Gratis Foundation
Gratis Foundation is a private foundation based in McLean, Virginia. Its 2025 filing says it supports programs in education, health care and medical research, humanitarian services, services for abused and neglected children, and assistance to U.S. military personnel and their families.
Gratis Foundation at a glance
In short: Gratis Foundation gave $1.0M across 75 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), top state Massachusetts. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,000,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 75
- -1.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,333
- +1.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $14,554,929
- +5.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (16 of 74, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (36% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Gratis Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing directs applicants to contact Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services and submit an application through the online grant application form. The foundation does not accept grants payable to, or for the benefit of, specific individuals.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing lists January 31, May 31, and September 30. Those dates in 2026 have passed. A separate grant-program description lists application periods of October 1–January 31 for health care and medical research, February 1–May 31 for education, and June 1–September 30 for military and animal-welfare support; its listed 2026 periods have also passed.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing lists January 31, May 31, and September 30.
- Contact
Application contact: Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services
Mailing address: Wwwwellsfargocom/Private-Foundation, Gratis-Foundation, Winston Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (888) 235-4351
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Gratis Foundation
Who Gratis Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Duke University ($200K). Together the top 10 received $485K.
Grant Size Distribution
351 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 340 grants of 351 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed across recipient states, led by Massachusetts (36%), North Carolina (20%), the District of Columbia (8%), New York (6%), and Florida (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 75 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Gratis Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 74 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 119% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.0M (2020) to $1.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 75 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Duke University Durham, NC | General Use | $200,000 |
| Childrens Hospital Corporation Boston, MA | General Use | $50,000 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated Boston, MA | General Use | $50,000 |
| Mass General Brigham Incorporated Newton, MA | General Use | $50,000 |
| Fisher House Foundation Inc Rockville, MD | General Use | $25,000 |
| Medical Teams International Portland, OR | General Use | $20,000 |
| Save the Children Federation Inc Fairfield, CT | General Use | $20,000 |
| Thrive Scholars Los Angeles, CA | General Use | $20,000 |
| United States Fund for UNICEF New York, NY | General Use | $20,000 |
| Cancer Research Institute Inc New York, NY | General Use | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Gratis 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 | $14,554,929 | $1,930,396 | $1,203,974 | $1,000,000 | 75 | $1,021,623 | $1,768,045 | $857,082 |
| 2024 | $13,816,229 | $1,407,644 | $1,192,473 | $1,000,000 | 76 | $1,043,254 | $1,273,425 | $835,636 |
| 2023 | $13,598,507 | $867,149 | $1,179,122 | $1,000,000 | 70 | $1,039,977 | $738,004 | $780,223 |
| 2022 | $13,911,764 | $864,083 | $1,206,960 | $1,000,000 | 61 | $1,052,972 | $730,095 | $825,130 |
| 2021 | $14,253,760 | $2,351,232 | $1,270,573 | $1,050,000 | 69 | $1,098,749 | $2,207,408 | $933,047 |
| 2020 | $13,148,265 | $797,034 | $1,182,646 | $1,000,000 | 61 | — | $664,610 | $827,026 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gratis Foundation reported a distributable amount of $857K 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 foundation’s filing identifies education, health care and medical research, humanitarian services, abused and neglected children, and assistance to U.S. military personnel and their families as supported areas. Its grant-program description also lists institutional scholarships, at-risk youth and families, international humanitarian aid, animal welfare, and food pantries and feeding programs. That description states that applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations located in designated areas, but does not specify those areas.
Examples of grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Fisher House Foundation describes its work as providing financial assistance to current service members, veterans, and their families, and constructing and furnishing facilities for families visiting military personnel. Thrive Scholars says it provides high-achieving students from under-resourced communities with opportunities to succeed at top colleges and in meaningful careers. The United States Fund for UNICEF says it rallies the American public to support vulnerable children through fundraising, advocacy, and education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 75 grants totaling $1,000,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest grant was $200,000 to Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, for general use. Other notable 2025 grants included $50,000 each to Children’s Hospital Corporation in Boston and Mass General Brigham Incorporated in Boston and Newton, all for general use.
Additional grants included $25,000 to Fisher House Foundation; $20,000 each to Medical Teams International, Save the Children Federation, Thrive Scholars, and the United States Fund for UNICEF; and $15,000 each to Cancer Research Institute, Cape Cod Times Neighbors Fund, and Loyola University Maryland. These purposes were reported as general use.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Sandra Zaccaria as director and Justin Zaccaria as president, secretary, and treasurer.
Gratis Foundation is led by Justin Zaccaria, President, Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Justin Zaccaria
President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Sandra Zaccaria
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Adrian Zaccaria (2020–2022) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about Gratis Foundation
How much does Gratis Foundation give each year?
Gratis Foundation gave $1.0M across 75 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 76 grants.
What is Gratis Foundation's typical grant size?
Gratis Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,333, across 75 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gratis Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Gratis Foundation give grants?
Gratis Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Carolina (20%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (10 grants), Boston, MA (9 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and Newton, MA (3 grants).
Does Gratis Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Gratis Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (75 of 75) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Gratis Foundation's largest grantees?
Gratis Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Duke University ($200,000), Mass General Brigham Incorporated ($100,000 across 2 grants) and Childrens Hospital Corporation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gratis Foundation?
Gratis Foundation reported $14.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $857K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gratis Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing identifies education, health care and medical research, humanitarian services, abused and neglected children, and assistance to U.S. military personnel and their families as supported areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gratis Foundation?
The 2025 filing directs applicants to contact Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services and submit an application through the online grant application form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Gratis Foundation's EIN?
Gratis Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3639918. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Gratis Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gratis Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gratis-foundation-morg_217197695d2040dbbd2a1f63117ebd87
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263639918_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gratis Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gratis-foundation-morg_217197695d2040dbbd2a1f63117ebd87},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Gratis 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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