Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation is a private foundation based in Hilliard, Ohio. It awards college scholarships to Hilliard students, with eligibility stated for students attending a Hilliard City Schools high school or Tolles Technical Center.
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation at a glance
In short: Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation gave $35K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $35,000
- +12.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,944
- +0.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $590,274
- -1.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% 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 Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says applications can be obtained by contacting the foundation. Students attending a Hilliard City Schools (Ohio) high school or Tolles Technical Center are eligible to apply.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are due on or before March 31 each year. The March 31, 2026 deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- Applications are due on or before March 31 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Courtney Smeyser
Mailing address: 4081 Main St, Hilliard, OH 43026
Phone: (614) 876-7666
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Henry Kitchen ($2K). Together the top 2 received $4K.
Organizations only. It also paid 16 individual scholarships ($31,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
75 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 75 grants of 75 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Ohio. The stated eligibility covers students attending a Hilliard City Schools high school or Tolles Technical Center.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation gives
- Giving grew 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 125% 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 $25K (2020) to $35K (2025). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $35K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 16 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $31,000 |
| Henry Kitchen Hilliard, OH | College Scholarship | $2,000 |
| Ahisa De Los Angeles Gonzalez-Guiti Hilliard, OH | College Scholarship | $2,000 |
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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 | $590,274 | $28,557 | $36,200 | $35,000 | 18 | $35,000 | $28,557 | $27,961 |
| 2024 | $597,917 | $30,546 | $32,450 | $31,000 | 16 | $31,000 | $30,446 | $28,171 |
| 2023 | $599,821 | $38,362 | $31,200 | $31,000 | 15 | $31,000 | $29,866 | $28,130 |
| 2022 | $592,659 | $26,124 | $25,615 | $25,000 | 13 | $25,000 | $24,581 | — |
| 2021 | $592,150 | $28,600 | $27,865 | $27,000 | 13 | $54,000 | $24,863 | — |
| 2020 | $591,415 | $22,116 | $25,200 | $25,000 | 13 | — | $26,305 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation 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 September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as awarding college scholarships to Hilliard students.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 18 scholarships totaling $35,000. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $2,000, with a median award of $2,000. The listed purposes were college scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Courtney Smyser as CEO and Brian McCallister, Stacie Raterman, and Jill Gerschutz as directors.
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation is led by Courtney Smyser, CEO on every filing since 2023; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Courtney Smyser
CEO
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jill Gerschutz
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Brian McCallister
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Stacie Raterman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Jeremy Felix (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Libby Gierach (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Lisa Wood (2023–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Keith Lewis (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Larry (2020–2022) — Treasurer
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 Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation
How much does Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation give each year?
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation gave $35K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $31K across 16 grants.
What is Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation's typical grant size?
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $1,944, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation give grants?
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hilliard, OH (2 grants).
Does Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "College Scholarship" (18 grants).
How large is Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation?
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation reported $590K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $35K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as awarding college scholarships to Hilliard students. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation?
The filing says applications can be obtained by contacting the foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation's EIN?
Hollyfest Scholarship Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1448423. 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 September 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 July 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Figures come from Hollyfest Scholarship 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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