The Bernard Family Foundation
The Bernard Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Big Horn, Wyoming. Its 2025 filing reports 18 grants totaling $109,500 to charitable organizations, with recipients in Tennessee, Wyoming, Colorado, Wisconsin, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Key facts about The Bernard Family Foundation
In short: The Bernard Family Foundation gave $110K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state Tennessee. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 27-4292251
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $109,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $6,083
- Median grant
- $2,750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (9 of 18, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $1,535,233
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (45% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.5M
-1.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$110K
+3.3% YoY
Grant Count
18
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$6K
-31.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bernard Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $99K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Bernard Family Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 18 grantees (50%) 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 $2K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including wildlife conservation, education, arts and culture, health, and social services. For example, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation describes its mission as advancing conservation for Wyoming’s wildlife, hunters, anglers, and conservationists through policy, education, advocacy, and habitat. Colorado Rocky Mountain School describes itself as a co-educational college-preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9–12. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital says its mission is to advance cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Montgomery Bell Academy describes its work as providing young men with a college-preparatory experience.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $109,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $37,000, with a median grant of $2,750.
The largest reported grants included $37,000 to Chabad of Nashville and $19,000 to New Museum at Bradford Brinton. Other notable awards were $10,000 to Wyoming Wildlife Federation; $5,000 each to At Ease Horsemanship, Nature Conservancy in Wyoming, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation, and Wyo Theater; and $3,000 to Colorado Rocky Mountain School and Vista 360. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received $2,500, as did Montgomery Bell Academy and several other organizations.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The Bernard Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to organizations in several states. Tennessee accounted for 45% of grant dollars and Wyoming for 41%; Colorado and Wisconsin each accounted for 3%, and New York for 2%. The listed grants also include a recipient in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $93K (2023) to $165K (2021). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $110K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chabad of Nashville ($37K). Together the top 10 received $95K.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 77 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chabad of Nashville Nashville, TN | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $37,000 |
| New Museum at Bradford Brinton Big Horn, WY | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $19,000 |
| Wyoming Wildlife Federation Lander, WY | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| At Ease Horsemanship Sheridan, WY | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| Nature Conservancy in Wyoming Lander, WY | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation Nashville, TN | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| WYO Theater Inc Sheridan, WY | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $5,000 |
| Colorado Rocky Mountain School Carbondale, CO | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $3,000 |
| Vista 360 Inc Milwaukee, WI | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $3,000 |
| Age Well Middle TN Nashville, TN | To Fulfill Exempt Purpose | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,535,233 | $96,587 | $124,302 | $109,500 (18) |
| 2024 | $1,563,165 | $106,332 | $118,415 | $106,000 (12) |
| 2023 | $1,575,248 | $66,290 | $104,739 | $93,000 (11) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,535,233 | $1,563,165 | $1,575,248 |
| Revenue | $96,587 | $106,332 | $66,290 |
| Expenses | $124,302 | $118,415 | $104,739 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $111,305 | $107,718 | $94,823 |
| Net Investment Income | $85,487 | $96,156 | $56,374 |
| Distributable Amount | $99,363 | $96,829 | $92,894 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 27, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 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 March 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 19, 2025)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas E Bernard as president, Lisa Marie Bernard as secretary, Lee S Kraft as treasurer, and Mark Robin and Hannah Jones-Bernard as directors.
The Bernard Family Foundation is led by Thomas E. Bernard, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas E. Bernard
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Robin
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hannah Jones-Bernard
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee S. Kraft
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Marie Bernard
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Andy E. Cox (2019–2021) — Director
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.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 326, Big Horn, WY 82833
Phone: (615) 320-7292
Frequently asked questions about The Bernard Family Foundation
How much does The Bernard Family Foundation give each year?
The Bernard Family Foundation gave $110K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $106K across 12 grants.
What is The Bernard Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Bernard Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,750, and its average grant was $6,083, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bernard Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Bernard Family Foundation give grants?
The Bernard Family Foundation's top state is Tennessee, with 45% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Wyoming (41%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nashville, TN (5 grants), Sheridan, WY (3 grants) and Lander, WY (2 grants).
Who are The Bernard Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Bernard Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Chabad of Nashville ($37,000), New Museum at Bradford Brinton ($19,000) and Wyoming Wildlife Federation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Bernard Family Foundation?
The Bernard Family Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $111K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $99K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Bernard Family Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including wildlife conservation, education, arts and culture, health, and social services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bernard Family 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 The Bernard Family Foundation's EIN?
The Bernard Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4292251. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Bernard Family 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 September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Bernard Family Foundation by hand.
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