The Gilbert Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker St. Louis, MO EIN: 43-1730251

The Gilbert Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 filing reports grants for general operating support and scholarships, including a scholarship program for eligible children and grandchildren of Anova Inc. employees.

The Gilbert Foundation at a glance

In short: The Gilbert Foundation gave $118K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Missouri. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$118,250
-11.2% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
13
-23.5% vs 2024
Average grant
$9,096
+16.1% vs 2024
Median grant
$5,600
Total assets
$1,920,986
+7.0% vs 2024
Primary geography
Missouri (65% 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 Gilbert Foundation

How to Apply

The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. For the employee children and grandchildren scholarship program, the filing lists William A. Gilbert as the contact and requires an essay, test scores, grades, and letters of recommendation. Eligibility is limited to natural or legally adopted children or grandchildren of current Anova Inc. employees, or children or grandchildren of an employee who received a grant in the immediately preceding year; the filing also specifies an accredited school tuition education institution.

Review Cycle
The filing states that the employee children and grandchildren scholarship program application deadline is in May. The 2025 filing’s May deadline is past.
Deadline
The filing states that the employee children and grandchildren scholarship program application deadline is in May.
Contact

Application contact: William A Gilbert
Mailing address: 609 South Warson Road, St Louis, MO 63124
Phone: (314) 290-3300

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

Who The Gilbert Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Forsyth School: $25KForsyth School$25KCade Christensen - Minnesota State: $16KCade Christensen - MinnesotaState$16KMissouri Botanical Gardens: $15KMissouri Botanical Gardens$15KSt Louis Art Museum: $10KSt Louis Art Museum$10KJonah Sanders - Cotter Schools: $6KJonah Sanders - Cotter Schools$6KHealth Network Foundation: $5KHealth Network Foundation$5KBattle Mountain Touchdown Club: $5KBattle Mountain Touchdown Club$5KFocus Marines Foundation: $5KFocus Marines Foundation$5KThe Haven of Grace: $5KThe Haven of Grace$5KNational Ms Society: $3KNational Ms Society$3K

The largest 2025 recipient was Forsyth School ($25K). Together the top 10 received $95K.

Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($22,250), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

69 grants across all recorded years

69<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 69 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 65% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri, 24% to Minnesota, 4% each to Ohio and Colorado, and 3% to New York.

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.

Cities

St. LouisLadueHoustonOviedoVailChesterfieldSt CharlesArcadiaHighlands RanchLa CrosseNew York CityWinonaDelawareFountain CityLanderPepper PikeSanfordColumbiaColumbusRochester

How The Gilbert Foundation gives

  • Giving grew 60% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 68% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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

$0$50K$100K$150K14 grants2020 12 grants2021 11 grants2022 16 grants2023 17 grants2024 13 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $74K (2022) to $133K (2024). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $118K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Forsyth School St. Louis, MOGeneral Operating Donation$25,000
Cade Christensen - Minnesota State Houston, MNScholarship$16,400
2 individual scholarships Recipients not named —$22,250
Missouri Botanical Gardens St. Louis, MOGeneral Operating Donation$15,000
St Louis Art Museum St. Louis, MOGeneral Operating Donation$10,000
Jonah Sanders - Cotter Schools Winona, MNScholarship$5,600
Health Network Foundation Pepper Pike, OHGeneral Operating Donation$5,000
Battle Mountain Touchdown Club Vail, COGeneral Operating Donation$5,000
Focus Marines Foundation Chesterfield, MOGeneral Operating Donation$5,000
The Haven of Grace St. Louis, MOGeneral Operating Donation$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$1,920,986$285,698$160,195$118,25013$121,165$255,138$177,204
2024$1,795,483$659,864$165,275$133,14517$136,814$381,994$150,981
2023$1,521,578$273,355$142,934$115,50016$119,155$154,450$116,716
2022$1,391,157$75,362$98,082$73,90811$77,193$54,473$116,480
2021$1,413,877$436,050$126,076$98,72512$101,841$314,458$129,812
2020$1,197,432$390,677$100,692$81,10914—$174,988$99,551

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gilbert Foundation reported a distributable amount of $177K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general operating donations to organizations and scholarships to individual recipients. Among the grantees, Forsyth School says it fosters curiosity and joy and empowers children to pursue challenges with confidence. Focus Marines Foundation says it educates and empowers veterans to live engaged and fulfilling lives after leaving the military. The Haven of Grace describes its mission as supporting pregnant women experiencing homelessness through housing, educational programs, and long-term support for mother and child.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $118,250. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median of $5,600. Notable grants included $25,000 to Forsyth School, $15,000 to Missouri Botanical Gardens, $10,000 to St. Louis Art Museum, and $5,000 each to Focus Marines Foundation and The Haven of Grace. Scholarship grants included $16,400 to an individual recipient and $15,500 to another individual recipient.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists William A. Gilbert, Helen A. Gilbert, Eric N. Gilbert, and Sara E. Gilbert as trustees.

The Gilbert Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Eric N. Gilbert

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Helen A. Gilbert

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sara E. Gilbert

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • William A. Gilbert

    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 Gilbert Foundation

How much does The Gilbert Foundation give each year?

The Gilbert Foundation gave $118K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $133K across 17 grants.

What is The Gilbert Foundation's typical grant size?

The Gilbert Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,600, and its average grant was $9,096, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does The Gilbert Foundation give grants?

The Gilbert Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Minnesota (24%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (4 grants).

Does The Gilbert Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 69% of The Gilbert Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (4 grants).

Who are The Gilbert Foundation's largest grantees?

The Gilbert Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Forsyth School ($25,000), Cade Christensen - Minnesota State ($16,400) and Missouri Botanical Gardens ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($22,250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Gilbert Foundation?

The Gilbert Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $121K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $177K (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 Gilbert Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general operating donations to organizations and scholarships to individual recipients. Among the grantees, Forsyth School says it fosters curiosity and joy and empowers children to pursue challenges with confidence. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Gilbert Foundation?

The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Gilbert Foundation's EIN?

The Gilbert Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1730251. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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 May 4, 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 July 24, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 12, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Gilbert Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gilbert-foundation-morg_c9a35aa24dec4a7fac9f7dd837fff15e

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431730251_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Gilbert Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gilbert-foundation-morg_c9a35aa24dec4a7fac9f7dd837fff15e},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 Gilbert 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.

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