The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable

Foundation · Grantmaker LOUISVILLE, KY EIN: 13-3056514

The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. The foundation was established in 1980 in New York before relocating to Kentucky. It operates as a family foundation focused on philanthropic giving across multiple issue areas.

Financial Overview

From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

-100.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.7M

+1458.3% YoY

Grant Count

-76.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$115K

+6652.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable reported a distributable amount of $95K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding interests include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Renewable Energy
Community and School Gardens
Environmental Education

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports organizations in:

Vermont
California
New York

Grant Distribution by State

Vermont $1.1M (56%)

Kentucky $771K (40%)

New York $26K (1%)

California $17K (1%)

District of Columbia $11K (1%)

Massachusetts $6K (0%)

Colorado $3K (0%)

Georgia $3K (0%)

+12 more states

States

Arizona California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Georgia Iowa Illinois Indiana Kentucky Massachusetts Maryland New Jersey New York Oregon Tennessee Texas Virginia Vermont

Cities

AndoverAnnadale On HudsonAnnandaleonhudsonArlingtonAshlandAtlantaBaltimoreBoca RatonBooneBostonBoulderBurlingtonCherry HillChicagoChicahoColchesterColorado SpringsCotatiDallasEvanston

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Financial Data (2023):

Total assets: $0
Total giving: $1,724,210

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2023	2022	2021
Total Assets	—	$1,806,188	$2,137,366
Revenue	$-31,640	$-182,788	$600,894
Expenses	$1,768,956	$148,390	$99,478
Qualifying Distributions	$1,752,439	$122,109	—
Net Investment Income	$542	—	$581,613
Distributable Amount	$95,241	$100,708	$110,447

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2023

Grant Size Distribution

165 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2023 grants, the largest include The Gelfenbein-kaplan Charitable Foundation Inc ($704,982), The Meckler Gelfenbein Family Charitable Foundation Inc ($704,982), The Gelfenbein Family Charitable Foundation Inc ($300,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BARD PRISON INITIATIVE RED HOOK, NY	GENEREAL OPERATING FUND	$1,766
HAND IN HAND PARENTING NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$500
JCC MACCABI PALO ALTO, CA	GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS	$1,400
OCEAN CONSERVANCY WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$1,766
SIERRA CLUB FOUNDATION OAKLAND, CA	GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS	$1,766
SISKIYOU SCHOOL ASHLAND, OR	GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS	$500
CARBON REMOVAL WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$1,766
COALITION FOR RAINFOREST NATIONS NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$1,766
COCHRAN'S RICHMOND, VT	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$1,000
JANET S MUNT FAMILY ROOM BURLINGTON, VT	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$150

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2023 IRS filing

From 2023 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JOY KAPLAN	VICE-PRESIDENT	1	—
DREW GELFENBEIN	PRESIDENT	1	—
RANAN WICHLER	SECRETARY	1	—

Contact Information

Address: 3606 Apex Gardens Dr Louisville, KY 40241-8300 United States

EIN: 13-3056514

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Education Religion Human services

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable fund?

The foundation's primary funding interests include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Renewable Energy • Community and School Gardens • Environmental Education

How do I apply for a grant from The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving: $1,724,210 (based on most recent IRS 990 filing from 2023) • Typical award range: $50–$704,982 • The foundation has filed a final return as of 2023

Where does The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable make grants?

The foundation primarily supports organizations in: • Vermont • California • New York

What size grants does The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable award?

In 2023, The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable awarded 15 grants totaling $1.7M — an average of about $115K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable reported a distributable amount of $95K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable's EIN?

The Harvey & Ruth Gelfenbein Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3056514. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2023.