The Berges Family Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 47-1426743 · since 2014bergesfamilyfoundation.org·Missouri, St. Louis·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$16.2M
Annual giving, 2024 tax year
From the Form 990-PF filing
$32,000 to $500k
Grant range
From grants in the 990-PF filings
$100k
Typical grant (median)
56 grants in the latest filing
Open to applications
Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

  • The Berges Family Foundation funds not-for-profit organisations based in Missouri whose work is delivered in the St. Louis, MO metropolitan region, across themes such as Youth & Families, STEM Futures, Supporting Our Heroes and Thriving St. Louis.
  • About eight in ten of its grants fall between $32,000 and $500,000, with a median of $100,000, so a request in that band is realistic, though the largest grant on record was $4,000,000.
  • Apply by submitting a Letter of Inquiry on a rolling basis; the Foundation says it responds within three months, and those taken forward are asked for a full application considered at a quarterly Trustee meeting, so allow time for this staged process.
  • With 58% of its grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded in the previous two filings, its giving looks relationship-led, rewarding sustained partnership over a single approach.
  • It does not fund fundraising event sponsorships, direct scholarships or grants to individuals, endowment funds, or debt retirement and operational deficits, and it says new organisations are typically not a good fit, so those without an established track record may wish to think carefully before applying.

Overview

The Berges Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in ST Louis, MO.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Berges Family Foundation makes grants to not-for-profit organisations based in Missouri whose primary programming or service delivery is in the St. Louis metropolitan region. It focuses on empowering young people and strengthening families, nurturing STEM learning and career skills across generations, supporting veterans and first responders, and sustaining a thriving St. Louis through arts, cultural and civic organisations and regional initiatives. Its youth and family work addresses barriers facing under-resourced children and young people; its STEM work particularly includes people underrepresented in STEM. The Foundation describes its approach as deliberately focused and partnership-based, with attention to measurable outcomes, organisational capacity and lasting community change. It supports direct services and programmes, capital and infrastructure, general operating and capacity-building initiatives.

Themes

  • Youth & Families
  • STEM Futures
  • Supporting Our Heroes
  • Thriving St. Louis

Geographic Focus

Missouri; St. Louis, MO metropolitan region.

What They Don't Fund

  • Fundraising event sponsorships
  • Direct scholarships or grants to individuals
  • Endowment funds
  • Debt retirement/operational deficits

How to apply

Organisations first submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) on a rolling basis. The Foundation reviews LOIs and responds within three months; selected applicants are advanced and asked to submit a full application for a quarterly Trustee meeting.

Application success factors

  • Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 58% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
  • Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 140 grants to organisations were $100,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

  • The foundation looks for organisations able to measure progress towards well-defined outcomes.
  • It favours nonprofits with effective staff and board leadership working together across strategy, resources, operations, programming and stakeholder engagement.
  • It values sustainable finances supported by a diverse range of funding sources.
  • It favours organisations that collaborate, share resources and amplify their impact.
  • It values organisations that use beneficiary feedback and build equitable, diverse and inclusive cultures.
  • It seeks mature organisations that sustain these qualities over time; new organisations are typically not a good fit.
  • It aims to be a community-building partner, learning with and from grantees about local challenges and opportunities.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Missouri98%
California2%
Virginia<1%
Minnesota<1%
Texas<1%
  • The largest single recipient received 17% of grant dollars to organisations.
  • In tax year 2024, 58% of grant dollars went to organisations The Berges Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
  • No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
  • 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

56 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $100k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 56 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$5k–$10k2%
$10k–$25k5%
$25k–$50k13%
$50k–$100k29%
$100k–$250k25%
$250k–$500k9%
$500k–$1M9%
$1M and over9%

Median $100k (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

  • Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra · General support
    $4,000,0002024 tax year
  • Saint Louis Children's Hospital Foundation · General support
    $2,000,0002024 tax year
  • Saint Louis Zoo · General support
    $1,000,0002024 tax year
  • Great Rivers Greenway · General support
    $1,000,0002024 tax year
  • Urban Sprouts · General support
    $1,000,0002024 tax year
  • Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition · General support
    $750,0002024 tax year
  • Metropolitan Golf · General support
    $500,0002024 tax year
  • Veterans Community Project · General support
    $500,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

  • Kris Mannen — Trustee
  • Katherine Wackerman — Trustee
  • Malory Caltagirone — Trustee
  • Michael Silver — Trustee
  • Kevin James Berges — Trustee
  • James G Berges — Settlor And Trustee
  • Elizabeth Mannen Berges — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

YearTotal expensesGrants paidAssetsFiling document
2022 tax year$10,875,927$8,867,913$56,492,706Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year$9,305,584$7,282,717$86,838,334Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year$18,000,310$16,229,105$100,699,673Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

Sources

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