Ideal Foundation
Ideal Foundation is a private foundation based in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. In 2025, it made 25 grants totaling $195,580 to organizations in five states, including arts organizations, churches, a botanical garden, a college, and community-serving groups.
Ideal Foundation at a glance
In short: Ideal Foundation gave $196K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), top state Florida. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $195,580
- -13.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- -7.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,823
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $2,490,861
- -7.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (3 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Florida (46% 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 Ideal Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants may contact The Ideal Foundation and submit materials in any legible form, including their name and address. There are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: The Ideal Foundation
Mailing address: 240 S Pineapple Avenue Suite 200, Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: (941) 365-3745
Email: michelle.cross@marinerwealthadvisors.com
Website: https://idealfoundationsystems.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ideal Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Friends of English Orchestra ($33K). Together the top 10 received $166K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 136 grants of 137 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Florida received 46% of grant dollars, Pennsylvania 25%, New York 16%, Arizona 8%, and Texas 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ideal Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 25 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $7K repeat.
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 145% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $101K (2021) to $258K (2023). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $196K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Friends of English Orchestra Sarasota, FL | Donation | $32,930 |
| Playhouse Artists New Hope, PA | Donation | $25,000 |
| Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Sarasota, FL | Donation | $20,500 |
| Russell Sage Colleges Troy, NY | Donation | $20,000 |
| Invisible Theatre Tucson, AZ | Donation | $15,000 |
| Grace Methodist Church Sykesville, PA | Donation | $11,500 |
| St Peters United Church DuBois, PA | Donation | $11,500 |
| Planned Parenthood of SW Cen FL Sarasota, FL | Donation | $10,000 |
| Am Friends of London Philharmonic Orche New York, NY | Donation | $10,000 |
| Library Foundation for Sarasota County Sarasota, FL | Donation | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ideal 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 | $2,490,861 | $58,144 | $244,603 | $195,580 | 25 | $207,812 | $29,530 | $143,536 |
| 2024 | $2,680,731 | $300,568 | $286,549 | $227,270 | 27 | $242,199 | $273,483 | $169,781 |
| 2023 | $2,661,855 | $-39,947 | $314,547 | $258,250 | 33 | $269,126 | $17,174 | $129,209 |
| 2022 | $3,016,234 | $21,790 | $258,192 | $173,750 | 26 | $183,948 | $18,907 | $155,181 |
| 2021 | $3,263,602 | $929,803 | $176,883 | $101,010 | 26 | — | $907,215 | $133,310 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ideal Foundation reported a distributable amount of $144K 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
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including the arts, education, religion, health, and conservation. For example, Playhouse Artists describes its mission as supporting the growth and sustainability of its playhouse by building audiences and increasing community awareness and engagement. Invisible Theatre says it produces theatre and arts education experiences for the community. Bucks County Audubon Society describes its work as educating and engaging people about the natural world, with an emphasis on conservation and stewardship.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Ideal Foundation made 25 grants totaling $195,580. Awards ranged from $250 to $32,930, with a median grant of $3,000. Among the largest were $32,930 to American Friends of English Orchestra, $25,000 to Playhouse Artists, $20,500 to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, $20,000 to Russell Sage Colleges, and $15,000 to Invisible Theatre.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John W Bean, A Alexandra Jupin, and Tara Clifford as trustees.
Ideal Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
A Alexandra Jupin
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$3K (2021) → $0 (2025)
John W Bean
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$3K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Tara Clifford
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$3K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $5K, to John W Bean (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ideal Foundation
How much does Ideal Foundation give each year?
Ideal Foundation gave $196K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $227K across 27 grants.
What is Ideal Foundation's typical grant size?
Ideal Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $7,823, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ideal Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Ideal Foundation give grants?
Ideal Foundation's top state is Florida, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (25%) and New York (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sarasota, FL (10 grants) and New Hope, PA (2 grants).
Does Ideal Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Ideal Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (25 grants).
Who are Ideal Foundation's largest grantees?
Ideal Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include American Friends of English Orchestra ($32,930), Playhouse Artists ($25,000) and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens ($20,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ideal Foundation?
Ideal Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $208K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $144K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ideal Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including the arts, education, religion, health, and conservation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ideal Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ideal Foundation's EIN?
Ideal Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7046799. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ideal Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ideal-foundation-morg_f4c6616e20f242758bd52830a5d7e8c2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237046799_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ideal Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ideal-foundation-morg_f4c6616e20f242758bd52830a5d7e8c2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Ideal 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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