Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable is a private foundation based in Towson, Maryland. Its primary purpose is to foster and promote the advancement and performance of classical music in the Metropolitan Baltimore area.
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable at a glance
In short: Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable gave $377K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), mostly in Maryland. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $376,500
- +22.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +8.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,060
- +13.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,347,883
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (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. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 409 Washington Avenue Suite 900, Towson, MD 21204
Phone: (410) 494-0100
Website: https://gordontrust.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was HAR Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation ($56K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $335K.
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 103 grants of 105 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland. The trust’s stated purpose is focused on the Metropolitan Baltimore area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 18 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% 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 $266K (2020) to $377K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $377K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Hebrew Congregation Baltimore, MD | Music Programs | $35,000 |
| JCC of Greater Baltimore Owings Mills, MD | Music Programs | $32,500 |
| Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Baltimore, MD | Music Programs | $30,000 |
| Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins Baltimore, MD | Gordon Career Development Fund | $30,000 |
| Shriver Hall Concert Series Baltimore, MD | Music Programs | $30,000 |
| HAR Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation Baltmore, MD | Capital Expenditures | $28,000 |
| HAR Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation Baltmore, MD | Music Programs | $28,000 |
| Pikesville Armory Foundation Stevenson, MD | Sound Stage | $25,000 |
| Towson University Foundation Towson, MD | Classical Music Fund | $25,000 |
| Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Baltimore, MD | Orchkids Program | $15,000 |
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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 | $3,347,883 | $632,353 | $476,628 | $376,500 | 25 | $417,225 | $581,237 | $435,917 |
| 2024 | $3,192,158 | $432,956 | $391,934 | $306,500 | 23 | $343,109 | $385,331 | $409,783 |
| 2023 | $3,151,136 | $267,390 | $407,656 | $323,000 | 21 | $359,590 | $224,324 | $343,169 |
| 2022 | $3,291,402 | $405,505 | $427,854 | $342,000 | 22 | $370,090 | $355,930 | $340,422 |
| 2021 | $3,313,751 | $389,964 | $335,978 | $273,500 | 14 | $300,669 | $354,655 | $379,345 |
| 2020 | $3,259,765 | $152,002 | $325,697 | $265,750 | 14 | — | $118,366 | $305,116 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable reported a distributable amount of $436K 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
The trust’s stated purpose is to foster and promote classical music in the Metropolitan Baltimore area. Its regular beneficiaries have included music venues, concert series, arts organizations, and educational institutions.
Examples of supported organizations and their stated missions include Shriver Hall Concert Series, which says its mission is to enrich the Baltimore community through chamber music and recitals; the Bach Concert Series, which presents music centered on Johann Sebastian Bach and seeks to educate and enrich its community; and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, whose mission includes presenting concerts for Baltimore and Maryland. The trust has also funded music programs at congregations and supported music-related initiatives at educational institutions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $376,500. Individual grants ranged from $2,000 to $35,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable awards included $35,000 to Baltimore Hebrew Congregation for music programs; $32,500 to JCC of Greater Baltimore for music programs; $30,000 each to Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for music programs, Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins for the Gordon Career Development Fund, and Shriver Hall Concert Series for music programs; and $25,000 each to Pikesville Armory Foundation for a sound stage and Towson University Foundation for a classical music fund.
Other 2025 grants included $15,000 to Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for its OrchKids program, $15,000 to Pikesville Armory Foundation for music performances and development, and $12,000 to Bach Concert Series for its endowment.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Phyllis C Friedman as executive director and trustee, and Louis F Friedman, Charles J Bishow, Matthew N Davis, and Sara R Fuld as trustees.
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable is led by Phyllis C. Friedman, Executive Director & Tte on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Phyllis C. Friedman
Executive Director & Tte
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles J. Bishow
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Louis F. Friedman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew N. Davis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sara R. Fuld
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 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 Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable
How much does Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable give each year?
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable gave $377K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $307K across 23 grants.
What is Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable's typical grant size?
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $15,060, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable that year got $3K on average.
Where does Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable give grants?
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable gives mostly in Maryland: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (11 grants), Towson, MD (5 grants), Stevenson, MD (4 grants) and Baltmore, MD (2 grants).
Does Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable give general operating support?
Yes: 20% of Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Music Programs" (7 grants).
Who are Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable's largest grantees?
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable's largest 2025 grantees include HAR Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation ($56,000 across 2 grants), Baltimore Symphony Orchestra ($45,000 across 2 grants) and Pikesville Armory Foundation ($40,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable?
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $417K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $436K (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 Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable fund?
The trust’s stated purpose is to foster and promote classical music in the Metropolitan Baltimore area. Its regular beneficiaries have included music venues, concert series, arts organizations, and educational institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable?
The foundation 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 Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable's EIN?
Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1174287. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Peggy & Yale Gordon Charitable funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/peggy-and-yale-gordon-charitable-morg_c86731f2ebf84bda8130d1be88bc4f2f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521174287_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Peggy \& Yale Gordon Charitable funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/peggy-and-yale-gordon-charitable-morg_c86731f2ebf84bda8130d1be88bc4f2f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 & Yale Gordon Charitable'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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