Gillis Family Foundation
The Gillis Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Columbus, Mississippi. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with the largest share of grant dollars going to a Christian athletic organization.
Gillis Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Gillis Family Foundation gave $229K across 47 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in Missouri. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $228,810
- -54.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 47
- -4.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,868
- -52.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $200
- Total assets
- $1,458,022
- +6.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (12 of 47, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (71% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Gillis Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1442, Columbus, MS 39703
Phone: (662) 327-5202
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Gillis Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Fellowship of Christian Athletes ($162K). Together the top 10 received $222K.
Grant Size Distribution
151 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 144 grants of 151 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Missouri received 71% of grant dollars, Mississippi 13%, Illinois 7%, Tennessee 5%, and North Carolina 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 47 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gillis Family Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 12 of 47 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $222; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $100 first-time, $200 repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 127% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 386% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $101K (2021) to $502K (2023). In 2024 it made 47 grants totaling $229K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fellowship of Christian Athletes Kansas City, MO | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $162,000 |
| Stateline Baptist Church Columbus, MS | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $25,000 |
| Band of Brothers Franklin, TN | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $10,000 |
| Reaching & Teaching International Ministries Wheaton, IL | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $10,000 |
| Awana Streamwood, IL | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $6,000 |
| Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Charlotte, NC | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $5,000 |
| Fathers Child Ministry Columbus, MS | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $1,100 |
| Messianic Jewish Alliance of America Phoenix, AZ | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $1,050 |
| Columbus Christian Academy Steens, MS | To Help Further the Mission of the Organization | $1,000 |
| Race Track Chaplaincy of America Inc Lexington, KY | To help further the mission of the donee organization | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Gillis Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,458,022 | $326,724 | $243,195 | $228,810 | 47 | $228,810 | $206,724 | $59,214 |
| 2023 | $1,374,643 | $752,902 | $515,772 | $501,692 | 49 | $501,692 | $194,508 | $59,832 |
| 2022 | $1,137,210 | $424,640 | $291,397 | $283,525 | 21 | $283,525 | $112,640 | $54,543 |
| 2021 | $1,004,574 | $168,745 | $110,837 | $100,871 | 20 | $100,871 | $43,645 | $56,685 |
| 2020 | $947,426 | $120,934 | $301,522 | $291,700 | 14 | — | $54,684 | $70,408 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gillis Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $59K for 2024 — 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 grant list includes organizations whose missions span Christian ministry, education, Bible access, and community opportunity. For example, Fellowship of Christian Athletes describes its mission as leading coaches and athletes into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and his church. Columbus Christian Academy describes its work as providing a Christ-centered education, while Empower Mississippi says it removes barriers to opportunity through citizen action. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a mission statement for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 47 grants totaling $228,810. Grant amounts ranged from $25 to $162,000, with a median of $200. Its largest grant was $162,000 to Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Other notable grants included $25,000 to Stateline Baptist Church, $10,000 each to Band of Brothers and Reaching & Teaching International Ministries, and $6,000 to Awana.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joseph A. Gillis as director and chair of the board; Betty J. Gillis as vice president and secretary and a director; and Johanna Littlejohn as a director.
Gillis Family Foundation is led by Joseph A. Gillis, Director & Chair of Board on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph A. Gillis
Director & Chair of Board
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Betty J. Gillis
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Johanna Littlejohn
Director
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Gillis Family Foundation
How much does Gillis Family Foundation give each year?
Gillis Family Foundation gave $229K across 47 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $502K across 49 grants.
What is Gillis Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Gillis Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $200, and its average grant was $4,868, across 47 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gillis Family Foundation that year got $222 on average.
Where does Gillis Family Foundation give grants?
Gillis Family Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Mississippi (13%) and Illinois (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, MS (5 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Orlando, FL (2 grants) and Memphis, TN (2 grants).
Does Gillis Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 47 grants with a stated purpose on Gillis Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Help Further the Mission of the Donee Organization" (43 grants).
Who are Gillis Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Gillis Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Fellowship of Christian Athletes ($162,000), Stateline Baptist Church ($25,000) and Band of Brothers ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Gillis Family Foundation?
Gillis Family Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $229K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $59K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gillis Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 grant list includes organizations whose missions span Christian ministry, education, Bible access, and community opportunity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gillis Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gillis Family Foundation's EIN?
Gillis Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 32-0363877. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Gillis Family Foundation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gillis Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gillis-family-foundation-morg_dbec208b72de4361b006ecf6fbb0da05
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_320363877_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gillis Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gillis-family-foundation-morg_dbec208b72de4361b006ecf6fbb0da05},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Gillis Family 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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