Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation
The Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations supporting education, food access, legal rights for women, humanitarian assistance, health care, children and families, the arts, and environmental protection.
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation at a glance
In short: Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation gave $785K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in New York. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $785,433
- +10.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $34,149
- +5.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $12,222,826
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (53% 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 Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 151 Central Park West 10W, New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 421-2551
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cornell University ($189K). Together the top 10 received $514K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($75,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 131 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 53% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in South Carolina (16%), Maryland (6%), Texas (4%), and Arizona (4%). These figures describe the states of recipients listed in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 20 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. How we count
- 90% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $704K (2021) to $822K (2022). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $785K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cornell University Ithaca, NY | Support Educational Programs, Including Scholarship Aid | $189,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $75,000 |
| Legal Momentum New York, NY | Support programs to protect the legal rights of women | $60,000 |
| Catholic Relief Services Baltimore, MD | Support programs to provide humanitarian assistance to needy individuals | $50,000 |
| The Interfaith Nutrition Network Hempstead, NY | Support Programs to Provide Meals to Needy Individuals | $50,000 |
| Both Ends Believing Plano, TX | Support programs to provide assistance to foster children and their families | $32,500 |
| Chances for Children Scottsdale, AZ | Support programs to provide medical and educational assistance to impoverished | $32,500 |
| Americares Stamford, CT | Support programs to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of poverty, war and natural disasters | $25,000 |
| Carnegie Hall New York, NY | Support Musical Programming Offered at Carnegie Hall | $25,000 |
| Coastal Conservation League Charleston, SC | Support Environmental Protection Programs, Including Natural Areas Preservation | $25,000 |
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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 | $12,222,826 | $563,455 | $958,480 | $785,433 | 23 | $789,858 | $398,258 | $813,539 |
| 2024 | $12,617,851 | $510,717 | $898,697 | $712,100 | 22 | $716,420 | $332,753 | $773,474 |
| 2023 | $13,223,081 | $579,493 | $915,796 | $747,620 | 27 | $751,670 | $414,512 | $714,888 |
| 2022 | $13,633,614 | $323,940 | $1,002,819 | $822,000 | 31 | $822,750 | $269,869 | $747,675 |
| 2021 | $14,081,664 | $971,118 | $902,880 | $703,500 | 28 | $704,410 | $784,848 | $822,003 |
| 2020 | $14,061,811 | $764,383 | $882,586 | $725,000 | 23 | — | $594,028 | $705,691 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation reported a distributable amount of $814K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in several areas. For example, an individual recipient describes its mission as pursuing equitable, dignified, and consistent access to food. Legal Momentum says it advances gender equality for women under the law, while The Interfaith Nutrition Network describes providing services to people facing hunger, homelessness, and poverty. Other 2025 recipients include organizations whose stated missions address child welfare, pediatric disease, children’s needs in Cambodia, and hunger and food waste on Long Island.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $785,433. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $189,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest grant was $189,000 to Cornell University for educational programs, including scholarship aid. Other notable grants were $75,000 to an individual recipient, $60,000 to Legal Momentum, and $50,000 each to Catholic Relief Services and The Interfaith Nutrition Network.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Gail Gearns and John W. Gearns as trustees, and David L. Russo as treasurer.
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John W. Gearns
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Gail Gearns
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David L. Russo
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation
How much does Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation give each year?
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation gave $785K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $712K across 22 grants.
What is Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's typical grant size?
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $34,149, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation give grants?
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation gives mostly in New York: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were South Carolina (16%) and Maryland (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants) and Basalt, CO (2 grants).
Does Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's largest grantees?
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Cornell University ($189,000), Legal Momentum ($60,000) and Catholic Relief Services ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($75,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation?
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation reported $12.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $790K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $814K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in several areas. For example, an individual recipient describes its mission as pursuing equitable, dignified, and consistent access to food. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's EIN?
Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2659091. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 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)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mary-jane-wahl-gearns-foundation-morg_0696a53203804765a02096d5c5c429da
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_462659091_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mary Jane Wahl Gearns Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mary-jane-wahl-gearns-foundation-morg_0696a53203804765a02096d5c5c429da},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Mary Jane Wahl Gearns 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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