The Hal and Kathleen Gershman
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman is a private foundation based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It reported 23 grants totaling $148,500 in 2025, supporting charitable organizations including arts, community, and service organizations.
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman at a glance
In short: The Hal and Kathleen Gershman gave $149K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in North Dakota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $148,500
- +725.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +666.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,457
- +7.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $961,411
- -5.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Dakota (50% 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 Hal and Kathleen Gershman
- 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: PO Box 13662, Grand Forks, ND 58208
Phone: (701) 780-0902
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hal and Kathleen Gershman funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fontbonne Academy ($40K). Together the top 10 received $137K.
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 88 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in North Dakota (50%), Massachusetts (28%), California (17%), New York (4%), and Tennessee (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Hal and Kathleen Gershman gives
- Giving fell 87% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 287% 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $18K (2024) to $1.2M (2022). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $149K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fontbonne Academy Milton, MA | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $40,000 |
| Empire Arts Center Grand Forks, ND | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $35,000 |
| University of North Dakota Alumni Association & Foundation Grand Forks, ND | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purposes | $20,000 |
| Independent Shakespeare Company Los Angeles, CA | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $15,000 |
| Global Friends Coalition Grand Forks, ND | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
| Community Violence Intervention Center Grand Forks, ND | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
| The Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $5,000 |
| North Dakota News Cooperative Bismarck, ND | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $2,500 |
| Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs Calabasas, CA | Furtherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $2,000 |
| Vidiots Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Futherance of 501(C)(3)S Charitable Purpose | $2,000 |
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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 | $961,411 | $96,591 | $156,215 | $148,500 | 23 | $149,613 | $91,257 | $52,217 |
| 2024 | $1,021,035 | $319,900 | $24,914 | $18,000 | 3 | $19,015 | $64,903 | $46,897 |
| 2023 | $726,049 | $82,714 | $62,757 | $57,250 | 6 | $58,130 | $15,181 | $32,771 |
| 2022 | $705,092 | $-49,022 | $1,173,403 | $1,159,500 | 27 | $1,160,926 | $34,067 | $88,510 |
| 2021 | $1,924,517 | $364,080 | $120,816 | $107,500 | 29 | $109,025 | $356,138 | $98,820 |
| 2020 | $1,681,241 | $139,542 | $113,715 | $101,000 | 38 | — | $131,670 | $91,160 |
| 2019 | $1,657,486 | $130,970 | $73,787 | $64,250 | 38 | — | $122,783 | $85,266 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hal and Kathleen Gershman reported a distributable amount of $52K 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 grantees describe a range of activities: Empire Arts Center says it promotes cultural activities for the community; Global Friends Coalition assists refugees with community integration; and the Community Violence Intervention Center provides safety and healing services and violence-prevention education. Other grantees describe work in reproductive rights, North Dakota journalism, film and media arts, and Atlantic white shark research, public safety, and education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 23 grants totaling $148,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $40,000, with a median grant of $1,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $40,000 to Fontbonne Academy in Milton, Massachusetts; $35,000 to Empire Arts Center in Grand Forks; $20,000 to the University of North Dakota Alumni Association & Foundation in Grand Forks; and $15,000 to Independent Shakespeare Company in Los Angeles. Other grants included $10,000 to Global Friends Coalition and $5,000 each to the Community Violence Intervention Center and the Center for Reproductive Rights.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Harold Gershman as president, Kathy Gershman as secretary, and Leonora Gershman as treasurer.
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman is led by Harold Gershman, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Harold Gershman
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Gershman
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leonora Gershman
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Hal and Kathleen Gershman
How much does The Hal and Kathleen Gershman give each year?
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman gave $149K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $18K across 3 grants.
What is The Hal and Kathleen Gershman's typical grant size?
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $6,457, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Hal and Kathleen Gershman give grants?
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman gives mostly in North Dakota: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (28%) and California (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Grand Forks, ND (4 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Fargo, ND (2 grants).
Who are The Hal and Kathleen Gershman's largest grantees?
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman's largest 2025 grantees include Fontbonne Academy ($40,000), Empire Arts Center ($35,000) and University of North Dakota Alumni Association & Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Hal and Kathleen Gershman?
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman reported $961K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $150K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $52K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Hal and Kathleen Gershman fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Hal and Kathleen Gershman?
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 Hal and Kathleen Gershman's EIN?
The Hal and Kathleen Gershman's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1584651. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Hal and Kathleen Gershman 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 30, 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Hal and Kathleen Gershman's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Hal and Kathleen Gershman funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-hal-and-kathleen-gershman-morg_377913a9a8cd4e3a94ce3c0efca2cb7a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261584651_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Hal and Kathleen Gershman funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-hal-and-kathleen-gershman-morg_377913a9a8cd4e3a94ce3c0efca2cb7a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Hal and Kathleen Gershman'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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