Gardner Foundation Incorporated
Louisville, KY · EIN 31-0966287. Reported 393 grants totalling $493,350 to 103 recipients across tax years 2020-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Gardner Foundation Incorporated did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $1,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $500 and $1,500; the smallest was $200 and the largest $7,500. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olmsted Parks Conservancy Inc | Louisville, KY | $26,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| River Fields Inc | Louisville, KY | $22,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| St Theresa Family Life Center | Payneville, KY | $21,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Filson Historical Society | Louisville, KY | $18,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Kentucky Humane Society | Louisville, KY | $18,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Mission Wolf | Westcliffe, CO | $16,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Kimokeo Foundation | Wailuku, HI | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest | Clermont, KY | $13,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Pa'ia Youth and Cultural Ctr | Paia, HI | $11,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Second Stride Inc | Crestwood, KY | $11,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Hosparus | Louisville, KY | $10,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| St Meinrad Archabbey | St Meinrad, IN | $10,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Trees Louisville | Louisville, KY | $10,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Nature Conservancy Kentucky Chapter | Lexington, KY | $9,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Yew Dell Botanical Gardens | Crestwood, KY | $9,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Defenders of Wildlife | Washington, DC | $8,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Dogs Helping Heroes | Jeffersonville, IN | $8,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Hildegard House | Louisville, KY | $8,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Nativity Academy at Saint Boniface | Louisville, KY | $8,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Society of St Vincent De Paul | Louisville, KY | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| St Frances of Rome Church | Louisville, KY | $8,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Spalding University | Louisville, KY | $7,300 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Father John Judie Ministries Inc | Louisville, KY | $7,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Raptor Rehabilitation of Kentucky Inc | Louisville, KY | $6,750 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Louisville Free Public Library Foundation | Louisville, KY | $6,300 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Peterson-Dumesnil House | Louisville, KY | $6,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Keeneland Library | Lexington, KY | $5,950 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| National Wildlife Federation | Reston, VA | $5,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Old Friends Inc | Midway, KY | $5,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Cathedral of the Assumption | Louisville, KY | $5,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Assumption High School | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Bellarmine University | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Cabbage Patch Settlement House | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Children's Hospital Foundation | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Desales High School | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Holy Cross High School | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Home of the Innocents | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Mercy Academy | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Providence High School | Clarksville, IN | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Sacred Heart Academy | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Shamrock Foundation | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Trinity High School | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Waterfront Botanical Gardens | Louisville, KY | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Paws With Purpose | Louisville, KY | $4,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ducks Unlimited | Memphis, TN | $4,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Greater Louisville Fund for the Arts | Louisville, KY | $4,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Louisville Orchestra | Louisville, KY | $4,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Saint Xavier High School | Louisville, KY | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Second Chances Wildlife Center | Mount Washington, KY | $4,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Holy Trinity Parish School | Louisville, KY | $3,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Louisville Public Media | Louisville, KY | $3,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Presentation Academy | Louisville, KY | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| University of Louisville Libraries | Louisville, KY | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Joseph Children's Home | Louisville, KY | $2,750 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Center on Aging Foundation | Louisville, KY | $2,750 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Boys and Girls' Haven | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Feed My Neighbor | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Kids Center for Pediatric Therapies | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Salvation Army | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Episcopal Church Home | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Healing Place | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Nature Conservancy | Lexington, KY | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Nazareth Homes Foundation | Louisville, KY | $2,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Alzheimer's Association | Louisville, KY | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Canterbury School | New Milford, CT | $2,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Kentucky Country Day School | Louisville, KY | $2,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Society of Stvincent De Paul | Louisville, KY | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Frances of Rome | Louisville, KY | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Louisville Libraries Ekstrom Library | Louisville, KY | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Kentucky Derby Museum | Louisville, KY | $1,800 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Peoria Riverfront Museum | Peoria, IL | $1,750 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Community Foundation of Louisville | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Farmington Historic Home | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Gilda's Club Louisville Inc | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Historic Locust Grove Inc | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pendennis Historical Foundation | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| St John Center Inc | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| University of Louisville School of Music | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| West End School | Louisville, KY | $1,250 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO | $1,200 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| St Francis School | Goshen, KY | $1,200 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Family Community Clinic | Louisville, KY | $1,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Louisville Free Public Media | Louisville, KY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Paw With Purpose | Louisville, KY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Presentation High School | Louisville, KY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Second Chances Wildlife Cener | Mount Washington, KY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Xavier High School | Louisville, KY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Community Foundation of Southern Indiana | New Albany, IN | $650 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Fort Lewis College Williams College & Hollins University | Durango, CO | $600 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Hollins University | Roanoke, VA | $600 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Williams College | Williamstown, MA | $600 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Alzheimer's Associaion | Louisville, KY | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Kentucky Educational Television | Lexington, KY | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Pa'ia Youthe and Cultural Center | Paia, HI | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| St Francis Schoolfrancis Parker School of Louisville | Goshen, KY | $400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Francisfrancis Parker School | Goshen, KY | $400 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Historic Locust Grove Inc & Liberty Hall Historic Site | Louisville, KY | $350 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Bluegrass Land Conservancy | Lexington, KY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Children's Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Farmington Historic Homes | Louisville, KY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Green Hill Therapy | Louisville, KY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Markey Cancer Center | Lexington, KY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Francis in the Field Church | Prospect, KY | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
81 of 103 (79%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 90%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 207 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 75 | $100,150 | $1,000 |
| 2021 | 74 | $99,250 | $1,000 |
| 2022 | 81 | $98,950 | $1,000 |
| 2023 | 81 | $87,500 | $1,000 |
| 2024 | 82 | $107,500 | $1,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
81% of its giving went to organizations in Kentucky. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $1,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Kentucky.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Gardner Foundation Incorporated's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 2301 River Road Ste 301, Louisville, KY, 40206. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 31-0966287 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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