Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund is a private foundation focused on Human Services, based in DIXON, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $880K in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 4 grants totaling $40K. Net investment income was $25K.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$880K
-3.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$40K
+98.0% YoY
Grant Count
4
+33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
+48.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $47K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
About Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund
Based on IRS filings
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund is a private foundation focused on Human Services, based in DIXON, IL. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $880K in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 4 grants totaling $40K. Net investment income was $25K.
Focus Areas
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $879,589 | $915,106 | $973,576 |
| Revenue | $45,791 | $29,953 | $48,284 |
| Expenses | $81,308 | $88,423 | $38,006 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $60,454 | $54,211 | $29,003 |
| Net Investment Income | $24,937 | — | $39,281 |
| Distributable Amount | $46,716 | $46,133 | $49,368 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 4 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
11 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include North Central College ($11,533), New Style Hair Academy ($11,533), Concordia University ($11,533).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE NAPERVILLE, IL | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP | $11,533 |
| NEW STYLE HAIR ACADEMY MOLINE, IL | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP | $11,533 |
| CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY RIVER FOREST, IL | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP | $11,533 |
| NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY DEKALB, IL | EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAYLA TOPP | PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| NICOLE JONES | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| ALLEN HARDEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN BYAR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
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 $880K in total assets as of 2024.
How large is Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund?
As of 2024, Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund holds $880K in total assets with $46K in annual revenue. It awarded 4 grants totaling $40K in 2024.
Where does Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund operate?
Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund has awarded grants in Illinois.
What size grants does Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund award?
In 2024, Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund awarded 4 grants totaling $40K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Joel L Gerdes Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $47K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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 2020–2024.
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
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