The Gardener Foundation Inc
The Gardener Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Sarasota, Florida. Its 2025 grants supported charitable organizations in Florida, New York, Colorado, Arkansas, and Tennessee, with most grant dollars going to Florida recipients.
The Gardener Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Gardener Foundation Inc gave $4.8M across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $127K), mostly in Florida. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,808,471
- -10.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- -7.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $126,539
- -3.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $19,000
- Total assets
- $14,227,720
- -16.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (8 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Florida (80% 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 Gardener 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: 523 S Palm Avenue 6, Sarasota, FL 34236
Phone: (631) 241-6687
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gardener Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mote Marine ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $4.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
174 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 174 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Florida recipients received 80% of grant dollars, New York recipients 14%, Colorado recipients 5%, Arkansas recipients 1%, and Tennessee recipients 0% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Gardener Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 38 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $156K. How we count
Medians: $375 first-time, $43K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 56% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 425% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2023) to $5.4M (2024). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $4.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mote Marine Sarasota, FL | Charitable Contribution | $2,000,000 |
| Sarasota Orchestra Sarasota, FL | Charitable Contribution | $800,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida Sarasota, NY | Charitable Contribution | $300,000 |
| Visible Men Academy Bradenton, FL | Charitable Contribution | $250,000 |
| Literacy Outreach of Garfield County Glenwood Springs, CO | Charitable Contribution | $230,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Bellport Bellport, NY | Charitable Contribution | $150,000 |
| Forty Carrots Sarasota, FL | Charitable Contribution | $150,000 |
| Sarasota Architecture Foundation Sarasota, FL | Charitable Contribution | $115,000 |
| Community Foundation of Sarasota Sarasota, FL | Charitable Contribution | $100,000 |
| Literacy Council of Sarasota Sarasota, FL | Charitable Contribution | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Gardener Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Grantmaking totals by filing year:
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $14,227,720 | $2,232,658 | $4,935,891 | $4,808,471 | 38 | $4,808,471 | $2,841,063 | $1,132,171 |
| 2024 | $16,964,953 | $4,117,698 | $5,493,769 | $5,376,444 | 41 | $5,376,444 | $3,732,042 | $1,100,113 |
| 2023 | $18,388,984 | $753,414 | $1,741,951 | $1,629,308 | 32 | $1,629,308 | $788,449 | $1,117,844 |
| 2022 | $19,366,536 | $979,580 | $3,253,207 | $3,089,489 | 32 | $3,089,489 | $924,312 | $1,322,321 |
| 2021 | $21,679,163 | $3,404,449 | $2,715,195 | $2,566,151 | 31 | — | $3,666,949 | $1,267,836 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gardener Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.1M 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 grants went to organizations working in areas including marine conservation, arts and culture, education, literacy, food assistance, land and water protection, and higher education. For example, Visible Men Academy says its mission is to provide boys from low-income communities with academic, character, and social education; Long Island Cares says it works to address hunger and humanitarian needs on Long Island. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $4,808,471. Grant amounts ranged from $26 to $2,000,000, with a median of $19,000. Among its largest awards were $2,000,000 to Mote Marine, $800,000 to Sarasota Orchestra, $300,000 to Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, and $250,000 to Visible Men Academy. Other notable grants included $230,000 to Literacy Outreach of Garfield County and $150,000 each to Boys & Girls Club of Bellport and Forty Carrots.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William Knapp as president, Jane Knapp as secretary, and Marcella Butler as director.
The Gardener Foundation Inc is led by William Knapp, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William Knapp
President
On filings since 2021
35 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcella Butler
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Knapp
Secretary
On filings since 2021
35 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: George Mazzarantani (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Gardener Foundation Inc
How much does The Gardener Foundation Inc give each year?
The Gardener Foundation Inc gave $4.8M across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $5.4M across 41 grants.
What is The Gardener Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Gardener Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $19,000, and its average grant was $126,539, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gardener Foundation Inc that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Gardener Foundation Inc give grants?
The Gardener Foundation Inc gives mostly in Florida: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (14%) and Colorado (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sarasota, FL (13 grants), Bellport, NY (4 grants), Tampa, FL (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Who are The Gardener Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Gardener Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Mote Marine ($2,000,000), Sarasota Orchestra ($800,000) and Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida ($300,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Gardener Foundation Inc?
The Gardener Foundation Inc reported $14.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Gardener Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants went to organizations working in areas including marine conservation, arts and culture, education, literacy, food assistance, land and water protection, and higher education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gardener 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 Gardener Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Gardener Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0615969. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Gardener 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 18, 2023)
- 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 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Gardener Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Gardener Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gardener-foundation-inc-morg_864e8a2b68fb4d0e8758b5b3de7bd700
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260615969_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Gardener Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gardener-foundation-inc-morg_864e8a2b68fb4d0e8758b5b3de7bd700},
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 The Gardener 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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