The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation
THE LILLY CHRISTY BUSCH HERMANN is a private foundation based in an individual recipient, Missouri. It made 81 grants totaling $247,893 in 2024, supporting organizations including cultural institutions, schools, conservation organizations, and community groups.
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation gave $248K across 81 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Missouri. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $247,893
- -2.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 81
- +8.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,060
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $4,718,679
- +12.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (24 of 67, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (60% 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 Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation
- Review Cycle
- No submission deadlines.
- Deadline
- No submission deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Robert R Hermann Jr
Mailing address: 7701 Forsyth Blvd Ste 1000, St Louis, MO 63105
Phone: (314) 863-9200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Missouri Botanical Garden ($40K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $148K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($8,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
448 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 447 grants of 448 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 60% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri, 13% to Florida, 7% to Michigan, 5% to California, and 4% to Virginia. The listed grants also included recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 81 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 67 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 83% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 78% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $135K (2021) to $256K (2022). In 2024 it made 81 grants totaling $248K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis, MO | Chairmen's circle & deer creek watershed alliance phase v | $30,000 |
| St Louis Community Foundation St. Louis, MO | Holton Foundation | $18,080 |
| Bissell Pet Foundation Grand Rapids, MI | General Support | $10,000 |
| Dream Builders 4 Equity St. Louis, MO | General Support | $10,000 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden St. Louis, MO | General Support | $10,000 |
| Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
| St Louis Art Museum Foundation St. Louis, MO | General Support | $10,000 |
| St Louis County Police Welfare Assoc St. Louis, MO | General Support | $10,000 |
| The Garden Conservancy Garrison, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| The Society of the Four Arts Palm Beach, FL | General Support | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,718,679 | $842,992 | $322,487 | $247,893 | 81 | $247,893 | $768,398 | $318,455 |
| 2023 | $4,202,284 | $302,442 | $314,934 | $254,590 | 75 | $254,590 | $242,098 | $278,561 |
| 2022 | $4,221,594 | $296,108 | $323,304 | $255,564 | 124 | $261,168 | $245,972 | $286,270 |
| 2021 | $4,233,987 | $697,094 | $191,241 | $135,150 | 71 | $138,584 | $646,722 | $339,884 |
| 2020 | $3,732,204 | $262,125 | $211,098 | $167,655 | 97 | — | $225,606 | $254,287 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation reported a distributable amount of $318K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the an individual recipient Art Museum Foundation says its purpose is to support the an individual recipient Art Museum, including fundraising and financing facility expansion and renovation. The Garden Conservancy says it works to preserve, share, and celebrate America’s gardens and gardening traditions. Dream Builders 4 Equity describes its work as developing economically sustainable and socially engaged communities by growing equity for youth, businesses, residents, and real estate.
Other 2024 recipients include the Society of the Four Arts, which says it offers educational and cultural programs in art, music, drama, literature, and other subjects; Laguna Blanca School, which says it operates a college-preparatory school; and the an individual recipient County Police Welfare Association, which says it assists police officers and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 81 grants totaling $247,893. Awards ranged from $100 to $30,000, with a median grant of $1,000. Among the largest grants were $30,000 to the Missouri Botanical Garden for the Chairmen’s Circle and Deer Creek Watershed Alliance Phase V; $18,080 to the an individual recipient Community Foundation for the Holton Foundation; and $10,000 each to BISSELL Pet Foundation, Dream Builders 4 Equity, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, the an individual recipient Art Museum Foundation, the an individual recipient County Police Welfare Association, the Garden Conservancy, and the Society of the Four Arts.
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should contact Robert R Hermann Jr. and submit a written request with details about the programs and the amount requested. Awards are restricted to organizations qualifying under section 501(c)(3); political donations are not permitted.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert R Hermann Jr. and Carlota H Holton as trustees.
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Carlota H. Holton
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert R. Hermann Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation
How much does The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation give each year?
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation gave $248K across 81 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $255K across 75 grants.
What is The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,060, across 81 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation give grants?
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (13%) and Michigan (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (34 grants), Palm Beach, FL (6 grants), Grand Rapids, MI (3 grants) and Santa Barbara, CA (3 grants).
Does The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 75% of The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (61 of 81) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Micds Fund" (3 grants).
Who are The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Missouri Botanical Garden ($40,000 across 2 grants), St Louis Community Foundation ($21,285 across 2 grants) and St Peter's Episcopal Church ($13,515 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($8,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation?
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $248K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $318K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation?
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's EIN?
The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6543271. 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lilly-christy-busch-hermann-foundation-morg_c71d7bdc05924a30b5662ba7d7a887a5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436543271_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lilly Christy Busch Hermann Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lilly-christy-busch-hermann-foundation-morg_c71d7bdc05924a30b5662ba7d7a887a5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Lilly Christy Busch Hermann 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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