The Sutherland Foundation Inc
The Sutherland Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Its 2025 grants went to charitable organizations in Kentucky, North Carolina, Colorado, and California, including organizations working in education, youth development, and community gardening.
The Sutherland Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Sutherland Foundation Inc gave $465K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Kentucky. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $464,927
- +2.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,882
- -20.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $3,163,227
- -6.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (8 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (72% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Sutherland Foundation Inc
- 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: 710 West Main Street Suite 300, Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 882-6250
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sutherland Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Center for Families Learning ($75K). Together the top 10 received $318K.
Grant Size Distribution
142 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 130 grants of 142 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in Kentucky received 72% of grant dollars, those in North Carolina received 18%, those in Colorado received 9%, and those in California received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Sutherland Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 26 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 127% 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 $444K (2023) to $536K (2022). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $465K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Center for Families Learning Louisville, KY | General Fund - Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| Sowing Seeds with Faith Louisville, KY | General Fund-Unrestricted | $37,500 |
| Adelante Hispanic Achievers Louisville, KY | General Fund-Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Decode Project Louisville, KY | General Fund-Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Denver Urban Gardens Denver, CO | General Fund-Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Educational Justice LLC Louisville, KY | General Fund-Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Muddy Sneakers Brevard, NC | General Fund-Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Musicworks Asheville Asheville, NC | General Fund-Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Read to Succeed Ashevillebuncombe Asheville, NC | General Fund-Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| St George's Scholar Institute Inc Louisville, KY | General Fund-Unrestricted | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sutherland Foundation Inc?
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 | $3,163,227 | $331,606 | $540,680 | $464,927 | 26 | $513,939 | $293,137 | $405,846 |
| 2024 | $3,372,301 | $209,003 | $540,987 | $452,000 | 20 | $515,894 | $185,678 | $507,022 |
| 2023 | $3,704,285 | $88,270 | $539,137 | $444,001 | 35 | $509,582 | $103,417 | $536,112 |
| 2022 | $4,155,152 | $204,403 | $663,143 | $536,350 | 32 | $595,468 | $185,405 | $582,411 |
| 2021 | $4,613,892 | $1,527,278 | $590,233 | $509,105 | 29 | — | $1,483,764 | $545,153 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sutherland Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $406K 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 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions address education, youth development, and access to technology, as well as community gardening.
For example, the National Center for Families Learning says it works to eradicate poverty through education solutions for families. Adelante Hispanic Achievers describes its purpose as helping Hispanic/Latinx youth and families gain skills and knowledge to contribute as informed, proactive citizens. Denver Urban Gardens says its mission is to provide access, skills, and resources for growing healthy food in community and regenerating urban green spaces.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 26 grants totaling $464,927 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $75,000, with a median of $22,500. The largest grant was $75,000 to the National Center for Families Learning. Other notable grants included $37,500 to Sowing Seeds with Faith and $30,000 to Adelante Hispanic Achievers. The listed grants were designated for general fund, unrestricted purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Laura Lee Brown, director; Garvin Deters, director-chairman; Laura Lee Gastis, director-secretary; Polk Deters, director; James Seiler, director-treasurer; George Gastis, director; and Sarah Ashworth, director.
The Sutherland Foundation Inc is led by Garvin Deters, Director-Chairman on every filing since 2021; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Garvin Deters
Director-Chairman
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$40K (2021) → $40K (2025)
George Gastis
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
James Seiler
Director-Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Lee Brown
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Laura Lee Gastis
Director-Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Polk Deters
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Sarah Ashworth
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Pritchett Miller Deters (2023) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $40K, to Garvin Deters (Director-Chairman).
Frequently asked questions about The Sutherland Foundation Inc
How much does The Sutherland Foundation Inc give each year?
The Sutherland Foundation Inc gave $465K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $452K across 20 grants.
What is The Sutherland Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Sutherland Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $22,500, and its average grant was $17,882, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Sutherland Foundation Inc that year got $9K on average.
Where does The Sutherland Foundation Inc give grants?
The Sutherland Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (18%) and Colorado (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (13 grants), Denver, CO (5 grants), Asheville, NC (4 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does The Sutherland Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Sutherland Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Sutherland Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Sutherland Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include National Center for Families Learning ($75,000), Sowing Seeds with Faith ($37,500) and Adelante Hispanic Achievers ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sutherland Foundation Inc?
The Sutherland Foundation Inc reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $514K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $406K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Sutherland Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions address education, youth development, and access to technology, as well as community gardening. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sutherland Foundation Inc?
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 Sutherland Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Sutherland Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-6175862. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Sutherland Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 February 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Sutherland Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sutherland Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sutherland-foundation-inc-morg_7a5e365c08014e0baaf68b3d7f6882cb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_616175862_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sutherland Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sutherland-foundation-inc-morg_7a5e365c08014e0baaf68b3d7f6882cb},
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 Sutherland Foundation Inc'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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