The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc

BOWLING GREEN, KY EIN: 61-1202660 Website

The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Bowling Green, Kentucky, established in 1991. The foundation operates the Baker Arboretum, a 115-acre botanical facility featuring extensive collections of trees, shrubs, and plants for scientific and educational purposes.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$28.1M

-3.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$649K

+12.8% YoY

Grant Count

-25.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$216K

+50.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.5M for 2024 — 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 focuses include:

Education
Science and STEM education
Human Services
Philanthropy and voluntarism

The foundation primarily directs its grantmaking toward initiatives in Kentucky, with particular emphasis on local areas including Bowling Green and Mammoth Cave.

Grantmaking

The foundation indicates it is open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants receiving funding.

Grant Range

$5,000

Average Grant

amount: $635

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in Kentucky, with particular focus on:

Bowling Green
Mammoth Cave area
Western Kentucky University region

Grant Distribution by State

Kentucky $3.0M (100%)

States

Kentucky

Cities

Bowling GreenColumbiaFranklinMammoth Cave

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $28.1 million to $29.0 million (as of 2024)
Annual Revenue: $827,225 (2023)
Annual Expenses: $1.91 million (2023)
Total Liabilities: $4,450 (2023)
Expense Ratio: 230.9% of total revenue spent on programs

The foundation ranks in the top 10% of all foundations by asset size.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$28,083,136	$28,960,793	$30,039,301
Revenue	$1,127,614	$827,225	$-278,392
Expenses	$2,002,995	$1,909,757	$2,098,724
Qualifying Distributions	$1,517,143	$1,516,996	$1,703,602
Net Investment Income	$777,318	$569,994	$458,865
Distributable Amount	$1,474,609	$1,302,779	$1,333,613

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 3 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

39 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Wku Foundation ($642,541), Operation Pride ($5,000), Aviation Heritage Park ($1,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AVIATION HERITAGE PARK BOWLING GREEN, KY	CHARITABLE PURPOSE	$1,000
WKU FOUNDATION BOWLING GREEN, KY	CHARITABLE PURPOSE	$642,541
OPERATION PRIDE BOWLING GREEN, KY	CHAIRTABLE PURPOSE	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key personnel include:

J. Robert Hilliard - President (full-time, compensation $116,147)
Keith Carwell - Secretary (significant hours, compensation $132,916)

The foundation operates with limited staffing based on reported board members and key employees.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
J ROBERT HILLIARD	PRESIDENT	—	$122,301
WILLIAM M DOERR	TREASURER	—	—
KEITH CARWELL	SECRETARY	—	$138,797
TIM EDELEN	BOARD MEMBER	—	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has made significant commitments to education:

Donated $10 million for student scholarships through the Baker Scholars program at Western Kentucky University

Baker Scholars | Western Kentucky University

Committed a $10 million endowment for scholarships

Jerry E. Baker Foundation donates $10 million for student scholarships

The Baker Arboretum, founded in 1992 by Jerry Baker, features:

Jerry E. Baker Foundation donates $10 million for student scholarships

88 species of conifers, including 21 on the Red List of Threatened Species

106 types of Japanese and other Asian maples

153 species of Kentucky native plants, including 17 endangered species

600 total species with over 1,500 varieties

American Conifer Society Reference Garden Certification

Contact Information

Physical Address: 4801 Morgantown Road Bowling Green, KY 42101

Mailing Address: PO Box One Bowling Green, KY 42102

Phone: 270.842.7415

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.jerrybakerfoundation.org

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation's primary funding focuses include: • Education • Science and STEM education • Human Services • Philanthropy and voluntarism The foundation primarily directs its grantmaking toward initiatives in Kentucky, with particular emphasis on local areas including Bowling Green and Mammoth Cave.

How do I apply for a grant from The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc?

**Grant Activity:** • Recent grants range from $1,000 to $643,000 • Median grant size: $5,000 • Average grant amount: $635 • 4 grants awarded in 2024 • Total giving in 2024: $575,000 to $648,541 **Application Process:** The foundation indicates it is open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants receiving funding.

Where does The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in Kentucky, with particular focus on: • Bowling Green • Mammoth Cave area • Western Kentucky University region

What size grants does The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc awarded 3 grants totaling $649K — an average of about $216K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc's EIN?

The Jerry E Baker Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-1202660. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.