Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation
The Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation is a Cleveland, Ohio, public charity formed in 2000. Its stated purpose is to further the charitable, educational, and religious purposes of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. The foundation reports making grants to 501(c)(3) organizations in support of those purposes.
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation gave $233K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $232,500
- +11.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +62.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,885
- -31.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $485,846
- -57.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 25701 Science Park Drive, Cleveland, OH 44122-7302
Phone: (216) 593-2900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Federation of Cleveland ($75K). Together the top 10 received $205K.
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 46 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 4% to recipients in Massachusetts. The listed grants show substantial support for Cleveland-area organizations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 $98K (2021) to $1.7M (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $233K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Federation of Cleveland Cleveland, OH | Israel Emergency Fund, Community Security, Cleveland Israel Arts | $75,000 |
| Bellefaire Jewish Childrens Bureau Shaker Heights, OH | General Support, Suicide Prevention Program for 8TH Graders | $25,000 |
| Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland Beachwood, OH | Camp Inclusion Facilitators | $20,000 |
| Footpath Foundation Parma, OH | General Support | $15,000 |
| Haven Home LLC Cleveland, OH | General Support | $15,000 |
| Western Reserve Land Conservancy Moreland Hills, OH | Reforest Our City-Cargo Van | $15,000 |
| Facing History and Ourselves Inc Boston, MA | Cleveland: Contemporay Antisemitism Initiative | $10,000 |
| Birthing Beautiful Communities Cleveland, OH | General Support | $10,000 |
| Cleveland Peacemakers Inc Cleveland, OH | General Support | $10,000 |
| Near West Side Multi-Service Corporation Cleveland, OH | Refugee Resettlement Activities- English as 2ND Language | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $485,846 | $238,355 | $255,054 | $232,500 | 13 | $227,411 |
| 2024 | $1,148,119 | $28,615 | $242,572 | $208,250 | 8 | $28,515 |
| 2023 | $1,267,333 | $425,359 | $228,475 | $186,500 | 6 | $8,809 |
| 2022 | $1,476,290 | $1,125,862 | $1,758,247 | $1,733,100 | 11 | $103,481 |
| 2021 | $1,281,981 | $32,126 | $117,901 | $97,500 | 8 | $6,923 |
| 2020 | $1,132,682 | $501,791 | $1,328,369 | $1,264,500 | 2 | $16,891 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that its mission is to further the charitable, educational, and religious purposes of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Its filing describes grants to 501(c)(3) organizations for that purpose.
The 2025 grants included support for a range of organizations and activities. For example, the Jewish Federation of Cleveland describes itself as serving the greater Cleveland Jewish community and Jews worldwide. Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau says it provides behavioral health, substance use treatment, faith-based education, and foster care services for children and families across Northeast Ohio. Other grantees describe work in nature access and personal growth (Footpath Foundation), land conservation and restoration (Western Reserve Land Conservancy), assistance for people affected by poverty and homelessness (Homeless Hookup), and violence prevention and youth support (Cleveland Peacemakers).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $232,500. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $75,000, with a median of $10,000.
Notable grants included $75,000 to the Jewish Federation of Cleveland for its Israel Emergency Fund, community security, and Cleveland Israel Arts; $25,000 to Bellefaire Jewish Children’s Bureau for general support and a suicide prevention program for eighth graders; and $20,000 to the Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland for camp inclusion facilitators. Other grants included $15,000 each to Footpath Foundation, Haven Home, and Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and $10,000 each to Facing History and Ourselves, Birthing Beautiful Communities, Cleveland Peacemakers, Near West Side Multi-Service Corporation, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, and Homeless Hookup. Seeds of Literacy received $7,500.
The foundation’s filing says grantees must sign and return a grant award letter specifying the grant’s terms, use of funds, period of support, and reporting requirements. It requires written reports from grantees other than the supported organization within 6–9 months of receiving a grant. Site visits are conducted in selected cases.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John D. Garson as trustee and president; Chris Garson as vice president; and Peggy Garson as trustee and vice president. Other listed officers and trustees are Mozelle Jackson, treasurer; Kari Blumenthal, assistant treasurer; Tal Rothstein, secretary; Mindee Fredman, assistant secretary; Cheryl Davis, trustee; and Keith Libman, trustee. Hedy Milgrom is listed as assistant secretary through October 7, 2024.
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation is led by John D. Garson, Trustee & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John D. Garson
Trustee & President
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cheryl Davis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Keith Libman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marlyn B. Jaffe
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Garson
Trustee & Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Garson
Vice President
Trustee & Vice President → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hedy P. Milgrom
Assistant Secretary
Secretary → Assistant Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kari Blumenthal
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mozelle Jackson
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tal Rothstein
Secretary
On filings since 2024
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mindee Fredman
Assistant Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Matthew E. Garson (2020–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Hedy P. Milgrom Sec'y (2024) — Assistant Sec'y · Filing note: Thru
- Former: Barry Reis (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Scott Garson (2021–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Bonnie Marks (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jessica Bruder (2020–2021) — Assistant Secretary
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 Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation
How much does Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation give each year?
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation gave $233K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $208K across 8 grants.
What is Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,885, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation give grants?
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (7 grants).
Does Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 54% of Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Federation of Cleveland ($75,000), Bellefaire Jewish Childrens Bureau ($25,000) and Mandel Jewish Community Center of Cleveland ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation?
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation reported $486K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $238K.
What does Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its mission is to further the charitable, educational, and religious purposes of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland. Its filing describes grants to 501(c)(3) organizations for that purpose. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation?
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation's EIN?
Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1916905. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 28, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Peggy & John Garson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/peggy-and-john-garson-family-foundation-morg_d1b8d5331d554ecabe47ba2ca3c8fc73
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341916905_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Peggy \& John Garson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/peggy-and-john-garson-family-foundation-morg_d1b8d5331d554ecabe47ba2ca3c8fc73},
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 Peggy & John Garson Family 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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