Great Meadows Foundation Inc
Great Meadows Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Launched in 2016 by contemporary art collector and philanthropist Al Shands, it supports visual art in Kentucky by helping artists and other visual arts professionals connect with and participate in the broader contemporary art world.
Great Meadows Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Great Meadows Foundation Inc gave $280K across 66 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Kentucky. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $280,044
- -47.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 66
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,243
- -51.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,350
- Total assets
- $2,122,225
- +0.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (81% 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 Great Meadows Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The website provides application instructions for Artist Professional Development Grants and describes Curator Travel Grant applications. The foundation’s 2024 filing statement says it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists October 11, 2026, as the application deadline for Artist Professional Development Grant Round 32, with an implementation period of December 1, 2026, through May 31, 2027. It lists no specific deadlines for Curator Travel Grants.
- Deadline
- The website lists October 11, 2026, as the application deadline for Artist Professional Development Grant Round 32,…
- Contact
Mailing address: 101 S 5Th Street Ste 3500, Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 491-5550
Website: https://greatmeadowsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Great Meadows Foundation Inc
Who Great Meadows Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Santa Barbara Museum of Art ($30K). Together the top 9 received $73K.
Organizations only. It also paid 54 grants to individuals ($206,600), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
255 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 252 grants of 255 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated catchment area for its artist and curator programs comprises Kentucky’s 120 counties and the Greater Louisville area of Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana. In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to Kentucky recipients; the filing also reports grants to recipients in California and Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 66 itemized grants.
Cities
How Great Meadows Foundation Inc gives
- Giving fell 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 621% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $141K (2021) to $529K (2024). In 2025 it made 66 grants totaling $280K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara Museum of Art Santa Barbara, CA | Grant Award to Local Artist | $30,000 |
| 42 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $183,300 |
| Peacock Visual Arts Ltd | Grant Award to Local Artist | $13,594 |
| Kentucky Museum of Art Craft Louisville, KY | Grant Award to Local Artist | $10,000 |
| Isaac W Bernheim Foundation Inc Clermont, KY | Grant Award to Local Artist | $3,000 |
| Kentucky Museum of Art Craft Louisville, KY | Grant Award to Local Artist | $3,000 |
| Kentucky Museum of Art Craft Louisville, KY | Grant Award to Local Artist | $3,000 |
| Portland Museum Louisville, KY | Grant Award to Local Artist | $3,000 |
| The Carnegie Visualperforming Arts Covington, KY | Grant Award to Local Artist | $3,000 |
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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 | $2,122,225 | $596,052 | $601,375 | $280,044 | 66 | $581,928 | $165,724 | $93,771 |
| 2024 | $2,110,650 | $630,639 | $769,743 | $529,411 | 60 | $751,532 | $27,590 | $95,870 |
| 2023 | $2,149,279 | $107,386 | $601,768 | $352,050 | 52 | $583,103 | $28,082 | $108,809 |
| 2022 | $2,566,910 | $271,490 | $678,600 | $499,125 | 60 | $650,669 | $150,331 | $158,530 |
| 2021 | $3,380,604 | $1,038,188 | $183,711 | $141,100 | 17 | — | $391,048 | $135,625 |
| 2020 | $2,473,369 | $749,200 | $365,188 | $245,606 | 65 | — | $91,287 | $107,523 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Great Meadows Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $94K 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 stated mission is to critically strengthen and support visual art in Kentucky by empowering artists and other visual arts professionals to research, connect, and participate more actively in the broader contemporary art world.
Its Artist Professional Development Grants support fine artists’ professional development and engagement with contemporary art beyond the region. Curator Travel Grants support contemporary art curators’ travel, research, professional development, and connections. The foundation’s 2025 grants included support for arts organizations: the Santa Barbara Museum of Art describes its mission as integrating art into people’s lives, while Portland Museum describes itself as a neighborhood museum presenting exhibitions, performances, collections, and educational programs about art, history, culture, and heritage.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 66 grants totaling $280,044. Grants ranged from $250 to $30,000, with a median of $3,350. The listed purposes for the largest grants describe them as awards to local artists. Among the largest were $30,000 to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, $13,594 to Peacock Visual Arts Ltd, and $10,000 to Kentucky Museum of Art Craft. Individual recipients also received grants, including awards of $15,640, $7,360, and $6,000.
The website describes Artist Professional Development Grants for eligible fine artists who reside in the foundation’s region, are not enrolled students in degree-granting programs, and have held their primary residence in the region for at least 12 months. The program supports travel outside the region to engage with contemporary art, professional colleagues, and related events. It excludes, among other things, travel within the region, art classes and technical workshops, commercial art fairs as the central purpose, exhibition or artwork-production costs, and applications from arts organizations or commercial art outlets. Applicants are instructed to submit a proposal, budget and itinerary, a CV or biography, images of recent work, and an image list. The notes for applicants say applicants must have a conversation with the foundation before submitting.
The website also describes Curator Travel Grants for professional contemporary art curators in the foundation’s catchment area; grants range from $500 to $3,000. The website advises curators to contact the foundation before applying.
The foundation’s statement on its 2024 filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website separately provides application information for named grant programs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Stephanie Barrett as president, Michael Baldwin as vice president, John Lueken as secretary, and Brook Smith as director.
Great Meadows Foundation Inc is led by Stephanie Barrett, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Stephanie Barrett
President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brook Smith
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Lueken
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Baldwin
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Alfred R. Shands III (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Julien Robson (2021) — 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 Great Meadows Foundation Inc
How much does Great Meadows Foundation Inc give each year?
Great Meadows Foundation Inc gave $280K across 66 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $529K across 60 grants.
What is Great Meadows Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Great Meadows Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $3,350, and its average grant was $4,243, across 66 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Great Meadows Foundation Inc give grants?
Great Meadows Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (7 grants).
Does Great Meadows Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 66 grants with a stated purpose on Great Meadows Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant Award to Local Artist" (66 grants).
Who are Great Meadows Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Great Meadows Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Santa Barbara Museum of Art ($30,000), Kentucky Museum of Art Craft ($16,000 across 3 grants) and Peacock Visual Arts Ltd ($13,594), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 54 grants to individuals ($206,600), which are not listed by name. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Great Meadows Foundation Inc?
Great Meadows Foundation Inc reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $582K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $94K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Great Meadows Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to critically strengthen and support visual art in Kentucky by empowering artists and other visual arts professionals to research, connect, and participate more actively in the broader contemporary art world. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Great Meadows Foundation Inc?
The website provides application instructions for Artist Professional Development Grants and describes Curator Travel Grant applications. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Great Meadows Foundation Inc's EIN?
Great Meadows Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-5409501. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Great Meadows Foundation Inc 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Great Meadows Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Great Meadows Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/great-meadows-foundation-inc-morg_1be380f9fa474202b5ec5933878ed02e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_475409501_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Great Meadows Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/great-meadows-foundation-inc-morg_1be380f9fa474202b5ec5933878ed02e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Great Meadows Foundation Inc'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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