About Aws Foundation
Aws Foundation Inc. centers its giving on children and adults with enduring intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities in Northeast Indiana, with a stated goal of helping people live as independently as possible, be included in the community, and function at their highest potential. That mission shows up in a grant portfolio that combines large capital awards, program support, and operating support for local disability-serving organizations. In the recent grants list, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne received $2,000,000 for capital work, and Neighborhood Health received $1,000,000 for capital support, showing that the foundation funds major place-based investments alongside service delivery. Other awards reach organizations such as The League, Pathfinder Services, and Easter Seals Arc of Greater Fort Wayne Indiana, indicating support for ongoing services tied to disability inclusion. The foundation also funds specialized education supports for people preparing for work in special education, along with mini grants and targeted grants for mission-aligned projects. Its structure includes traditional grants, specialty grants, scholarships and education supports, and a mini-grant program for quick project funding.
What Aws Foundation Funds
Disability services are the clearest throughline in Aws Foundation Inc.’s recent grantmaking. The League received $609,292 in 2023 for programming, while Cardinal Services received $465,506 in 2023 for programming and $227,892 in 2024 for programming. The Arc of Wabash County also appears twice, with $360,383 in 2024 for capital and $202,132 in 2025 for programming. Education support is another active area: Questa Education Foundation received $597,692 in 2023 for teacher shortages, and Trustees of Indiana University received $331,984 in 2023 for programming. Transportation appears in multiple awards as well, including $255,000 to Community Transportation Network in 2024 for operating and $200,000 in 2025 for programming. Housing and enrichment are also part of the foundation’s priority set through its named grant programs.
How Aws Foundation Gives
Aws Foundation Inc. gives at a mid-to-large local scale, with a typical grant size of $24,750 at the 25th percentile, $49,500 at the median, and $116,530 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, including Arc of Wabash County, Cardinal Services, Turnstone, The League, Community Transportation Network, and Carey Services Inc. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation operates as a regular funder and also makes program-related investments. It uses several channels: traditional grants, specialty grants, scholarships and education supports, and Mighty Money Grants, which are described as simple mini grants for nonprofits. Unsolicited applications are accepted in the named grant programs.
