Community Foundations Inc. is an Ohio-focused funder that prioritizes religious institutions (notably Catholic and other Christian organizations), regional community foundations, and place-based education and social-service providers across central and southeastern Ohio. Their portfolio mixes very large, visible gifts to faith-based organizations and community foundations with recurring support for higher education, health programs, and local social service agencies serving Appalachian and rural communities.
Community Foundations Inc. made a $3,000,000 grant in 2024 to the Foundation of the Catholic Diocese Of in Columbus, a signal of how strongly the funder backs Catholic and other Christian institutions. Across its recent grants, the foundation pairs large faith-based support with place-based funding for community foundations, education, health, and social services, mostly within Ohio. Its portfolio includes repeated support for Pickaway County Community Foundation in Circleville, as well as gifts to regional organizations serving Appalachian and rural communities. The pattern is not limited to religion. Community Foundations Inc. also funds public-facing institutions such as Ohio University in Athens, Junior Achievement of Central Ohio in Columbus, and Ohio Professionals Health Program in Columbus. Other recent awards go to social-service and neighborhood organizations in Columbus, St. Clairsville, and Lithopolis, along with conservation and arts groups in Athens and Bainbridge. The foundation’s giving is local in scope, but its recipients span a mix of diocesan entities, community foundations, universities, and service providers.
Faith-based support is a major part of Community Foundations Inc.’s work. In 2024, it gave $500,000 to the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land in Washington, DC, and it also supported St Thomas Aquinas Seminary Assoc in Dillwyn, Virginia with $75,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also backs philanthropy infrastructure. It gave $925,823 in 2023, $309,804 in 2024, and $104,772 in 2023 to Pickaway County Community Foundation in Circleville for advancing philanthropy. Education appears in both higher-education and youth-learning settings. Ohio University in Athens received $125,090 in 2024, while Junior Achievement of Central Ohio in Columbus received $100,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Community-based services are another theme, including $120,000 in 2025 to Community Action Commission of Belmont County Inc in St. Clairsville.
Community Foundations Inc. typically makes mid-sized grants: the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are $10,000, $10,000, and $20,000. The grant list also shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Pickaway County Community Foundation, Junior Achievement of Central Ohio, Ohio Professionals Health Program, and St Thomas Aquinas Seminary Assoc. That points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation does not fund individuals and is not making program-related investments. Its giving is local in scope, with most grants landing in Ohio.
$2.6M
$77.6M
$8.7M
$4.3M
Most grants fall between $10K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
SCOTT G HEITKAMP
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Concentrated but mixed: a few very large, single gifts (e.g., a multi-million dollar grant to the Catholic diocese) alongside numerous mid-size, repeat grants to community foundations, regional universities, health programs, and social-service organizations. Funding tends to be geographically focused in Ohio with recurring support for established grantees rather than primarily one-off, exploratory grants.
Notable grantees: Foundation of the Catholic Diocese of (large diocesan support), Pickaway County Community Foundation (multiple capacity/endowment grants), Ohio State University Financial Aid Office (recurring higher-education support), Vista Village / community social-service providers in Appalachian Ohio, Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land (major faith-based international interest)
Ohio receives the clear majority of Community Foundations Inc.’s grants, with 84% going to recipients in the HQ state. Within Ohio, Columbus appears repeatedly, along with Circleville, Athens, St. Clairsville, Bainbridge, and Lithopolis. Outside Ohio, the recent grants list includes recipients in Washington, DC; Dillwyn, Virginia; Platte City, Missouri; and St Marys, Kansas. All recorded grants in the available data go to US recipients.
The foundation supports religious institutions, regional community foundations, higher education, health programs, social-service agencies, and some arts and conservation groups. Recent grants include Catholic and Christian organizations, community foundations in Circleville and Athens, and service providers in Columbus and Belmont County.
Its grant sizes are usually modest: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $20,000. The recent grants list also shows larger awards to a small number of recipients, including seven-figure and six-figure gifts.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Pickaway County Community Foundation, Junior Achievement of Central Ohio, Ohio Professionals Health Program, and St Thomas Aquinas Seminary Assoc. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
Its grants are overwhelmingly local, and 84% of recipients are in Ohio. Columbus, Circleville, Athens, and St. Clairsville show up repeatedly in the recent grants list, with smaller numbers of grants going to recipients outside Ohio.
