Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund is a private foundation focused on Human Services, based in Dixon, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $921K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 3 grants totaling $33K. Net investment income was $93K.
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund at a glance
In short: Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund gave $33K across 3 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $32,793
- -17.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 3
- -25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,931
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $9,260
- Total assets
- $920,702
- +4.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Educators of Beauty ($17K). Together the top 2 received $24K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($9,260), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
13 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 13 grants of 13 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 3 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund gives
- Giving grew 64% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $10K (2019) to $40K (2024). In 2025 it made 3 grants totaling $33K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Educators of Beauty Sterling, IL | Educational Scholarship | $17,000 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $9,260 |
| Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | Educational Scholarship | $6,533 |
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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 | $920,702 | $111,982 | $70,869 | $32,793 | 3 | $52,131 | $92,944 | $47,194 |
| 2024 | $879,589 | $45,791 | $81,308 | $39,599 | 4 | $60,454 | $24,937 | $46,716 |
| 2023 | $915,106 | $29,953 | $88,423 | $20,000 | 3 | $54,211 | — | $46,133 |
| 2022 | $973,576 | $48,284 | $38,006 | $20,000 | 2 | $29,003 | $39,281 | $49,368 |
| 2021 | $963,298 | $126,088 | $43,452 | $10,000 | 1 | $34,178 | $116,814 | $51,180 |
| 2020 | $880,662 | $7,909 | $37,867 | $10,000 | 1 | — | $15,821 | $49,380 |
| 2019 | $910,620 | $32,512 | $31,868 | $10,000 | 2 | — | $21,577 | $44,734 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $47K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund is led by Gayla Topp, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gayla Topp
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allen Harden
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Byar
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicole Jones
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Connie Bontz (2019–2023) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund
How much does Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund give each year?
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund gave $33K across 3 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $40K across 4 grants.
What is Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund's typical grant size?
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund's median grant in 2025 was $9,260, and its average grant was $10,931, across 3 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund give grants?
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund gives mostly in Illinois: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 3 grants with a stated purpose on Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational Scholarship" (3 grants).
How large is Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund?
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund reported $921K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $52K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $47K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What is Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund?
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund is a private foundation focused on Human Services, based in Dixon, IL. It holds $921K in total assets as of 2025.
What is Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund's EIN?
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4435021. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund funds
Human Services Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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