The Gardner Family Foundation Inc
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. In its 2025 filing, it reported 28 grants totaling $87,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in civil rights, environmental protection, health, and other areas.
Key facts about The Gardner Family Foundation Inc
In short: The Gardner Family Foundation Inc gave $87K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in New York. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 11-3413198
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $87,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- Average grant
- $3,107
- Median grant
- $2,320
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (3 of 28, 2025)
- Total assets
- $491,002
- Primary geography
- New York (52% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation 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 September 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
$491K
+35.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$87K
+34.9% YoY
Grant Count
28
+7.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
+25.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gardner Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $107K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Gardner Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 28 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 84% 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 (2020–2025). 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Anti-Defamation League describes its work as fighting antisemitism and other forms of hate, while the Southern Poverty Law Center describes its work as advancing racial justice and human rights. Environmental grantees describe work to protect natural systems, people’s health, lands and waters, and ocean sustainability. The American Heart Association describes its mission as promoting longer, healthier lives.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $87,000. Grants ranged from $1,175 to $7,000, with a median grant of $2,320. Its largest listed awards included $7,000 each to the ACLU, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Southern Poverty Law Center; $6,000 to Planned Parenthood-America; and $4,757 to the Environmental Defense Fund. The filing describes these grants as unrestricted support for the recipients’ exempt purposes.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (52%), the District of Columbia (11%), California (9%), Maryland (9%), and Alabama (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $41K (2021) to $87K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $87K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was ACLU ($7K). Together the top 10 received $51K.
Grant Size Distribution
124 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 124 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACLU New York, NY | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $7,000 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $7,000 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, AL | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $7,000 |
| Planned Parenthood-America Washington, DC | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $6,000 |
| Environmental Defense Fund New York, NY | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $4,757 |
| Earthjustice San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $4,078 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $4,000 |
| Sustainable Ocean Alliance San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $4,000 |
| Johns Hopkins - Autoimmune Baltimore, MD | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $4,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | Unrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose. | $3,224 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $491,002 | $126,609 | $97,076 | $87,000 |
| 2024 | $362,413 | -$25,749 | $74,391 | $64,500 |
| 2023 | $459,694 | $24,229 | $71,144 | $61,001 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $491,002 | $362,413 | $459,694 |
| Revenue | $126,609 | $-25,749 | $24,229 |
| Expenses | $97,076 | $74,391 | $71,144 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $89,883 | $67,300 | $63,668 |
| Net Investment Income | $118,863 | $12,072 | $18,810 |
| Distributable Amount | $107,057 | $90,412 | $66,052 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 19, 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 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 11, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Herbert M. Gardner as president and treasurer, and David S. Gardner, Peter H. Gardner, and Elizabeth R. Gardner as directors.
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc is led by Herbert M. Gardner, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Herbert M. Gardner
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David S. Gardner
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth R. Gardner
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter H. Gardner
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/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.
Contact
Mailing address: 239 Central Park West 6B, New York, NY 10024
Phone: (631) 929-3340
Frequently asked questions about The Gardner Family Foundation Inc
How much does The Gardner Family Foundation Inc give each year?
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc gave $87K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $65K across 26 grants.
What is The Gardner Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,320, and its average grant was $3,107, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gardner Family Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Gardner Family Foundation Inc give grants?
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (11%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (12 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), San Francisco, CA (2 grants) and Baltimore, MD (2 grants).
Does The Gardner Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Gardner Family Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Gardner Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include ACLU ($7,000), Anti-Defamation League ($7,000) and Southern Poverty Law Center ($7,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Gardner Family Foundation Inc?
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc reported $491K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $90K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $107K (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 Gardner Family Foundation Inc fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gardner Family Foundation Inc?
The foundation 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 Gardner Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Gardner Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-3413198. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Gardner 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.
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