The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation is a private foundation based in Bethesda, Maryland. Its 2024 filing reports 209 grants totaling $24,544,887 to charitable organizations, with recipients including organizations in Washington, DC, New York, and Maryland.
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation at a glance
In short: The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation gave $24.5M across 209 grants in 2024 (avg $117K), mostly in District of Columbia. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $24,544,887
- +1.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 209
- +4.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $117,440
- -3.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $546,085,405
- +13.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (39 of 164, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (51% 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 Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4550 Montgomery Avenue 810N, Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: (240) 752-1700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Civic Nation When We All Vote ($5.0M). Together the top 10 received $13.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
984 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 547 grants of 984 (56%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 51% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC, 22% to New York, 18% to Maryland, 3% to Virginia, and 2% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 209 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 39 of 164 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $61K; repeat grants $177K. How we count
Medians: $45K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 134% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $14.8M (2020) to $24.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 209 grants totaling $24.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Civic Nation When We All Vote Washington, DC | General Charitable Purposes | $5,000,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Rockville, MD | General Charitable Purposes | $1,000,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Greater Washington Rockville, MD | General Charitable Purposes | $750,000 |
| The Sarah and Daniel Rueven Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $703,000 |
| Capital Area Food Bank Washington, DC | General Charitable Purposes | $700,000 |
| The March Forth Foundation New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $590,000 |
| The Sarah and Daniel Rueven Foundation Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $557,500 |
| America Votes Education Fund Washington, DC | General Charitable Purposes | $500,000 |
| Hopewell Fund Baltimore, MD | General Charitable Purposes | $500,000 |
| Israel Policy Forum New York, NY | General Charitable Purposes | $500,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation?
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 | $546,085,405 | $62,594,734 | $32,562,624 | $24,544,887 | 209 | $33,185,467 | $55,511,767 | $24,749,589 |
| 2023 | $482,179,775 | $22,397,143 | $30,844,229 | $24,239,414 | 200 | $25,119,213 | $16,662,127 | $23,265,889 |
| 2022 | $422,763,428 | $39,711,625 | $26,647,958 | $20,038,243 | 178 | $20,849,537 | $33,913,204 | $27,466,082 |
| 2021 | $552,631,179 | $17,887,743 | $30,625,604 | $23,771,758 | 203 | $29,256,135 | $11,707,184 | $29,955,921 |
| 2020 | $454,118,517 | $14,813,083 | $20,379,246 | $14,769,216 | 194 | — | $10,232,756 | $20,470,048 |
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.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No formal mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose stated missions span different fields. For example, Capital Area Food Bank says its mission is to improve equitable access to food and opportunity through community partnerships. America Votes Education Fund says it works to expand voters’ access to the ballot through grantmaking. Israel Policy Forum says it works to build support for U.S. policies advancing a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Other 2024 recipients include organizations focused on environmental protection, community development finance, Jewish educational travel, combating antisemitism and other forms of hate, and ALS research. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission or set of focus areas for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 209 grants totaling $24,544,887. Grants ranged from $800 to $5 million, with a median grant of $50,000. The largest listed grant was $5 million to Civic Nation When We All Vote for general charitable purposes. Other large grants included $1 million to Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, $703,000 to The Sarah and Daniel Rueven Foundation, and $700,000 to Capital Area Food Bank, each for general charitable purposes.
Additional 2024 recipients included America Votes Education Fund ($500,000), Israel Policy Forum ($500,000), Sierra Club Foundation ($350,000), Capital Impact Partners ($315,000), Birthright Israel Foundation ($300,000), Anti-Defamation League ($300,000), and Target ALS Foundation ($200,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Susan R. Gelman as Director/President and Michael C. Gelman as Director/Vice President/Treasurer/Secretary.
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation is led by Susan R. Gelman, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Susan R. Gelman
Director & President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael C. Gelman
Director, V.p., Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/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 Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation
How much does The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation give each year?
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation gave $24.5M across 209 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $24.2M across 200 grants.
What is The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's typical grant size?
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $117,440, across 209 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation that year got $61K on average.
Where does The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation give grants?
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (22%) and Maryland (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (92 grants), New York, NY (42 grants), Rockville, MD (16 grants) and Bethesda, MD (5 grants).
Does The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (209 of 209) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's largest grantees?
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Civic Nation When We All Vote ($5,000,000), Jewish Federation of Greater Washington ($2,275,000 across 5 grants) and The Sarah and Daniel Rueven Foundation Inc ($1,500,000 across 9 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation?
The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation reported $546.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $33.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $24.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation fund?
No formal mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose stated missions span different fields. For example, Capital Area Food Bank says its mission is to improve equitable access to food and opportunity through community partnerships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does The Morningstar Philanthropic 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-morningstar-philanthropic-foundation-morg_e659e3c6a05945bcafb6bdbe3e446ad8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521270464_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Morningstar Philanthropic Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-morningstar-philanthropic-foundation-morg_e659e3c6a05945bcafb6bdbe3e446ad8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Morningstar Philanthropic 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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