The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family is a private foundation based in Farmington Hills, Michigan. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2025 grants included organizations working with children with serious illnesses, health care, animal welfare, and other causes.
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation gave $17K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state Michigan. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $17,250
- +91.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +60.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,078
- +19.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $65,820
- -23.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (6 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (49% 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 Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 31500 Northwestern Hwy 100, Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Phone: (248) 785-2300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kids Kicking Cancer ($3K). Together the top 10 received $14K.
Grant Size Distribution
54 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 54 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 49% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 12% each to recipients in DC and Florida, 10% to New York, and 6% to Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 16 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $917; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 229% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 545% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $4K (2023) to $17K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $17K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kids Kicking Cancer Farmington Hills, MI | General | $3,000 |
| Karmanos Detroit, MI | General | $2,500 |
| Planned Parenthood Detroit, MI | General | $1,000 |
| Jewish Hospice West Bloomfield, MI | General | $1,000 |
| ASPCA Washington, DC | General | $1,000 |
| St Jude Memphis, TN | General | $1,000 |
| Stand with US Los Angeles, CA | General | $1,000 |
| Wounded Warrior Jacksonville, FL | General | $1,000 |
| Shriners Hospital for Children Tampa, FL | General | $1,000 |
| Friends of IDF New York, NY | General | $1,000 |
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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 | $65,820 | $58 | $18,868 | $17,250 | 16 | $17,974 | $2,030 | $3,296 |
| 2024 | $86,283 | $-9,734 | $10,575 | $9,000 | 10 | $9,703 | $3,069 | $3,153 |
| 2023 | $63,612 | $4,360 | $5,034 | $3,500 | 7 | $4,182 | $3,508 | $3,400 |
| 2022 | $82,919 | $3,939 | $6,745 | $5,250 | 10 | $5,912 | $3,106 | $4,380 |
| 2021 | $71,129 | $2,816 | $7,516 | $6,000 | 11 | — | $2,003 | $3,039 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K 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 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Kids Kicking Cancer describes its mission as easing the pain of very sick children while empowering them to heal physically, spiritually, and emotionally. JARC says it enriches the lives of people with disabilities through support, relationships, and community engagement in accordance with Jewish values. Yad Ezra says it provides supplemental kosher food and other necessities to needy Jewish families. American Jewish World Service describes its mission as advancing human rights and ending poverty in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $17,250 through 16 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $3,000, with a median grant of $1,000. Notable grants included $3,000 to Kids Kicking Cancer, $2,500 to Karmanos, and $1,000 each to Planned Parenthood, Jewish Hospice, ASPCA, St. Jude, Stand With Us, Wounded Warrior, Shriners Hospital for Children, Friends of IDF, and Endowment for Middle East Truth. It also gave $750 to American Jewish World Service and $500 each to JARC and Yad Ezra.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joel Gershenson, Linda Gershenson, and Jill Gershenson as directors.
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jill Gershenson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joel Gershenson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda Gershenson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation
How much does The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation give each year?
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation gave $17K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $9K across 10 grants.
What is The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,078, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation that year got $917 on average.
Where does The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation give grants?
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's top state is Michigan, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (12%) and Florida (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (2 grants), Farmington Hills, MI (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Kids Kicking Cancer ($3,000), Karmanos ($2,500) and Planned Parenthood ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation?
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation reported $66K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $18K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Kids Kicking Cancer describes its mission as easing the pain of very sick children while empowering them to heal physically, spiritually, and emotionally. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's EIN?
The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3315288. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work The Joel & Linda Gershenson Family Foundation funds
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