Pettit Family Charitable Foundation
The Pettit Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Founded in 1989 by John H. Pettit, it supports local, regional, and national organizations, with the foundation’s website identifying shelter and hunger as its primary areas of focus.
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Pettit Family Charitable Foundation gave $250K across 46 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Maryland. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $250,070
- -3.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 46
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,436
- -3.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,250
- Total assets
- $5,409,368
- +0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (8 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Maryland (92% 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 Pettit Family Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2025 filing says applicants should submit a letter identifying the organization, its charitable purpose, the amount requested, and the proposed use of the funds. It states that any recognized charity may apply, with no geographic restrictions or other limitations.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Pettit Family Charitable Foundation
Mailing address: 18205-D Flower Hill Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20879
Phone: (301) 975-1020
Website: https://pettitcompanies.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pettit Family Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Shady Grove Adventist Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $170K.
Grant Size Distribution
219 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 214 grants of 219 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it serves local, regional, and national organizations. In 2025, 92% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland; the filing also reports awards in Florida, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and West Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Pettit Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 38 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $240K (2020) to $269K (2019). In 2025 it made 46 grants totaling $250K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Shady Grove Adventist Foundation Rockville, MD | Medical Support | $50,000 |
| St Francis of Assisi Fulton, MD | Religious Support | $20,000 |
| Gospel Haiti Inc Frederick, MD | Education Support | $15,000 |
| Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless Rockville, MD | Shelter Support | $10,000 |
| St Francis of Assisi Fulton, MD | Religious Support | $10,000 |
| Rebuilding Together Montgomery County Rockville, MD | Shelter Support | $10,000 |
| Montgomery Hospice Foundation Rockville, MD | Medical Support | $10,000 |
| Maryland Food Bank Baltimore, MD | Hunger Relief | $10,000 |
| Montgomery College Foundation Rockville, MD | Education Support | $7,500 |
| Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless Rockville, MD | Hunger Relief | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Pettit Family Charitable Foundation?
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 | $5,409,368 | $331,240 | $299,708 | $250,070 | 46 | $250,070 | $287,128 | $250,000 |
| 2024 | $5,377,917 | $393,141 | $309,593 | $260,140 | 46 | $260,140 | $350,089 | $242,670 |
| 2023 | $5,294,288 | $285,009 | $306,188 | $260,200 | 45 | $260,200 | $243,896 | $241,979 |
| 2022 | $5,316,142 | $283,932 | $302,608 | $257,100 | 45 | $257,100 | $243,291 | $251,665 |
| 2021 | $5,334,143 | $232,111 | $308,589 | $261,000 | 37 | $261,000 | $188,629 | $256,562 |
| 2020 | $5,410,621 | $191,130 | $285,264 | $239,600 | 51 | — | $149,022 | $254,671 |
| 2019 | $5,504,755 | $293,528 | $316,852 | $269,025 | 68 | — | $249,683 | $246,987 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pettit Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $250K 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
The foundation’s website says it continues to serve organizations in need and focuses its resources primarily on shelter and hunger. Its 2025 grants also included support categorized as medical, religious, and education support.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Rebuilding Together Montgomery County says its mission is “repairing homes, revitalizing communities, and rebuilding lives,” while Housing Unlimited says it provides affordable, permanent housing and independent living for adults in mental health recovery. The Maryland Food Bank describes itself as a hunger-relief organization dedicated to feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger in Maryland. Montgomery College Foundation says it provides resources to advance the college’s mission to transform student lives and enrich the communities it serves.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 46 grants totaling $250,070. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median grant of $4,250.
The largest reported grants included $50,000 to Shady Grove Adventist Foundation for medical support; $20,000 to St Francis of Assisi for religious support; $15,000 to Gospel Haiti Inc for education support; and $10,000 each to Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless for shelter support, Rebuilding Together Montgomery County for shelter support, Montgomery Hospice Foundation for medical support, and Maryland Food Bank for hunger relief. Montgomery College Foundation received $7,500 for education support. The filing also lists two $5,000 grants to Housing Unlimited Inc for shelter support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard B Pettit, Barbara Lynn Kelly, and Jeanne Marie Pettit as managers, and John Stephen Pettit as a trustee.
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carol Ann Pettit Fahrner
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
John Stephen Pettit
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Barbara Lynn Kelly
Manager
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Jeanne Marie Pettit
Manager
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Richard B Pettit
Manager
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Pettit Family Charitable Foundation
How much does Pettit Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation gave $250K across 46 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $260K across 46 grants.
What is Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,250, and its average grant was $5,436, across 46 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Pettit Family Charitable Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Pettit Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Rockville, MD (9 grants), Fulton, MD (4 grants), Silver Spring, MD (4 grants) and Olney, MD (3 grants).
Does Pettit Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 41% of Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 46) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Shelter Support" (10 grants), "Education Support" (6 grants) and "Religious Support" (4 grants).
Who are Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Shady Grove Adventist Foundation ($50,000), St Francis of Assisi ($30,000 across 2 grants) and Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless ($16,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Pettit Family Charitable Foundation?
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation reported $5.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $250K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $250K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Pettit Family Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website says it continues to serve organizations in need and focuses its resources primarily on shelter and hunger. Its 2025 grants also included support categorized as medical, religious, and education support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pettit Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation’s 2025 filing says applicants should submit a letter identifying the organization, its charitable purpose, the amount requested, and the proposed use of the funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1646923. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
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 26, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Pettit Family Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Pettit Family Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pettit-family-charitable-foundation-morg_56b5d6d3ff1b40698c85bd0cacdcf7b7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521646923_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pettit Family Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pettit-family-charitable-foundation-morg_56b5d6d3ff1b40698c85bd0cacdcf7b7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Pettit Family Charitable 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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