The Emerald Foundation
The Emerald Foundation is a private foundation based in Westlake, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in health, disability services, conservation, community support, and culture.
The Emerald Foundation at a glance
In short: The Emerald Foundation gave $16K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state Ohio. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $16,154
- +14.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,077
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $216,637
- -3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (44% 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 The Emerald Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2001 Crocker Road Suite 300, Westlake, OH 44145
Phone: (440) 239-9848
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Emerald Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hydrocephalus Association ($2K). Together the top 10 received $13K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 67 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grants went to organizations in multiple states. By share of grant dollars, Ohio received 44%, New York 15%, Maryland 12%, Virginia 10%, and Illinois 7%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Emerald Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 155% 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 $13K (2021) to $20K (2023). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $16K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrocephalus Association Bethesda, MD | Charity | $2,000 |
| Galapagos Conservancy Fairfax, VA | Charity | $1,549 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | Charity | $1,500 |
| Maple Leaf Community Residences Inc Chardon, OH | Charity | $1,500 |
| Ronald McDonald House Chicago, IL | Charity | $1,057 |
| National Museum of the Great Lakes Toledo, OH | Charity | $1,030 |
| American Heart Association Cleveland, OH | Charity | $1,000 |
| Cleveland Metroparks Cleveland, OH | Charity | $1,000 |
| Sanibel Capitva Conservation Foundation Sanibel, FL | Charity | $1,000 |
| Connect to a Cause Elyria, OH | Charity | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Emerald 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 | $216,637 | $12,726 | $19,561 | $16,154 | 15 | $16,541 | $9,970 | $10,703 |
| 2024 | $223,628 | $14,159 | $17,148 | $14,077 | 14 | $14,077 | $11,768 | $11,096 |
| 2023 | $233,643 | $31,024 | $23,190 | $20,338 | 17 | $20,338 | $2,610 | $11,281 |
| 2022 | $218,765 | $27,514 | $16,699 | $15,000 | 12 | $15,000 | $1,515 | $10,276 |
| 2021 | $207,950 | $20,000 | $13,175 | $12,500 | 9 | $12,500 | — | $9,736 |
| 2020 | $202,625 | $10,025 | $13,450 | $12,800 | 11 | — | — | $9,773 |
| 2019 | $205,550 | $50,575 | $16,170 | $14,725 | 10 | — | — | $8,390 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Emerald Foundation reported a distributable amount of $11K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, the Hydrocephalus Association describes its mission as finding a cure for hydrocephalus and improving the lives of people impacted by it, including through awareness-raising and research funding. Maple Leaf Community Residences says its mission is to provide quality, safe, affordable residential housing to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Pelotonia describes its mission as engaging, inspiring, and challenging a community committed to accelerating innovative cancer research.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 15 grants totaling $16,154. Grants ranged from $500 to $2,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $2,000 to the Hydrocephalus Association, $1,549 to Galapagos Conservancy, $1,500 each to Doctors Without Borders and Maple Leaf Community Residences, and $1,057 to Ronald McDonald House. Pelotonia received $518.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jeffrey Gerish, James Gerish, Jennifer Gerish, Matthew Gerish, and Keith Martinet as directors, and Kris Gerish as managing director.
The Emerald Foundation is led by Kris Gerish, Managing Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kris Gerish
Managing Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Gerish
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey Gerish
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Gerish
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Martinet
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Gerish
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 Emerald Foundation
How much does The Emerald Foundation give each year?
The Emerald Foundation gave $16K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $14K across 14 grants.
What is The Emerald Foundation's typical grant size?
The Emerald Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,077, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Emerald Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Emerald Foundation give grants?
The Emerald Foundation's top state is Ohio, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (15%) and Maryland (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (2 grants).
Does The Emerald Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on The Emerald Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (14 grants).
Who are The Emerald Foundation's largest grantees?
The Emerald Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Hydrocephalus Association ($2,000), Galapagos Conservancy ($1,549) and Doctors Without Borders ($1,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Emerald Foundation?
The Emerald Foundation reported $217K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $11K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Emerald Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Emerald Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Emerald Foundation's EIN?
The Emerald Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-5106676. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Emerald 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.
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 August 21, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 18, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
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