The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation is a private family foundation based in Bethesda, Maryland. Established in 1982, it operates as a 501(c)(3) private grantmaking foundation with a substantial asset base and significant annual charitable giving.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$546.1M
+13.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$24.5M
+1.3% YoY
Grant Count
209
+4.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$117K
-3.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation has not publicly disclosed a formal mission statement. Based on available grantmaking records, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
Grantmaking
The foundation operates as a private family foundation that awards grants through trustee discretion or to pre-selected organizations. No public application process is available, and the foundation maintains an extremely low public profile with no published website or publicly available application guidelines.
Grant Range
$1,000 to $4,000,000
Average Grant
$108,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in:
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Maryland
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $546.1 million
- Annual Revenue: $62.6 million
- Total Giving: $24.5–$25.5 million
- Annual Expenses: $32.6 million
- Total Liabilities: $16,300
Historical Growth:
- Total assets have grown from $122.5 million in 2011 to $546.1 million in 2024
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $546,085,405 | $482,179,775 | $422,763,428 |
| Revenue | $62,594,734 | $22,397,143 | $39,711,625 |
| Expenses | $32,562,624 | $30,844,229 | $26,647,958 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $33,185,467 | $25,119,213 | $20,849,537 |
| Net Investment Income | $55,511,767 | $16,662,127 | $33,913,204 |
| Distributable Amount | $24,749,589 | $23,265,889 | $27,466,082 |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Civic Nation When We All Vote ($5,000,000), Capital Area Food Bank ($700,000), America Votes Education Fund ($500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 70 FACES MEDIA NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $15,000 |
| ACLU FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $250,000 |
| ACLU OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $10,000 |
| ADAMAH INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $50,000 |
| ADAS ISRAEL CONGREGATION WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $80,000 |
| AFFORDABLE HOMES AND COMMUNITIES ARLINGTON, VA | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $6,364 |
| ALLIANCE FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $25,000 |
| AMERICA VOTES EDUCATION FUND WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $500,000 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $800 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE HEBREW UNIVERSITY NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Susan R. Gelman (Director/President)
- Michael C. Gelman (Director/Vice President/Treasurer/Secretary)
- Gail Hyman (Grants Administrator)
- Lisa Jacobson (Senior Program Officer)
- Adina Barkinskiy (Director of Programs)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN R GELMAN | DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| MICHAEL C GELMAN | DIRECTOR/V.P./TREAS./SEC. | 20 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: 4550 Montgomery Ave # 810n, Bethesda, MD 20814-3304
- Telephone: 240-752-1700
- EIN: 52-1270464
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation fund?
The foundation has not publicly disclosed a formal mission statement. Based on available grantmaking records, the foundation supports organizations in the following areas: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services
How do I apply for a grant from The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Total giving in 2024: $24.5–$25.5 million • Total assets: $546.1 million • Historical grantmaking: 953 grants totaling $102.9 million across available records • Individual grant range: $1,000 to $4,000,000 • Median grant: $35,000 • Average grant: $108,000 • Highest annual distribution: $40.1 million in 2022 across 356 grants • Annual giving has grown from $14.8 million in 2020 to $24.2–$25.5 million in recent years • The foundation has supported 249 unique organizations **…
Where does The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • District of Columbia • New York • Maryland
What size grants does The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation award?
In 2024, The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation awarded 209 grants totaling $24.5M — an average of about $117K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation reported a distributable amount of $24.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's EIN?
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1270464. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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