The Carolyn and Herbert Metzger Foundation concentrates its giving on a small set of Toledo-area institutions that strengthen local community life — supporting veterans' services, faith-based congregations, and cultural/green-space organizations. Grants tend to be sizable and targeted to operating needs or capital campaigns, and the foundation repeatedly funds the same core nonprofits rather than dispersing many small awards. Its support mixes religious operating support with civic and conservation-oriented projects that serve the Toledo region.
A 2025 $215,000 commitment to Historic Woodlawn Cemetery’s Arboretum Campaign is the clearest signal of how the Carolyn and Herbert Metzger Foundation gives: it backs local institutions with targeted, often repeat support for operating needs, capital projects, and campaign work. The foundation’s recent grants also show sustained support for Toledo Zoological Society, which received operating grants in 2024 and 2025, and for Hope Lutheran Church, which has been funded for both operating support and the Salem Project across multiple years. Another recurring priority is veterans’ services through Dixon Center for Military and Veterans, which received general-purpose grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The pattern is steady rather than broad, with funding concentrated among a small group of nonprofits serving the Toledo area and nearby communities. Alongside civic and faith-based support, the foundation also funds animal care and public education through organizations such as the zoo, reflecting a mix of community, conservation, and local service priorities.
One visible theme is support for community facilities and public green space. The foundation gave $215,000 to Historic Woodlawn Cemetery for its Arboretum Campaign, plus additional campaign support in prior years. It also backed the Toledo Zoological Society with operating grants, including $150,000 in 2024 and $100,535 in 2025, tying its giving to public education and animal-related programming. Faith-based and neighborhood service work is another strand: Hope Lutheran Church received $70,000 for the Salem Project in both 2024 and 2025, and $70,000 for operating support in 2023. The foundation also funds programs for children and families, including $20,000 to Toledo Children’s Hospital for Child Life and $50,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Toledo for operating support.
Typical grants fall in a fairly wide midrange, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $20,000, and a p75 of $50,000. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, especially Toledo Zoological Society, Hope Lutheran Church, and Dixon Center for Military and Veterans, which points to sustained rather than one-off support. Grantmaking includes operating support, general purposes, capital and campaign funding, and project-specific grants. The foundation funds individuals: False, and it makes no program-related investments.
$736K
$21.6M
$1M
$844K
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated, large grants to a small number of recurring local grantees; mix of operating support and capital/campaign gifts rather than many small one-off awards.
Notable grantees: Dixon Center for Military and Veterans, Hope Lutheran Church, Toledo Zoological Society, Historic Woodlawn Cemetery
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Ohio, with 82% of grants going to recipients in the headquarters state. Toledo appears repeatedly, including Historic Woodlawn Cemetery, Toledo Zoological Society, Boys and Girls Club of Toledo, Toledo Children’s Hospital, Toledo Symphony, Toledo Day Nursery, Mom’s House, and Bethany House. Nearby Ohio communities also appear, such as Sylvania, Maumee, and Findlay. Outside Ohio, the recent grant list includes only a small number of recipients, including Dixon Center for Military and Veterans in New York, NY, and Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart, FL.
The recent grants point to support for veterans’ services, faith-based congregations, local cultural and green-space institutions, animal and conservation organizations, and community-serving nonprofits. Examples in the record include Dixon Center for Military and Veterans, Hope Lutheran Church, Historic Woodlawn Cemetery, Toledo Zoological Society, and Boys and Girls Club of Toledo.
Yes. Operating support appears repeatedly in the recent grants, including Toledo Zoological Society, Hope Lutheran Church, Boys and Girls Club of Toledo, Toledo Symphony, Toledo Day Nursery, and Bethany House. The foundation also uses general purposes and general operating as grant purposes.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the middle range: p25 is $10,000, median is $20,000, and p75 is $50,000. Recent grants also include larger campaign and operating awards, such as $215,000 for an arboretum campaign and $150,000 for operating support.
Yes. 82% of grants go to recipients in Ohio, and the recent grant list is anchored by Toledo and nearby communities such as Sylvania, Maumee, and Findlay. The geographic scope of giving is local.
