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.
$1.2M
$21.8M
$1.6M
$1.3M
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.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Zoological Society | Toledo, OH | $300,000 | 2026 | 150,000 to T.U.R.T.L.E.150,000 to MRI Machine |
| Dixon Center for Military and Veter | New York, NY | $125,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Ability Center of Greater Toledo | Sylvania, OH | $100,000 | 2026 | Sponsor dog at Timberstone Jr High |
| Boys and Girls Club of Toledo | Toledo, OH | $100,000 | 2026 | Operating |
| Historic Woodlawn Cemetery | Toledo, OH | $75,000 | 2026 | Gunkel Monument |
| Hillsdale Collage Barney Charter Sc | Hillsdale, MI | $70,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Hope Lutheren Church | Toledo, OH | $70,000 | 2026 | Salem Project |
| Toledo Day Nursery | Toledo, OH | $50,000 | 2026 | Stickney playgound &outdoor equip |
| Toledo Children's Hospital | Toledo, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | Child Life |
| Sylvania Schools Foundation | Sylvania, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | 20,000 to Scholqrships and Endowment 10,000 Teacher Workshops |
| Flag City Honor Flights | Findlay, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Valentine Theater | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Camp Storer | Jackson, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| Bethany House | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Girl Scouts of Western Ohio | Maumee, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | Camp Libbey |
| Florida Oceanographic Society | Stuart, FL | $25,000 | 2026 | Eco Center |
| Mom's House | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | General Purposes |
| Toledo Northwest Ohio Food Bank | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Toledo Symphony | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Imagination Station | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | Operating |
| Friends of the Lyric Theater | Stuart, FL | $20,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| 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 |
| Mom's House | Toledo, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Toledo Day Nursery | Toledo, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Purposes |
| Flag City Honor Flights | Findlay, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| 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 |
| Ability Center of Greater Toledo | Sylvania, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | School Dog Facility |
| Florida Oceanographic Society | Stuart, FL | $50,000 | 2024 | Eco Center |
| Historic Woodlawn Cemetery | Toledo, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | Arboretum Campaign |
| Boys and Girls Club of Toledo | Toledo, OH | $25,000 | 2024 | Operating |
| Toledo Children's Hospital | Toledo, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | Child Life |
| Girl Scouts of Western Ohio | Maumee, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | Camo Libbey Pool House Renovations |
| Flag City Honor Flights | Findlay, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Toledo Symphony | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Toledo Day Nursery | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purposes |
| Mom's House | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Purposes |
| Imagination Station | Toledo, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | Operating |
Dixon Center for Military and Veter
$125,000General Purposes
Historic Woodlawn Cemetery
$75,000Gunkel Monument
Hillsdale Collage Barney Charter Sc
General Operating
Hope Lutheren Church
$70,000Salem Project
Toledo Children's Hospital
$30,000Child Life
Sylvania Schools Foundation
$30,00020,000 to Scholqrships and Endowment 10,000 Teacher Workshops
Flag City Honor Flights
$30,000General Operating
Valentine Theater
$25,000General Purposes
Camp Storer
$25,000General
Bethany House
$25,000General Operating
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
$25,000Camp Libbey
Imagination Station
$25,000Operating
Friends of the Lyric Theater
$20,000General Operating
Historic Woodlawn Cemetery
$215,000Arboretum Campaign
Dixon Center for Military and Veter
$100,000General Purposes
Hope Lutheren Church
$70,000Salem Project
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
Toledo Children's Hospital
$20,000Child Life
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
$20,000Camo Libbey Pool House Renovations
Flag City Honor Flights
$10,000General Operating
Toledo Symphony
$10,000General Operating
Imagination Station
$10,000Operating