The Gerhart Foundation
The Gerhart Foundation is a private foundation based in Great Falls, Montana. Its 2025 filing reports cash donations to nonprofit organizations, including support for youth services, emergency assistance, hunger relief, child shelters, community programs, and other services.
The Gerhart Foundation at a glance
In short: The Gerhart Foundation gave $115K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Montana. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $114,500
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,735
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,309,238
- +3.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Montana (100% 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 Gerhart Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says to contact William Beecher by letter. Applicants must show financial need. The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- None stated.
- Deadline
- None stated.
- Contact
Application contact: William Beecher
Mailing address: PO Box 2286, Great Falls, MT 59403
Phone: (406) 899-0277
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gerhart Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys & Girls Clubs ($15K). Together the top 10 received $96K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 80 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Gerhart Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (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 $113K (2022) to $135K (2021). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $115K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys & Girls Clubs Great Falls, MT | Support for After-School Programs | $15,000 |
| United Way of Cascade CNT Great Falls, MT | Community Health & Educaitonal PRGMS | $15,000 |
| Great Falls Rescue Mission Great Falls, MT | Help Homeless & Recovery Services | $11,000 |
| Great Fallschildrens Receiving Home Great Falls, MT | Support for Emergency Child Shelters | $11,000 |
| Salvation Army Great Falls, MT | Help Emergency Social Services | $11,000 |
| St Vincent Depaul Great Falls, MT | For Emergency Poverty Relief Service | $11,000 |
| Scottish Rite Language Center Great Falls, MT | Pediatric Speech & Language Therapy | $6,000 |
| Great Falls Transportation Great Falls, MT | Support Public Transit & Paratransit | $6,000 |
| Alliance for Youth Great Falls, MT | General Support for Youth Services | $5,000 |
| Great Falls Food Bank Great Falls, MT | General Support for Hunger Relief | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Gerhart 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 | $2,309,238 | $212,425 | $142,026 | $114,500 | 17 | $114,500 | $183,521 | $122,747 |
| 2024 | $2,238,839 | $113,803 | $144,575 | $118,500 | 17 | $118,500 | $87,728 | $119,102 |
| 2023 | $2,269,611 | $76,907 | $138,923 | $115,200 | 16 | $115,200 | $53,934 | $109,983 |
| 2022 | $2,331,627 | $-98,819 | $137,532 | $113,300 | 15 | $113,300 | $36,200 | $113,075 |
| 2021 | $2,567,978 | $83,771 | $175,033 | $134,500 | 15 | $134,500 | $51,536 | $133,374 |
| 2020 | $2,659,240 | $509,532 | $135,428 | $120,750 | 14 | — | $494,854 | $112,484 |
| 2019 | $2,285,136 | $65,709 | $125,143 | $117,250 | 13 | — | $57,816 | $117,507 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gerhart Foundation reported a distributable amount of $123K 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 nonprofit services in Montana. Among its grantees, Great Falls Rescue Mission describes itself as a Christian organization caring for hungry, hurting, and homeless people in north central Montana. Alliance for Youth Inc. says it advances healthy youth and family development in north central Montana communities through educational and collaborative approaches.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 17 grants totaling $114,500. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $15,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
The largest reported grants included $15,000 each to Boys & Girls Clubs and United Way of Cascade County; $11,000 each to Great Falls Rescue Mission, Great Falls Children’s Receiving Home, Salvation Army, and St. Vincent de Paul; and $6,000 each to Scottish Rite Language Center and Great Falls Transportation. Other reported awards included $5,000 to Alliance for Youth and $5,000 to Great Falls Food Bank.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William Beecher as president and director, and Dustin Probert and Dan Oakland as directors.
The Gerhart Foundation is led by William Beecher, President & D on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
William Beecher
President & D
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Dustin Probert
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Dan Oakland
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Dale Grabofsky (2020–2024) — Secretary & D
- Former: Howard Noble (2019) — Vice President & D
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 Gerhart Foundation
How much does The Gerhart Foundation give each year?
The Gerhart Foundation gave $115K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $119K across 17 grants.
What is The Gerhart Foundation's typical grant size?
The Gerhart Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,735, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gerhart Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Gerhart Foundation give grants?
The Gerhart Foundation gives mostly in Montana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Great Falls, MT (15 grants).
Does The Gerhart Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 18% of The Gerhart Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Gerhart Foundation's largest grantees?
The Gerhart Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boys & Girls Clubs ($15,000), United Way of Cascade CNT ($15,000) and Great Falls Rescue Mission ($11,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Gerhart Foundation?
The Gerhart Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $115K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $123K (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 Gerhart Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of nonprofit services in Montana. Among its grantees, Great Falls Rescue Mission describes itself as a Christian organization caring for hungry, hurting, and homeless people in north central Montana. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gerhart Foundation?
The 2025 filing says to contact William Beecher by letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Gerhart Foundation's EIN?
The Gerhart Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0501137. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 4, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Gerhart Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Gerhart Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Mayer & Arlene Mitchell Charitable
Mobile, AL
Assets
$169K
Grants
34
Total Given
$68K
The McConnell Family Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$2.9M
Grants
2
Total Given
$53K
The Deatley Family Foundation
Lewiston, ID
The Deatley Family Foundation supports organizations in areas including youth, animal welfare, education, social services, and community programs, with most funding going to Idaho and some to Washington. Its 2025 grants ranged from $1,000 to $150,000, with a median of $5,000; the filing does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$13.8M
Grants
41
Total Given
$636K
Frederick & Mary Lyman Charitable Trust
Honolulu, HI
Assets
$4.7M
Grants
5
Total Given
$285K
The Gate Foundation Inc
Jacksonville, FL
The Gate Foundation supports Florida organizations addressing family and community well-being, including housing and shelter, youth programs, basic needs, community protection, and health care. Its 2025 grants ranged from $70 to $55,000, with a median of $2,500, and 96% of grant dollars went to Florida. It accepts applications through its website; no deadline is stated.
Assets
$80K
Grants
48
Total Given
$252K
More similar funders
More Funders in Montana
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Gerhart Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gerhart-foundation-morg_02d144266b184a30a3f101332b6bc7c0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810501137_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Gerhart Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gerhart-foundation-morg_02d144266b184a30a3f101332b6bc7c0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Gerhart Foundation'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 Gerhart Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?