Gillman Family Charitable Trust
The Gillman Family Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Spring City, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations in several states, including organizations working in nature preservation, education, animal care, healthcare, homelessness services, arts, and public access to knowledge.
Key facts about Gillman Family Charitable Trust
In short: Gillman Family Charitable Trust gave $36K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Pennsylvania. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 85-6570293
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $36,200
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $3,620
- Median grant
- $1,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $842,239
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (39% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 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
$842K
+22.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$36K
+0.6% YoY
Grant Count
10
+11.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$4K
-9.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gillman Family Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $43K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Gillman Family Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Puppies Behind Bars describes its work as training incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs, facility dogs, and explosive-detection canines. Phoenixville Free Clinic says it provides healthcare to uninsured and underserved people, and Good Samaritan Services says it responds to people approaching or experiencing homelessness across Lancaster and Chester counties.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust gave $36,200 through 10 grants. Grants ranged from $200 to $10,000, with a median grant of $1,500.
Notable 2025 grants included $10,000 to Natural Lands for nature preservation and $10,000 to UNC Charlotte Foundation to support personalized, one-on-one assistance through its Writing Resources Center. The trust also gave $8,000 to Puppies Behind Bars, $3,000 to Friends of York County Animal Shelter, and $2,000 to the University of Pennsylvania to support the Abramson Cancer Center. Other recipients included Phoenixville Free Clinic ($1,000), Madison Music & Arts ($1,000), Good Samaritan Services ($500), The Colonial Theatre ($500), and Wikimedia Foundation Inc ($200).
How to Apply
The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Gillman Family Charitable Trust?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania (39%), North Carolina (28%), New York (22%), South Carolina (8%), and New Jersey (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $19K (2021) to $36K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $36K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Natural Lands ($10K). Together the top 10 received $36K.
Grant Size Distribution
54 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 54 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Lands Media, PA | To Facilitate Nature Preservation | $10,000 |
| UNC Charlotte Foundation Charlotte, NC | To support the writing resources center in providing personalized, one-on-one support for individuals | $10,000 |
| Puppies Behind Bars New York, NY | Honorary Sponsorship of a Puppy | $8,000 |
| Friends of York County Animal Shelter York, SC | To Support the Care of Shelter Animals | $3,000 |
| University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | To Support the Abramson Cancer Center | $2,000 |
| Phoenixville Free Clinic Phoenixville, PA | Support for Healthcare to the Uninsured | $1,000 |
| Madison Music & Arts Madison, NJ | To support visual arts, performing arts, and music programs | $1,000 |
| Good Samaritan Services Ephrata, PA | To Provide Immediate Help to the Homeless | $500 |
| The Colonial Theatre Phoenixville, PA | To support the production of live and film programs | $500 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc Washington, DC | To support wikimedia and a world where knowledge is free for everyone | $200 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $842,239 | $194,682 | $38,889 | $36,200 across 10 grants |
| 2024 | $686,446 | $142,960 | $38,437 | $36,000 across 9 grants |
| 2023 | $581,923 | $143,735 | $36,356 | $34,200 across 12 grants |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $842,239 | $686,446 | $581,923 |
| Revenue | $194,682 | $142,960 | $143,735 |
| Expenses | $38,889 | $38,437 | $36,356 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $37,955 | $37,638 | $35,760 |
| Net Investment Income | $24,097 | $24,414 | $18,215 |
| Distributable Amount | $42,613 | $34,212 | $24,430 |
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 December 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Hyman Gillman, Mary Ellen Hays Gillman, Jeffrey Gillman, Joshua Gillman, and Heather Reddy as trustees.
Gillman Family Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Heather Reddy
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hyman Gillman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Gillman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joshua Gillman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Ellen Hays Gillman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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
Mailing address: 521 Pughtown Road, Spring City, PA 19475
Phone: (484) 624-8353
Frequently asked questions about Gillman Family Charitable Trust
How much does Gillman Family Charitable Trust give each year?
Gillman Family Charitable Trust gave $36K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $36K across 9 grants.
What is Gillman Family Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Gillman Family Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $3,620, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gillman Family Charitable Trust that year got $2K on average.
Where does Gillman Family Charitable Trust give grants?
Gillman Family Charitable Trust's top state is Pennsylvania, with 39% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (28%) and New York (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Phoenixville, PA (2 grants).
Does Gillman Family Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Gillman Family Charitable Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Gillman Family Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Gillman Family Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Natural Lands ($10,000), UNC Charlotte Foundation ($10,000) and Puppies Behind Bars ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gillman Family Charitable Trust?
Gillman Family Charitable Trust reported $842K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $38K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $43K (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 Gillman Family Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Puppies Behind Bars describes its work as training incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs, facility dogs, and explosive-detection canines. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gillman Family Charitable Trust?
The trust states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gillman Family Charitable Trust's EIN?
Gillman Family Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-6570293. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Gillman Family Charitable Trust 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 September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Gillman Family Charitable Trust by hand.
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