The Ginkgo Fund
The Ginkgo Fund is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. In filing year 2025, it reported 19 grants totaling $1,807,500 to charitable organizations.
The Ginkgo Fund at a glance
In short: The Ginkgo Fund gave $1.8M across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $95K), top state Pennsylvania. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,807,500
- +13.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -9.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $95,132
- +25.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $35,975,049
- -0.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (2 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (30% 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 Ginkgo Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4350 Brownsboro Road Suite 110, Louisville, KY 40207
Phone: (502) 893-4513
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ginkgo Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Caltech ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
122 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 49 grants of 122 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania (30%), California (25%), Kentucky (23%), Washington, DC (14%), and Rhode Island (6%). These figures describe recipient locations.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Ginkgo Fund open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 19 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $134K; repeat grants $91K. How we count
Medians: $134K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 65% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2024) to $2.5M (2022). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Caltech Pasadena, CA | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $400,000 |
| National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $260,000 |
| FCNL Education Fund Washington, DC | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $250,000 |
| Friends Publishing Corporation Philadelphia, PA | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $250,000 |
| Center for Employment Opportunities Louisville, KY | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $100,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana Louisville, KY | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $75,000 |
| Home of the Innocents Louisville, KY | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $75,000 |
| Christopher 2X Game Changers Louisville, KY | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $60,000 |
| Caltech Y Pasadena, CA | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $50,000 |
| Community Preparatory School Providence, RI | To Be Used Within Exempt Function | $50,000 |
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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 | $35,975,049 | $1,857,847 | $1,974,246 | $1,807,500 | 19 | $1,942,209 | $1,843,809 | $2,993,662 |
| 2024 | $36,091,448 | $2,829,878 | $1,791,234 | $1,590,000 | 21 | $1,699,994 | $2,790,136 | $2,593,443 |
| 2023 | $35,052,804 | $835,152 | $1,809,237 | $1,627,000 | 23 | $1,754,145 | $790,197 | $2,335,967 |
| 2022 | $36,026,889 | $2,756,172 | $2,743,574 | $2,512,152 | 30 | $2,642,516 | $2,697,615 | $2,646,854 |
| 2021 | $36,014,291 | $2,480,269 | $2,311,835 | $2,104,750 | 29 | — | $2,431,339 | $2,419,557 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ginkgo Fund reported a distributable amount of $3.0M 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 fund is provided. Its 2025 grantees describe a range of activities: FCNL Education Fund says its research and educational work informs the public and government leaders about peace, justice, and environmental stewardship concerns of the Religious Society of Friends; Friends Publishing Corporation says it communicates Quaker experience to connect and deepen spiritual lives. Community Preparatory School describes its work as serving grades 4–8 and supporting students’ academic and leadership potential.
Other 2025 recipients describe work in youth mentoring, workforce development, and nonviolence. For example, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana says it supports mentoring relationships for youth, and KentuckianaWorks Foundation says it promotes and assists workforce-development activities in the Louisville area.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the fund reported 19 grants totaling $1,807,500. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $400,000, with a median of $50,000.
The largest reported grants included $400,000 to Caltech, $260,000 to National Philanthropic Trust, and $250,000 each to FCNL Education Fund and Friends Publishing Corporation. Other grants included $100,000 to Center for Employment Opportunities; $75,000 each to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana and Home of the Innocents; and $60,000 to Christopher 2X Game Changers.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Glenn E Thomas as president; Ann Thomas as vice president/secretary; Stephen B Thomas as vice president; and Nathan H Thomas as treasurer/assistant secretary.
The Ginkgo Fund is led by Glenn E. Thomas, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Glenn E. Thomas
President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Thomas
Vice President & Secretary
Vice President & Assistant Secretary → Vice President & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathan H. Thomas
Treasurer & Assistant Secretary
Treasurer & Secretary → Treasurer & Assistant Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen B. Thomas
Vice President
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Donald Vish (2021–2024) — Executive Director & Assistant Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Ginkgo Fund
How much does The Ginkgo Fund give each year?
The Ginkgo Fund gave $1.8M across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 21 grants.
What is The Ginkgo Fund's typical grant size?
The Ginkgo Fund's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $95,132, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ginkgo Fund that year got $134K on average.
Where does The Ginkgo Fund give grants?
The Ginkgo Fund's top state is Pennsylvania, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (25%) and Kentucky (23%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (7 grants), Pasadena, CA (3 grants), Philadelphia, PA (2 grants) and Providence, RI (2 grants).
Who are The Ginkgo Fund's largest grantees?
The Ginkgo Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Caltech ($400,000), National Philanthropic Trust ($260,000) and FCNL Education Fund ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ginkgo Fund?
The Ginkgo Fund reported $36.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.0M (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 Ginkgo Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ginkgo Fund?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ginkgo Fund's EIN?
The Ginkgo Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1166955. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Ginkgo Fund 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ginkgo Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ginkgo-fund-morg_64327b966b654ae7abd2597f9234871c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_611166955_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ginkgo Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ginkgo-fund-morg_64327b966b654ae7abd2597f9234871c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Ginkgo Fund'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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