The Gries Family Foundation
The Gries Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Shaker Heights, Ohio. In its 2024 filing, it reported giving $338,521 to charities for the benefit of education, health, and the arts, both in Cleveland and nationally.
The Gries Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Gries Family Foundation gave $339K across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Ohio. 6% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $338,521
- -73.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- -21.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,258
- -66.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,997,048
- -10.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (2 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Gries Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing lists Sarah L. Gries as the contact, indicates that forms and materials are not applicable, and says grants are reviewed periodically throughout the year. It generally confines grants to the greater Cleveland area.
- Review Cycle
- Grants are reviewed periodically throughout the year.
- Deadline
- Grants are reviewed periodically throughout the year.
- Contact
Application contact: Sarah L Gries
Mailing address: 18200 S Woodland Road, Shaker Heights, OH 44120
Phone: (216) 861-1148
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gries Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University Hospitals ($151K). Together the top 10 received $294K.
Grant Size Distribution
209 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 202 grants of 209 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 9% to recipients in Pennsylvania. The filing also reports grants to recipients in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Colorado. The foundation states that it generally confines grants to the greater Cleveland area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Gries Family Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 33 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 88% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 75% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 592% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $249K (2020) to $1.4M (2021). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $339K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University Hospitals Cleveland, OH | Operating Support | $151,000 |
| Suburban Temple Beachwood, OH | Operating Support | $53,000 |
| American Jewish Committee Philadelphia, PA | Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage Beachwood, OH | Operating Support | $11,000 |
| Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH | Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Cleveland Botanical Gardenholden ARB Cleveland, OH | Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH | Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Playhouse Square Cleveland, OH | Operating Support | $7,500 |
| Vocational Guidance Services Cleveland, OH | Operating Support | $6,000 |
| Hawken School Gates Mills, OH | Operating Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Gries Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,997,048 | $237,182 | $376,167 | $338,521 | 33 | $338,521 | $86,002 | $57,229 |
| 2023 | $2,241,060 | $595,621 | $1,323,885 | $1,278,052 | 42 | $1,278,052 | $241,581 | $98,512 |
| 2022 | $3,793,062 | $1,938,146 | $439,391 | $382,500 | 45 | $382,500 | $1,063,254 | $75,717 |
| 2021 | $2,433,857 | $340,387 | $1,426,366 | $1,365,250 | 50 | $1,365,250 | $290,387 | $146,648 |
| 2020 | $3,910,158 | $87,375 | $335,170 | $248,750 | 39 | — | $100,273 | $144,596 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gries Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $57K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing identifies education, health, and the arts as areas benefiting from its charitable giving. Its grantees include organizations whose own stated missions span these areas and others. For example, Case Western Reserve University describes its strengths in health, engineering, the arts and sciences, and other fields; Vocational Guidance Services says it creates pathways for people with disabilities to engage in the community, achieve greater independence, and attain employment. The Cleveland Museum of Art describes its mission as bringing the pleasure and meaning of art to a broad audience.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $338,521. Grants ranged from $500 to $151,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest grants were $151,000 to University Hospitals, $53,000 to Suburban Temple, $30,000 to the American Jewish Committee, and $11,000 to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Each was designated for operating support.
Other 2024 grants included $10,000 each to Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Botanical Garden Holden Arboretum, and the Cleveland Museum of Art; $7,500 to Playhouse Square; and $6,000 to Vocational Guidance Services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Sarah L. Gries is listed as president-trustee on the 2024 filing.
The Gries Family Foundation is led by Sarah L. Gries, President-Trustee since 2023 (on filings since 2020) — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sarah L. Gries
President-Trustee
Secretary & Tres-Trustee → President-Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Robert D. Gries (2020–2022) — President-Trustee
- Former: David Cole (2020) — Vice President-Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Gries Family Foundation
How much does The Gries Family Foundation give each year?
The Gries Family Foundation gave $339K across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 42 grants.
What is The Gries Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Gries Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $10,258, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gries Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Gries Family Foundation give grants?
The Gries Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (21 grants) and Beachwood, OH (4 grants).
Does The Gries Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of The Gries Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Gries Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Gries Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University Hospitals ($151,000), Suburban Temple ($53,000) and American Jewish Committee ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Gries Family Foundation?
The Gries Family Foundation reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $339K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $57K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Gries Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing identifies education, health, and the arts as areas benefiting from its charitable giving. Its grantees include organizations whose own stated missions span these areas and others. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gries Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Gries Family Foundation's EIN?
The Gries Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1536795. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Gries Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gries-family-foundation-morg_0bcac9dedf2d4d36b47da30f1c92f03b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341536795_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Gries Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gries-family-foundation-morg_0bcac9dedf2d4d36b47da30f1c92f03b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Gries 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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