The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Newark, Ohio. Its 2025 grants supported organizations and projects including higher-education facilities, historic restoration, youth education, school improvements, community events, and local amenities.
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation gave $3.6M across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $323K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,552,524
- -0.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -15.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $322,957
- +17.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $38,051,342
- +5.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (96% 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 Reese Family Foundation
- 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: 25 E Walnut St PO Box 4217, Newark, OH 43058-4217
Phone: (740) 349-8276
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Newark Campus Development Fund ($2.2M). Together the top 10 received $3.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 60 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 3% to recipients in Pennsylvania; the state for the remaining 1% is unspecified. Listed Ohio awards included grants in Newark, Heath, and Columbus.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 238% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2020) to $3.8M (2023). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $3.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Newark Campus Development Fund Newark, OH | Agent for Ohio state university - louella hodges reese hall building fund | $2,200,000 |
| Newark Development Partners Newark, OH | Restoration of Historic Arcade | $746,768 |
| Junior Achievement of Central Ohio Columbus, OH | Newark Learning Center | $250,000 |
| The Hill School Pottstown, PA | Tennis Center Renovations | $100,000 |
| Central Ohio Technical College Newark, OH | Italian Immersion Program and Independence Day Event 2025 | $95,000 |
| Licking County Foundation Newark, OH | Boys & Girls Club of Newark Fund | $50,000 |
| Licking County Foundation Newark, OH | Midland Theatre Fund | $50,000 |
| Parrochia Di San Jacopo | Donation | $25,000 |
| City of Heath Heath, OH | Pickleball Court | $25,000 |
| Escuola Di Musicale Di Cascia | Scholarships | $10,000 |
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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 | $38,051,342 | $5,915,969 | $4,002,393 | $3,552,524 | 11 | $5,247,109 | $4,741,352 | $2,209,288 |
| 2024 | $36,137,766 | $5,190,451 | $3,793,787 | $3,561,088 | 13 | $3,577,171 | $4,064,827 | $2,098,505 |
| 2023 | $34,741,102 | $4,825,685 | $4,022,617 | $3,824,644 | 12 | $3,824,644 | $2,420,897 | $1,848,900 |
| 2022 | $33,938,034 | $5,045,677 | $3,732,448 | $3,491,924 | 9 | $3,491,924 | $3,806,613 | $1,871,341 |
| 2021 | $32,624,805 | $5,051,228 | $1,845,023 | $1,645,684 | 15 | $1,814,755 | $3,931,689 | $2,067,666 |
| 2020 | $29,418,600 | $1,920,095 | $1,303,307 | $1,151,269 | 15 | — | $929,816 | $1,605,730 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.2M 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 included support for the Newark Campus Development Fund, whose stated mission is to support Ohio State University’s Newark campus and Central Ohio Technical College through scholarships, grants, projects, and capital improvements. Newark Development Partners describes its work as promoting investment and economic development in Newark. Junior Achievement of Central Ohio says it prepares young people for economic success, while The Hill School says it prepares students for college, careers, and life.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $3,552,524. Grant amounts ranged from $756 to $2,200,000, with a median of $50,000.
The largest awards included $2,200,000 to Newark Campus Development Fund for the Louella Hodges Reese Hall Building Fund; $746,768 to Newark Development Partners for restoration of the historic arcade; and $250,000 to Junior Achievement of Central Ohio for the Newark Learning Center. Other grants included $100,000 to The Hill School for tennis center renovations and $95,000 to Central Ohio Technical College for an Italian immersion program and a 2025 Independence Day event.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sarah R. Wallace as chair; John H. Wallace as president; Louella Reese as treasurer; Sally W. Heckman as secretary; Gilbert H. Reese and Gerald Wallace as trustees; Jennifer Roberts as executive director; and Julie Deibel as CFO.
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation is led by Jennifer Roberts, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 2 of 8 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Roberts
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
15 hrs/week
$73K (2025)
John H. Wallace
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah R. Wallace
Chair
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gilbert H. Reese
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gerald Wallace
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Deibel
CFO
New on the 2025 filing
12 hrs/week
$40K (2025)
Louella Reese
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sally W. Heckman
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Megan R. Edwards (2020–2021) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $73K, to Jennifer Roberts (Exec Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation
How much does The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation give each year?
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation gave $3.6M across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.6M across 13 grants.
What is The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $322,957, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation give grants?
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Newark, OH (6 grants).
Does The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Newark Campus Development Fund ($2,200,000), Newark Development Partners ($746,768) and Junior Achievement of Central Ohio ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation?
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation reported $38.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for the Newark Campus Development Fund, whose stated mission is to support Ohio State University’s Newark campus and Central Ohio Technical College through scholarships, grants, projects, and capital improvements. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation?
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 Gilbert Reese Family Foundation's EIN?
The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1421173. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gilbert-reese-family-foundation-morg_878aa232af864fa9a62d315259a7f2cc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311421173_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Gilbert Reese Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gilbert-reese-family-foundation-morg_878aa232af864fa9a62d315259a7f2cc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Reese Family 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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