At the Gary Sinise Foundation, we serve our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need. We DO this by creating and supporting unique programs designed to entertain, educate, inspire, strengthen, and build communities.

501(c)(3) charity; gifts are tax-deductible.
86¢ of each $1 spent went to programs.
$3.1M paid to officers and key staff.
Mission: Form 990 Part I, line 1 · Status: IRS Pub. 78 · Programs: Part IX · Pay: Part VII

Before you give

FY2024 · Form 990Independent: from IRS data, not the org
Download 990
IRS status
501(c)(3)
not on the IRS revocation list
Looks good: listed by the IRS and not on the revocation list.
IRS BMF · Auto-Revocation List
Tax-deductible gifts
Yes
Donations are tax-deductible
Looks good: the IRS lists gifts to it as deductible.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS BMF
Latest return
FY2025
latest Form 990
Looks good: the latest return is for FY2025, 1 tax year back; within 2 tax years.
IRS e-file · Filing history
Surplus or deficit
5 of 5
filings with a surplus
Average surplus $8.5M a year · 13% of revenue · last 5 filings
Looks good: a surplus in 5 of the last 5 filings.
Pt I · Ln 19 · 5 filings
Spent on programs
86%
of spending
Looks good: 86% of spending went to programs; 75% or more.
Pt IX · Ln 25 · col B
Pay to officers and key staff
$3.1M
to officers and key staff · 4% of spending
Looks good: pay to officers and key staff is 4% of spending; 15% or less.
Pt VII · Sec A
4 mo
of spending, in cash
Plus $38.9M in investments, Pt X · Ln 11–13
Looks good: 4.3 months of spending in cash; 3 or more.
Pt X · Ln 1–2 · Pt I · Ln 18
Named funders
41
named funders · $1.7M
Looks good: 41 funders name it on their filings; 3 or more.
Funders’ Sch. I, 990-PF
Liabilities
$6.8M
8% of total assets
Looks good: liabilities are 8% of assets; 50% or less.
Pt X · Ln 26
Independent board members
7
of 9 voting members
Looks good: 7 of 9 voting members are independent, a majority.
Pt VI · Ln 1a–1b
Looks goodFineWorth a lookConcernNo data yetTap a box for the reason.
Revenue
$81.4M
+33% vs prior year
Spent
$75.1M
To programs
86%
Net assets
$80.6M
By yearFY2020–FY2025
Revenue
$81.4M
FY2024▲ +33%
Tap a bar for its year
Revenue by fiscal year
FY2020$48.9M
FY2021$58.1M
FY2022$61.3M
FY2024$81.4M
FY2025$85.5M
Expenses
$75.1M
FY2024▲ +27%
Tap a bar for its year
Expenses by fiscal year
FY2020$39.1M
FY2021$36.6M
FY2022$59.2M
FY2024$75.1M
FY2025$82.7M
Net assets
$80.6M
FY2024▲ +9%
Tap a bar for its year
Net assets by fiscal year
FY2020$59.7M
FY2021$78.7M
FY2022$74.3M
FY2024$80.6M
FY2025$83.4M

From the FY2024 Form 990 (year ending March 2024) · figures checked against the IRS filing · see the original

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You’re viewing the FY2024 filing — not the latest on file. See the latest (FY2025) →

Is it real?

Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Oct 2010.

IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File

Where the money goes

86 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.

Program services 86% · $64.7M Management & general 8% · $6.1M Fundraising 6% · $4.3M

Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.

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Who runs it and what they're paid

39 people listed on the 990; $3.1M paid to officers and key staff.

Part VII, Section A · reportable compensation · most recent filed roster (FY2023); the FY2024 filing did not itemize Part VII
Executive Director
$376,287Pt VII · Sec A
SR. VP - Operations/Business
$227,195Pt VII · Sec A
SR. VP of Programs
$217,552Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Marketing
$208,081Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Philanthropic Advis
$196,433Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Philanthropy
$189,411Pt VII · Sec A
VP of Philanthropy
$163,631Pt VII · Sec A
Senior Philanthropic Advisor
$159,938Pt VII · Sec A

Donna Mercier’s $454K as Executive Director is at the 90th percentile of top reported officer pay among 661 $10–100M philanthropy & grantmaking nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.

Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII

NameFY2025FY2024FY2022FY2021FY2020
Donna Mercier$454,103$376,287———
Donna E Palmer—$93,975$319,321——
Robin Rand———$155,729$287,500
Michael R Thirtle——$281,231$215,075—
Robert Kilduff—$75,284$262,234$19,195—
James Ravella$259,128$51,425$178,119$166,717$159,198
Elizabeth Fields———$246,292$230,000
Shannon Woodward—$163,631$245,737——

Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.

See Gary Sinise Foundation executive salaries →

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Questions the 990 asks

The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.

  • Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2Yes
  • Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes

Programs and updates

Supports military members, veterans, first responders, and their families through community programs, entertainment, education, and critical financial aid during times of crisis.

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Provided by the organization

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4 programs · $62.5M · in their own filed words · FY2023
01

Relief and resiliency outreach supports our nation's defenders, WOUNDED/ILL/INJURED veterans, their loved ones and families of fallen heroes as they cope with trauma and loss. The foundation provided over 557 grants to these individuals in their time of urgent need.

$26.4Mprogram expense
02

Through our R.I.S.E (restoring independence, supporting empowerment) program we're constructing one-of-a-kind specially adapted smart homes for our nation's most severely wounded veterans and first responders.

$18.4Mprogram expense
03

Community outreach and education worked hard to bring joy & relief to so many across the country, including providing critical financial aid to those in crisis. The program also documented oral history stories from wwii veterans and through continued sponsorship of a historian from the world war ii museum, GSF has helped to develop an ai…

$13.0Mprogram expense
04

Community outreach and education worked hard to bring joy & relief to so many across the country, including providing critical financial aid following hurricane ian. The program also documented oral history stories from wwii veterans and through continued sponsorship of a historian from the world war ii museum, GSF has helped to develop…

$4.7Mprogram expense

Funders

Who pays for it.

From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.

Grants

Schedule I · received and paid
Grants received · FY2025
See all 41 funders →
Grants paid · 652 grants · $79.8M · 2020–2024
Boulder Crest FoundationVA · FY2024$4,500,000
Unitemized GrantFY2024$3,339,410
Hyperformance Foundation INCTN · FY2024$2,000,000
Metanoia Films LLCFY2024$1,841,750
Unitemized GrantFY2024$1,833,737
Friends of Firefighters INCNY · FY2024$570,000
Training to Perform Under Pressure LLCFY2024$427,254
Unitemized GrantFY2024$350,000
Travis Mills FoundationME · FY2024$350,000
Lighthouse Family Retreat INCGA · FY2024$284,625
Centerstone of Tennessee INCTN · FY2024$250,000
Mes Service Company LLCFY2024$229,920
Never Alone Widows INCGA · FY2024$220,500
Warriors Heart VirginiaFY2024$200,000
Valor Partners FoundationKS · FY2024$200,000
The Gratitude InitiativeTX · FY2024$150,000
See all 652 grants →

By the numbers

The FY2024 990, line by line.

1The main four
Money inPt VIII
$81.4M
Ln 12
Other incomeLn 4–11$70.7M
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$10.5M
Investment incomeLn 3$173K
Money outPt IX
$75.1M
Ln 25
Programscol B$64.7M
Managementcol C$6.1M
Fundraisingcol D$4.3M
Owns and owesPt X
$80.6M
net assets · Ln 32
Cash and savingsLn 1–2$27.1M
Total assetsLn 16$85.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6.8M
PeoplePt VI, VII
39
listed · VII A
PaidVII A20
Voting boardVI 1a9
IndependentVI 1b7
2In more detail
Revenue in detailPt VIII
Gifts and grantsLn 1h$10.5M
Government grantsLn 1e$102K
Investment incomeLn 3$173K
Other incomeLn 4–11$70.7M
Total revenueLn 12$81.4M
Assets in detailPt X, end of year
Cash and savings togetherLn 1–2$27.1M
Total assetsLn 16$85.6M
LiabilitiesLn 26$6.8M
Net assetsLn 32$80.6M
OperationsPt I, VI
EmployeesI 563
VolunteersI 6500
Fiscal year endsHeaderMarch
Conflict-of-interest policyVI 12aYes
Whistleblower policyVI 13Yes
Records policyVI 14Yes

Filing history

YearMoney inMoney outIn minus outNet assetsDownload
FY2025 Latest $85.5M$82.7M$2.8M$83.4M 990 PDF
FY2024 Viewing $81.4M$75.1M$6.3M$80.6M 990 PDF
FY2023 Not on file
FY2022 $61.3M$59.2M$2.2M$74.3M 990 PDF
FY2021 $58.1M$36.6M$21.4M$78.7M 990 PDF
FY2020 $48.9M$39.1M$9.8M$59.7M 990 PDF

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Schedules filed Part IV

III · Programs R · Related orgs G · Fundraising L · Interested persons A · Public support J · Pay O · Explanations
See the full FY2024 990 (1 part)
Part VI · Governance 7 of 9 board members independent, 1 to look at
VI-1a Voting members of the governing body9
VI-1b Independent voting members7
VI-2 Family or business relationship among officers or directorsYes
VI-12a Written conflict of interest policyYes
VI-13 Written whistleblower policyYes
VI-14 Document retention and destruction policyYes
VI-15a Process for setting top official's payYes

Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2024 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File

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