The Obren B & Marilyn M Gerich Foundation concentrates its giving on Eastern Orthodox Christian institutions, with large gifts directed to monastic life and seminary education. Grants are purpose-driven (special/annual appeals) and support denominational infrastructure rather than broad secular causes. The foundation appears motivated by sustaining Orthodox formation and clergy/monastic communities in the U.S.
Highly concentrated: very few, relatively large grants focused on religious institutions; repeat/support to the same grantees and one-time special-appeal style gifts rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: St Paisius Women's Monastery, St Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, St Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary
The Obren B & Marilyn M Gerich Foundation’s largest recent grant went to St Paisius Women’s Monastery in Safford, Arizona, with a $249,905 special appeal payment in 2024. That single gift sits within a pattern of support for Eastern Orthodox institutions, especially women’s monastic communities and theological seminaries. The foundation also made a $61,000 annual appeal grant to St Vladimirs Seminary in Yonkers, New York, and a $50,000 special appeal grant to St Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, both in 2024. Those grants point to a funder that gives in response to denominational appeals and often supports operating or campaign-specific needs rather than broad secular programs. Across its recent grants, the foundation appears closely tied to Orthodox formation and institutional continuity. Its grantees include monasteries, seminaries, churches, and Orthodox-affiliated organizations, with some support also extending to related charities and selected educational institutions. The recent record shows repeated funding for the same Orthodox recipients over multiple years, suggesting an ongoing relationship with several institutions rather than isolated one-off awards. The foundation’s giving is national in scope, but most often lands in California.
A central theme in the foundation’s recent giving is Orthodox monastic life. In 2024, it gave $249,905 to St Paisius Women’s Monastery for a special appeal, and in 2023 it had already awarded the monastery $93,600 for the same purpose. That kind of repeated support shows a strong connection to campaign-based fundraising needs. Orthodox seminary education is another clear priority. The foundation gave $61,000 to St Vladimirs Seminary in Yonkers, New York, through an annual appeal in 2024, and also supported St Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary in South Canaan, Pennsylvania with a $50,000 special appeal grant the same year. Its recent grants also include parish and diocesan support, such as $16,450 to St Steven’s Serbian Cathedral in Alhambra, California for an annual appeal, and $10,000 to Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Chicago for a special appeal.
Typical grant size is modest for most awards, with a p25 of $350, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $3,500. The distribution is shaped by a small number of much larger appeal-driven grants, including six-figure and mid-five-figure awards to Orthodox institutions. The grant record also shows repeat support to the same recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including monasteries, seminaries, and churches. The foundation is a private foundation and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Recent entries use annual appeal, special appeal, and contribution provided language, which suggests a preference for responding to campaign requests rather than a public application process.
$740K
$496K
$40K
$108K
Most grants fall between $350 and $4K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$350
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$4K
About 51% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Giving is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. California is the top state by grant count and accounts for 51% of grants. Recipient cities that appear repeatedly include Alhambra, Safford, and Laguna Niguel in California, along with Yonkers, New York; South Canaan, Pennsylvania; and Carnegie, Pennsylvania. The largest gifts also reached recipients in Arizona and New York, showing that while California receives the most frequent support, the foundation’s Orthodox grantmaking extends across several states.
The recent record centers on Eastern Orthodox institutions: women’s monasteries, Orthodox seminaries, churches, dioceses, and Orthodox-affiliated organizations. Examples include St Paisius Women’s Monastery, St Vladimirs Seminary, St Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary, and St Steven’s Serbian Cathedral.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including St Paisius Women’s Monastery in 2023 and 2024, St Vladimirs Seminary in 2024 and 2025, and St Tikhon’s Orthodox Seminary in 2024 and 2025. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with selected Orthodox institutions.
The grant-size distribution is small at the center and larger at the top: p25 is $350, median grant size is $1,000, and p75 is $3,500. Larger appeal-driven awards sit above that range, including six-figure support for monastery fundraising.
California is the top state by grant count, and 51% of grants go to recipients in California. Recent California recipients include organizations in Alhambra, Laguna Niguel, and Claremont.
