The Gardner Family Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker New York, NY EIN: 11-3413198

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.

The Gardner Family Foundation Inc at a glance

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.

Annual giving (2025)
$87,000
+34.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
28
+7.7% vs 2024
Average grant
$3,107
+25.2% vs 2024
Median grant
$2,320
Total assets
$491,002
+35.5% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
11% first-time grantees (3 of 28, 2025)
Primary geography
New York (52% 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 Gardner 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 for funds.

Contact

Mailing address: 239 Central Park West 6B, New York, NY 10024
Phone: (631) 929-3340

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Gardner Family Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

ACLU: $7KACLU$7KAnti-Defamation League: $7KAnti-Defamation League$7KSouthern Poverty Law Center: $7KSouthern Poverty Law Center$7KPlanned Parenthood-America: $6KPlanned Parenthood-America$6KEnvironmental Defense Fund: $5KEnvironmental Defense Fund$5KEarthjustice: $4KEarthjustice$4KThe Nature Conservancy: $4KThe Nature Conservancy$4KSustainable Ocean Alliance: $4KSustainable Ocean Alliance$4KJohns Hopkins - Autoimmune: $4KJohns Hopkins - Autoimmune$4KMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: $3KMemorial Sloan KetteringCancer Center$3K

The largest 2025 recipient was ACLU ($7K). Together the top 10 received $51K.

Grant Size Distribution

124 grants across all recorded years

124<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 124 (100%).

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

10states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkWashingtonBaltimoreSan FranciscoHagerstownMontgomeryNew HavenNew Hyde ParkPlainviewRiverheadArlingtonBethpageNewtonRoslynCincinnatiMemphis

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.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$25K$50K$75K$100K21 grants2020 22 grants2021 22 grants2022 26 grants2023 26 grants2024 28 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $41K (2021) to $87K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $87K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
ACLU New York, NYUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$7,000
Anti-Defamation League New York, NYUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$7,000
Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, ALUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$7,000
Planned Parenthood-America Washington, DCUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$6,000
Environmental Defense Fund New York, NYUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$4,757
Earthjustice San Francisco, CAUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$4,078
The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VAUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$4,000
Sustainable Ocean Alliance San Francisco, CAUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$4,000
Johns Hopkins - Autoimmune Baltimore, MDUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$4,000
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NYUnrestricted Grant for the Organization's Exempt Purpose.$3,224
Your AI grants department

Ready to take the next step with The Gardner Family Foundation Inc?

Fully replaces Grant database subscriptions Instrumentl · Foundation Directory · GrantStation & similar

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$491,002$126,609$97,076$87,00028$89,883$118,863$107,057
2024$362,413$-25,749$74,391$64,50026$67,300$12,072$90,412
2023$459,694$24,229$71,144$61,00126$63,668$18,810$66,052
2022$506,609$151,776$68,990$60,50022$63,975$146,761$60,103
2021$427,323$33,230$48,805$40,58122—$27,746$64,085
2020$445,606$50,558$51,641$41,72621—$44,479$48,099

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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

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.

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.

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 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

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 19, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 13, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 12, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 11, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 5, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Live grants for the work The Gardner Family Foundation Inc funds

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.

Explore Open Grants

Browse active grant opportunities in The Gardner Family Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database

Similar Funders

Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in New York

The Chicago Community Trust

Chicago, IL

The Chicago Community Trust funds eligible nonprofits working to narrow the wealth gap and meet urgent needs, with priorities including economic mobility, education, jobs, homeownership, and community development in metropolitan Chicago and Cook County. Its 2025 grants had a median of $26,500, though amounts varied widely; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

Assets

$7.1B

Grants

4,316

Total Given

$1.2B

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Los Altos, CA

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation funds charitable organizations working on just societies, healthy families and communities, and a healthy natural world, including climate solutions, ocean conservation, and science. Its 2024 grants had a median of $150,000, and half of grant dollars went to California recipients. It accepts unsolicited requests, but less than 1% of its grants come from them.

Assets

$8.5B

Grants

1,029

Total Given

$350.0M

The Ford Foundation

New York, NY

The Ford Foundation funds organizations and initiatives working to reduce inequality and advance social justice, including work on civic engagement, civil rights, climate justice, disability rights, and technology and society. In 2024, its grants ranged from $45 to $15 million, with a median of $100,000, supporting work in the U.S. and internationally. It says most grants are identified by the foundation and it does not accept unsolicited proposals by mail, email, or phone; limited opportunities may be offered separately.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$17.5B

Grants

4,007

Total Given

$844.7M

The New York Community Trust

New York, NY

The New York Community Trust funds nonprofit programs in areas such as arts, education, health, the environment, workforce development, and youth development, including projects that improve services, build organizational capacity, or advance policy and systems change. Its competitive grants mainly serve New York City, Long Island, and Westchester, with some national and international environmental funding; the 2024 median grant was $20,000. The profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.

Assets

$3.5B

Grants

2,748

Total Given

$193.8M

The Simons Foundation Inc

New York, NY

The Simons Foundation funds research and public engagement in mathematics and the physical, life, autism, and neuroscience sciences. In 2024, it made 1,727 grants, with a median award of $72,000 and amounts ranging from $1,480 to $20 million, supporting organizations in the U.S. and internationally. It states that it funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Assets

$4.5B

Grants

1,727

Total Given

$272.0M

Local Initiatives Support Corporation

New York, NY

LISC funds affordable housing, community development, small businesses, and related efforts that strengthen inclusive communities, providing grants as well as loans, equity, and technical assistance across the country. Its 2024 grants had a median award of $40,000, though amounts varied widely. Application access is program-specific: for its Rhode Island child care facilities planning grants, applicants are instructed to consult program staff before submitting a request.

Assets

$1.6B

Grants

1,119

Total Given

$102.8M

More Funders in New York

Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Gardner Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gardner-family-foundation-inc-morg_de5dcfaa253d47cd8a7d49e3f547f0d8

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_113413198_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Gardner Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gardner-family-foundation-inc-morg_de5dcfaa253d47cd8a7d49e3f547f0d8},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Gardner 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.

The Gardner Family Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?

Want AI to do this for you?