Yes. Several recipients show up in multiple years, including Dixon Center for Military and Veterans, Hope Lutheran Church, and Toledo Zoological Society. That pattern suggests recurring support rather than only one-time awards.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Woodlawn Cemetery | Toledo, OH | $215,000 | 2025 | Arboretum Campaign |
| Toledo Zoological Society | Toledo, OH | $100,535 | 2025 | Operating |
| Dixon Center for Military and Veter | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Hope Lutheren Church | Toledo, OH | $70,000 | 2025 | Salem Project |
| Ability Center of Greater Toledo | Sylvania, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | School Dog Facility |
| Boys and Girls Club of Toledo | Toledo, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | Operating |
| Sylvania Schools Foundation | Sylvania, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Toledo Symphony | Toledo, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Toledo Children's Hospital | Toledo, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | Child Life |
| Toledo Day Nursery | Toledo, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Flag City Honor Flights | Findlay, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Mom's House | Toledo, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Bethany House | Toledo, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Camp Storer | Jackson, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | General |
| Valentine Theater | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Toledo Zoological Society | Toledo, OH | $150,000 | 2024 | Operating |
| Dixon Center for Military and Veter | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | General Purposes |
| Hope Lutheren Church | Toledo, OH | $70,000 | 2024 | Salem Project |
| Florida Oceanographic Society | Stuart, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | Eco Center |
| Historic Woodlawn Cemetery | Toledo, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | Arboretum Campaign |
| Ability Center of Greater Toledo | Sylvania, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | School Dog Facility |
| Boys and Girls Club of Toledo | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2024 | Operating |
| Girl Scouts of Western Ohio | Maumee, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | Camo Libbey Pool House Renovations |
| Toledo Children's Hospital | Toledo, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | Child Life |
| Toledo Day Nursery | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purposes |
| Imagination Station | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | Operating |
| Mom's House | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purposes |
| Toledo Symphony | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Flag City Honor Flights | Findlay, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Camp Storer | Jackson, MI | $5,000 | 2024 | General |
| Valentine Theater | Toledo, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | General Purposes |
| Dixon Center for Military and Veter | New York, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | General Purposes |
| Hope Lutheren Church | Toledo, OH | $70,000 | 2023 | Operating |
| Toledo Zoological Society | Toledo, OH | $50,000 | 2023 | Operating |
| Historic Woodlawn Cemetery | Toledo, OH | $50,000 | 2023 | Arboretum Campaign |
| Florida Oceanographic Society | Stuart, FL | $50,000 | 2023 | Eco Center |
| Toledo Children's Hospital | Toledo, OH | $20,000 | 2023 | Child Life |
| Boys and Girls Club of Toledo | Toledo, OH | $20,000 | 2023 | Operating |
| Assistance Dogs | Sylvania, OH | $20,000 | 2023 | Donate a Dog |
| Mom's House | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | General Purposes |
| Imagination Station | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | Operating |
| Bethany House | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Toledo Symphony | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Ability Center of Greater Toledo | Sylvania, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | General |
| Toledo Day Nursery | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | General Purposes |
| Tutor Smart | Toledo, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Camp Storer | Jackson, MI | $5,000 | 2023 | General |
| Valentine Theater | Toledo, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | General Purposes |
Historic Woodlawn Cemetery
$215,000Arboretum Campaign
Dixon Center for Military and Veter
$100,000General Purposes
Hope Lutheren Church
$70,000Salem Project
Operating
Sylvania Schools Foundation
$30,000General Operating
Toledo Symphony
$20,000General Operating
Toledo Children's Hospital
$20,000Child Life
Flag City Honor Flights
$15,000General Operating
Bethany House
$15,000General Operating
Camp Storer
$10,000General
Valentine Theater
$10,000General Purposes
Dixon Center for Military and Veter
$100,000General Purposes
Hope Lutheren Church
$70,000Salem Project
Historic Woodlawn Cemetery
$50,000Arboretum Campaign
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
$20,000Camo Libbey Pool House Renovations
Toledo Children's Hospital
$20,000Child Life
Imagination Station
$10,000Operating
Toledo Symphony
$10,000General Operating
Flag City Honor Flights
$10,000General Operating
Camp Storer
$5,000General
Valentine Theater
$5,000General Purposes
Dixon Center for Military and Veter
$100,000General Purposes
Hope Lutheren Church
$70,000Operating
Historic Woodlawn Cemetery
$50,000Arboretum Campaign
Toledo Children's Hospital
$20,000Child Life
Assistance Dogs
$20,000Donate a Dog
Imagination Station
$10,000Operating
Bethany House
$10,000General Operating
Toledo Symphony
$10,000General Operating
Tutor Smart
$5,000General Operating
Camp Storer
$5,000General
Valentine Theater
$5,000General Purposes