Many recent awards are labeled as annual appeal, special appeal, or contribution provided. That wording indicates the foundation often responds to institutional fundraising campaigns and appeals, especially for Orthodox monasteries, seminaries, and churches.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST TIKHONS ORTHODOX SEMINARY | SOUTH CANAAN, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| LIFT UP UGANDA | BERTHOUD, CO | $19,480 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| ST STEVENS SERBIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL | ALHAMBRA, CA | $13,600 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| ST PAISIUS WOMENS MONASTERY | SAFFORD, AZ | $11,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| FOCUS North America | CARNEGIE, PA | $11,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| ST VLADIMIRS SEMINARY | YONKERS, NY | $6,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| Western American Diocese | ALHAMBRA, CA | $1,500 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| Trinity Lutheran Church | SIMI VALLEY, CA | $1,500 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| Chi Omega Foundation | MEMPHIS, TN | $1,500 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $1,000 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| Tunnel to Towers | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $660 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $500 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| Special Olympics Southern California | LONG BEACH, CA | $500 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| International Orthodox Christian Charities | BALTIMORE, MD | $500 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| FOOD SHARE INC | OXNARD, CA | $500 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| JUDICIAL WATCH | WASHINGTON, DC | $400 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER | HERDON, VA | $400 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| Serbian United Benevolent Society | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250 | 2025 | CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED |
| St Paisius Women's Monastery | Safford, AZ | $249,905 | 2024 | Special Appeal |
| St Vladimirs Seminary | Yonkers, NY | $61,000 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos | Laguna Niguel, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | Special Appeal |
| St Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary | South Canaan, PA | $50,000 | 2024 | Special Appeal |
| St Steven's Serbian Cathedral | Alhambra, CA | $16,450 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church | Chicago, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | Special Appeal |
| World Central Kitchen Inc | Washington, DC | $5,200 | 2024 | Special Appeal |
| American Red Cross | Boone, IA | $5,125 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| FOCUS North America | Carnegie, PA | $3,510 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Claremont McKenna College | Claremont, CA | $3,500 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| International Orthodox | Baltimore, MD | $2,000 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Five Acres | Altadena, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Orthodox Christian Missions | St Augustine, FL | $2,000 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Trinity Lutheran Church | Simi Valley, CA | $1,500 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Chi Omega Foundation | Memphis, TN | $1,500 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Western American Diocese | Alhambra, CA | $1,250 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Ventura County Rescue Mission | Oxnard, CA | $1,076 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Orthodox ChristIan Priso | New York, NY | $1,010 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Food Share Inc | Oxnard, CA | $700 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Tunnel to Towers | Staten Island, NY | $600 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Hillsdale College | Hillsdale, MI | $500 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Ronald McDonald House | Pasadena, CA | $500 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Academy Museum | Los Angeles, CA | $500 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Children's Hospital Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $500 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Judicial Watch | Washington, DC | $400 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| KUSC | Los Angeles, CA | $350 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Media Research Center | Herndon, VA | $300 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| DELTA Rescue | Glendale, CA | $250 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Serbian United Benevolent Society | Los Angeles, CA | $250 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| March of Dimes | Arlington, VA | $200 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| Emanuel Lutheran Church | Lansing, MI | $200 | 2024 | Annual Appeal |
| ST PAISIUS WOMEN'S ORTHODOX MONASTRY | SAFFORD, AZ | $93,600 | 2023 | SPECIAL APPEAL |
ST TIKHONS ORTHODOX SEMINARY
$25,000CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
LIFT UP UGANDA
$19,480CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
ST STEVENS SERBIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL
$13,600CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
ST PAISIUS WOMENS MONASTERY
$11,000CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
FOCUS North America
$11,000CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
ST VLADIMIRS SEMINARY
$6,000CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
Western American Diocese
$1,500CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
Trinity Lutheran Church
$1,500CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
Chi Omega Foundation
$1,500CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
SAMARITANS PURSE
$1,000CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
Tunnel to Towers
$660CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
$500CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
Special Olympics Southern California
$500CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
International Orthodox Christian Charities
$500CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
FOOD SHARE INC
$500CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
JUDICIAL WATCH
$400CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER
$400CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
Serbian United Benevolent Society
$250CONTRIBUTION PROVIDED
St Paisius Women's Monastery
$249,905Special Appeal
St Vladimirs Seminary
$61,000Annual Appeal
Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos
$50,000Special Appeal
St Tikhon's Orthodox Seminary
$50,000Special Appeal
St Steven's Serbian Cathedral
$16,450Annual Appeal
Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church
$10,000Special Appeal
World Central Kitchen Inc
$5,200Special Appeal
American Red Cross
$5,125Annual Appeal
FOCUS North America
$3,510Annual Appeal
Claremont McKenna College
$3,500Annual Appeal
International Orthodox
$2,000Annual Appeal
Five Acres
$2,000Annual Appeal
Orthodox Christian Missions
$2,000Annual Appeal
Trinity Lutheran Church
$1,500Annual Appeal
Chi Omega Foundation
$1,500Annual Appeal
Western American Diocese
$1,250Annual Appeal
Ventura County Rescue Mission
$1,076Annual Appeal
Orthodox ChristIan Priso
$1,010Annual Appeal
Food Share Inc
$700Annual Appeal
Tunnel to Towers
$600Annual Appeal
Hillsdale College
$500Annual Appeal
Ronald McDonald House
$500Annual Appeal
Academy Museum
$500Annual Appeal
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
$500Annual Appeal
Judicial Watch
$400Annual Appeal
KUSC
$350Annual Appeal
Media Research Center
$300Annual Appeal
DELTA Rescue
$250Annual Appeal
Serbian United Benevolent Society
$250Annual Appeal
March of Dimes
$200Annual Appeal
Emanuel Lutheran Church
$200Annual Appeal
ST PAISIUS WOMEN'S ORTHODOX MONASTRY
$93,600SPECIAL APPEAL