The EPIK Foundation Inc
The EPIK Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants supporting organizations in Colorado and New Mexico, including performing arts, health, and education organizations.
The EPIK Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The EPIK Foundation Inc gave $205K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in Colorado. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $205,000
- -7.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,500
- -17.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,500
- Total assets
- $1,437,950
- -0.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Colorado (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The EPIK Foundation Inc
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Janet Houston Strauss Troy 150, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 629-9413
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The EPIK Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lensic Performing Arts Center ($55K). Together the top 9 received $205K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 41 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 63% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado and 37% went to recipients in New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The EPIK Foundation Inc gives
- Giving grew 58% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 126% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $130K (2022) to $395K (2020). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $205K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lensic Performing Arts Center Santa Fe, NM | Program Support | $55,000 |
| Bravo Colorado Music Festival Foundation Vail, CO | Program Support | $30,000 |
| Vail Health Foundation Vail, CO | Program Support | $25,000 |
| Vail Valley Foundation Avon, CO | Program Support | $25,000 |
| Vail International Dance Festival Avon, CO | Program Support | $20,000 |
| Vail Valley Foundation Avon, CO | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Santa Fe Opera Santa Fe, NM | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Education Foundation of Eagle County Avon, CO | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Aspen, CO | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Museum of International Folk Art Santa Fe, NM | Program Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The EPIK 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 | $1,437,950 | $225,023 | $226,970 | $205,000 | 10 | $207,529 | $45,631 | $164,785 |
| 2024 | $1,440,179 | $232,250 | $243,039 | $222,500 | 9 | $225,113 | $156,806 | $148,908 |
| 2023 | $1,450,968 | $187,076 | $217,059 | $200,000 | 8 | $202,900 | $113,958 | $127,649 |
| 2022 | $1,481,747 | $107,780 | $146,217 | $130,000 | 8 | $132,717 | $37,491 | $128,676 |
| 2021 | $1,520,184 | $222,890 | $186,360 | $165,000 | 6 | $170,012 | $147,440 | $143,915 |
| 2020 | $1,483,611 | $214,341 | $413,234 | $395,000 | 15 | — | $142,156 | $113,508 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The EPIK Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $165K 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 went to organizations whose work includes performing arts, dance, health, education, and community programming. For example, the Lensic Performing Arts Center describes its mission as bringing diverse art and people together through accessible and affordable programming, while the Vail Valley Foundation says it works to enhance quality of life and showcase the community through arts, athletics, and education. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet describes its work as cultivating appreciation of dance, bringing dance companies to its two home cities, and operating a dance school for pre-collegiate students.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $205,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $55,000, with a median of $17,500. The largest grants included $55,000 to the Lensic Performing Arts Center, $30,000 to Bravo Colorado Music Festival Foundation, $25,000 each to Vail Health Foundation and Vail Valley Foundation, and $20,000 to Vail International Dance Festival. The listed grants were for program support.
The foundation’s 2025 filing also lists grants to Santa Fe Opera ($15,000), Vail Valley Foundation ($15,000), Education Foundation of Eagle County ($10,000), Aspen Santa Fe Ballet ($5,000), and Museum of International Folk Art ($5,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Janet L Houston as Secretary and Trustee, Joseph E Illick IV as President and Trustee, and Eric PK Illick as Treasurer and Trustee.
The EPIK Foundation Inc is led by Joseph E Illick IV, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph E Illick IV
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric PK Illick
Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Janet L Houston
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 The EPIK Foundation Inc
How much does The EPIK Foundation Inc give each year?
The EPIK Foundation Inc gave $205K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $223K across 9 grants.
What is The EPIK Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The EPIK Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $17,500, and its average grant was $20,500, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The EPIK Foundation Inc give grants?
The EPIK Foundation Inc gives mostly in Colorado: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Mexico (37%). The most frequent recipient cities were Avon, CO (4 grants), Santa Fe, NM (3 grants) and Vail, CO (2 grants).
Does The EPIK Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The EPIK Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (10 grants).
Who are The EPIK Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The EPIK Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Lensic Performing Arts Center ($55,000), Vail Valley Foundation ($40,000 across 2 grants) and Bravo Colorado Music Festival Foundation ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The EPIK Foundation Inc?
The EPIK Foundation Inc reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $208K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $165K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The EPIK Foundation Inc fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose work includes performing arts, dance, health, education, and community programming. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The EPIK Foundation Inc?
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 EPIK Foundation Inc's EIN?
The EPIK Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1714719. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The EPIK Foundation Inc 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The EPIK Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-epik-foundation-inc-morg_7dd10c5cb0d34e6a9c57101f8c664d87
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311714719_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The EPIK Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-epik-foundation-inc-morg_7dd10c5cb0d34e6a9c57101f8c664d87},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 EPIK 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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