Cardinal Charitable Foundation

About Cardinal Charitable Foundation

Cardinal Charitable Foundation’s recent giving is built around unrestricted operating support for a narrow circle of established institutions, with Cleveland Clinic Foundation receiving the largest listed award at $50,000 in 2025. The pattern is not project-driven; the grants are labeled for operating funds, pointing to flexible support for core budgets rather than restricted program awards. Healthcare and Catholic higher education anchor the portfolio, and the foundation has also backed pediatric and specialty-care charities. Repeat support is a defining feature. John Carroll University received $33,600 in 2023 and $32,125 in 2025, while Cleveland Clinic Foundation was awarded $25,000 in 2023 and $26,000 in 2024 before the larger 2025 grant. Those repeated awards suggest sustained relationships with select organizations rather than one-time gifts. The recipient list also includes community, cultural, and scholarship-oriented organizations in Northeast Ohio, alongside a smaller set of grants beyond that core area. The foundation’s giving level is consistent with a small private foundation using flexible grants to support institutional stability. Across the recent record, the recipients are all U.S.-based, and most are concentrated in Ohio, with a smaller number of awards reaching Tennessee and New York.

What Cardinal Charitable Foundation Funds

Healthcare is a major theme in Cardinal Charitable Foundation’s grantmaking. Cleveland Clinic Foundation received $50,000 in 2025 for unrestricted operating funds, and the same recipient also appeared in 2024 and 2023 with additional operating grants. That pattern points to sustained support for clinical care infrastructure. Catholic higher education is another clear area. John Carroll University, in University Heights, received $33,600 in 2023 and $32,125 in 2025, both for unrestricted operating funds. The repeated support indicates an ongoing relationship with a Catholic institution in Greater Cleveland. The foundation also makes smaller grants to children’s and family-serving organizations. Examples include $5,000 to Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Sevierville, Tennessee, and $3,334 to Rainbow Babies & Children in Cleveland, both in the recent record. Community and educational programs also appear through grants to Playhouse Square and Shaker Schools Foundation.

How Cardinal Charitable Foundation Gives