,118,218 | $3,125,766 | $2,483,350 | 316 | $3,125,766 | $28,321 |
| 2024 | $633,782 | $2,899,028 | $3,199,442 | $3,181,568 | 323 | $3,199,442 | $35,870 |
| 2023 | $934,196 | $3,460,257 | $3,659,343 | $2,198,370 | 102 | — | — |
| 2022 | $920,210 | $2,042,819 | $2,224,261 | $1,511,040 | 51 | — | — |
| 2021 | $1,089,402 | $2,193,701 | $1,282,262 | $644,568 | 37 | — | — |
| 2020 | $277,963 | $733,931 | $679,895 | $372,527 | 16 | — | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives reported a distributable amount of $28K 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 funder’s website uses the tagline “Giving Music, One Guitar At A Time.” Its grant restrictions specify education or healing through music in programs where guitar is used. The grant program description also identifies music education and wellness as areas of commitment and says it supports 501(c)(3) organizations.
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. The Guitar Center Music Foundation says it provides resources to music education and therapy programs. Free Guitars 4 Kids says it provides guitars to students who might otherwise be unable to experience the benefits of owning an instrument. Save The Music Foundation says it helps kids, schools, and communities reach their potential through making music. Songbirds Foundation says it delivers educational programming, preserves music history, hosts events, and provides resources to emerging artists.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Gibson Gives reported 316 grants totaling $2,483,350. Grant amounts ranged from $290 to $214,115, with a median of $4,421. The largest grants included $214,115 to Guitar Center Music Foundation, $143,068 to MusiCares, $59,606 to Free Guitars 4 Kids, and $50,142 to Save The Music Foundation. The stated purpose for each of these grants was “program use & fundraising efforts.”
Other notable 2025 awards included $49,410 to Williamson County Board of Education, $42,250 to Songbirds Foundation, $40,241 to ACM Lifting Lives, and $35,686 to Launch Pad Foundation. The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cesar Gueikian as president and chair, Jessica Johns as treasurer, Erica Krusen as global executive, and Elizabeth Heidt and Lowell Goldman as directors.
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives is led by Cesar Gueikian, President & Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cesar Gueikian
President & Chair
Director → Chairman & President, 2024
Chairman & President → President & Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Heidt
Director
Vice President of Entertainment Relations → Vice President of Entertai, 2022
Vice President of Entertai → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lowell Goldman
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erica Krusen
Global Executive
Director → Global Executive, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Johns
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: James Curleigh (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Mark Taylor (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Nat Zilka (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Michael Dendy Jarrett (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Denby Jarrett (2020–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: Donna Schacher (2020) — Assistant Secretary
- Former: Jordan Carlson (2020) — Executive Coordinator
- Former: Kimberly Matoon (2020) — CFO
- Former: Sonia Ulrick (2020) — Executive Coordinator
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.
Frequently asked questions about Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives
How much does Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives give each year?
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives gave $2.5M across 316 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.2M across 323 grants.
What is Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's typical grant size?
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's median grant in 2025 was $4,421, and its average grant was $7,859, across 316 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives give grants?
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's top state is Tennessee, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (27%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (59 grants), New York, NY (14 grants), Los Angeles, CA (12 grants) and Bozeman, MT (10 grants).
Does Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 316 grants with a stated purpose on Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Use & Fundraising Efforts" (316 grants).
Who are Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's largest grantees?
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's largest 2025 grantees include Guitar Center Music Foundation ($214,115), Musicares ($143,068) and Save the Music Foundation ($90,142 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives?
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives reported $626K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives fund?
The funder’s website uses the tagline “Giving Music, One Guitar At A Time.” Its grant restrictions specify education or healing through music in programs where guitar is used. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives?
The 2024 filing says applications can be submitted through the online application form and that donation requests are reviewed monthly after each month ends. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's EIN?
Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0832563. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 27, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 27, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 22, 2022)
Live grants for the work Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gibson-gives-foundation-dba-gibson-gives-morg_f7118452a66d4f6986e18b5fe9afc5d6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200832563_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gibson-gives-foundation-dba-gibson-gives-morg_f7118452a66d4f6986e18b5fe9afc5d6},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-12. 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 Gibson Gives Foundation DBA Gibson Gives'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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