The Birk Family Foundation Inc
The Birk Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Its 2025 filing records grants to charitable organizations, including schools and organizations working in housing, community services, and food access.
The Birk Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Birk Family Foundation Inc gave $440K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in South Carolina. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $440,000
- +30.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,750
- +22.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,064,757
- +4.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (9 of 32, 2025)
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (57% 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 The Birk Family Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Mary Colas 1616 Diddy Drive, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464
Phone: (703) 678-7292
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Birk Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Habitat for Humanity Greenville County ($60K). Together the top 10 received $305K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($7,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 126 grants of 131 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in South Carolina, 21% to Washington, DC, 8% to New York, 7% to Maryland, and 2% to Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Birk Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 32 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 66% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 42% from 2022 to 2025. 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 (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 $232K (2021) to $440K (2025). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $440K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat for Humanity Greenville County Greenville, SC | general support for Greenville, east cooper, charleston areas | $60,000 |
| Cristo Rey Charleston High School Noirth Charleston, SC | General Support | $40,000 |
| Don Bosco Cristo Rey Takoma Park, MD | general support | $30,000 |
| Hope Hall Rochester, NY | General Support | $30,000 |
| Washington Jesuit Academy Washington, DC | General Support | $30,000 |
| Washington School for Girls Washington, DC | General Support | $30,000 |
| Bishop Walker School for Boys Washington, DC | General Support | $30,000 |
| Mill Village Ministries Greenville, SC | General Support | $25,000 |
| Operation Home North Charleston, SC | General Suuport | $15,000 |
| Jame Island Community Outreach Charleston, SC | General Support | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Birk Family Foundation Inc?
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 | $6,064,757 | $739,240 | $506,770 | $440,000 | 32 | $443,855 | $697,145 | $457,655 |
| 2024 | $5,827,983 | $932,524 | $386,530 | $338,118 | 30 | $342,025 | $892,833 | $428,490 |
| 2023 | $5,277,401 | $2,047,635 | $367,574 | $326,000 | 23 | $329,242 | $262,870 | $392,848 |
| 2022 | $3,604,624 | $398,257 | $346,387 | $309,500 | 23 | $315,097 | $202,703 | $303,790 |
| 2021 | $3,553,695 | $200,589 | $265,247 | $231,900 | 23 | $234,563 | $171,705 | $315,637 |
| 2020 | $3,627,304 | $112,521 | $329,986 | $296,500 | 20 | — | $169,578 | $274,360 |
| 2019 | $3,829,726 | $365,935 | $314,085 | $280,000 | 23 | — | $339,955 | $279,817 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Birk Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $458K 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for education, housing, community services, and food access. For example, Cristo Rey Charleston High School describes itself as a college-preparatory school for students of limited economic means, while Lowcountry Food Bank describes its mission as pursuing equitable, dignified, and consistent access to food.
Other 2025 grantees describe their work as supporting girls’ education in underserved areas (Washington School for Girls), educating students who have struggled in traditional classrooms (HOPE Hall), confronting local systemic injustice through education, access, and resources (Mill Village Ministries), and facilitating critical home repairs to help people remain in their homes (Operation Home).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 32 grants totaling $440,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $60,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants included $60,000 to Habitat for Humanity Greenville County; $40,000 to Cristo Rey Charleston High School; and $30,000 each to Don Bosco Cristo Rey, HOPE Hall, Washington Jesuit Academy, Washington School for Girls, and Bishop Walker School for Boys. Other grants included $25,000 to Mill Village Ministries and $15,000 each to Operation Home and Jame Island Community Outreach.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary E Colas, Timothy Colas, and Robert Colas as directors.
The Birk Family Foundation Inc's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mary E. Colas
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Colas
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy Colas
Director
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 The Birk Family Foundation Inc
How much does The Birk Family Foundation Inc give each year?
The Birk Family Foundation Inc gave $440K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $338K across 30 grants.
What is The Birk Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Birk Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,750, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Birk Family Foundation Inc that year got $17K on average.
Where does The Birk Family Foundation Inc give grants?
The Birk Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in South Carolina: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (21%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, SC (6 grants), Greenville, SC (5 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and North Charleston, SC (3 grants).
Does The Birk Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Birk Family Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Birk Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Birk Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Habitat for Humanity Greenville County ($60,000), Cristo Rey Charleston High School ($40,000) and Don Bosco Cristo Rey ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($7,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Birk Family Foundation Inc?
The Birk Family Foundation Inc reported $6.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $444K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $458K (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 The Birk Family Foundation Inc fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for education, housing, community services, and food access. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Birk Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Birk Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Birk Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 65-0661100. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Birk Family Foundation Inc 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 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
Live grants for the work The Birk Family Foundation Inc funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Birk Family Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Birk Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-birk-family-foundation-inc-morg_0e85a19b7caf405cb3dd98a33c8ca007
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_650661100_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Birk Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-birk-family-foundation-inc-morg_0e85a19b7caf405cb3dd98a33c8ca007},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 The Birk Family Foundation Inc'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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