Recent faith-based recipients include the Foundation of the Catholic Diocese Of in Columbus, the Franciscan Foundation for the Holy Land in Washington, DC, St Thomas Aquinas Seminary Assoc in Dillwyn, and Society of St Pius X organizations in Missouri and Kansas. Those grants appear across multiple years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VISTA VILLAGE INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $250,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ARC OF APPALACHIA PRESERVE SYSTEM | BAINBRIDGE, OH | $143,456 | 2025 | CONSERVATION |
| COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION OF BELMONT COUNTY INC | ST CLAIRSVILLE, OH | $120,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF CENTRAL OHIO | COLUMBUS, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| OHIO PROFESSIONALS HEALTH PROGRAM | COLUMBUS, OH | $93,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| WORLD PARTNERSHIP FOUNDATION | LITHOPOLIS, OH | $90,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS X SOUTH-WEST DISTRICT INC | PLATTE CITY, MO | $75,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| THE SOCIETY OF ST PIUS X OF ST MARY'S INC | ST MARYS, KS | $75,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ST THOMAS AQUINAS SEMINARY ASSOC | DILLWYN, VA | $75,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF OHIO | COLUMBUS, OH | $61,500 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS GREATER COLUMBUSCENTRAL-SOUTHERN OHIO REGION | COLUMBUS, OH | $56,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| MID-OHIO FOODBANK DBA MID-OHIO FOOD COLLECTIVE | GROVE CITY, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ATM EDUCATION DBA RELATIONSHIPS UNDER CONSTRUCTION | SUNBURY, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| OHIOHEALTH FOUNDATION INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $45,465 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| ROSS COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION | CHILLICOTHE, OH | $40,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| CAPITAL UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $36,461 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| DESIGN OUTREACH INC | NEW ALBANY, OH | $36,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF ROSS COUNTY | CHILLICOTHE, OH | $30,336 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| NORTHWEST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| SCIOTO SOCIETY INC | CHILLICOTHE, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| CRACK HOUSE MINISTRIES | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| SALVATION ARMY (CENTRAL OHIO) | COLUMBUS, OH | $29,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| PICKAWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | CIRCLEVILLE, OH | $26,401 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| SERENITY FAIR WAY FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| SCIOTO VALLEY YOUTH LEAGUE SOFTBALL | CHILLICOTHE, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ASSISTANCE HOUSE | CHILLICOTHE, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES OF CENTRAL OHIO INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| CJF MINISTRIES | SAN ANTONIO, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| GIRL SCOUTS OF OHIO'S HEARTLAND COUNCIL | COLUMBUS, OH | $24,558 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| OHIO PARKS AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION | WESTERVILLE, OH | $20,998 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHILLICOTHE OHIO-CARVER COMMUNITY CTR | CHILLICOTHE, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| WELLSTON CITY SCHOOLS | WELLSTON, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| LIMA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | LIMA, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| CHILLICOTHE-ROSS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC | CHILLICOTHE, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| GOOD SHEPHERD CHRISTIAN CHURCH | MACEDONIA, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY | LEXINGTON, KY | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| PICKAWAY COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC | CIRCLEVILLE, OH | $19,550 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| JOSEPH HOUSE OF CLEVELAND INC | CLEVELAND, OH | $18,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| FOOD FOR THE POOR INC | COCONUT CREEK, FL | $16,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| OHIO HUMANITIES COUNCIL | COLUMBUS, OH | $15,810 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| LIMA-ALLEN COUNTY VMCCC FOUNDATION | LIMA, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS | COLUMBUS, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER LIMA | LIMA, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| LIMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION INC | LIMA, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| MIDWEST CENTER FOR HOME HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE EDUCATION DBA LEADINGAG | COLUMBUS, OH | $14,539 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| JACKSON CITY SCHOOLS | JACKSON, OH | $12,500 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| PICKAWAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE | CIRCLEVILLE, OH | $12,092 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| WORLD LITERATURE CRUSADE DBA EVERY HOME FOR CHRIST | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $12,000 | 2025 | RELIGION |
| TIFFIN-SENECA UNITED WAY INC | TIFFIN, OH | $12,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| ARTEMIS CENTER FOR ALTERNATIVES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | DAYTON, OH | $11,800 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION OF BELMONT COUNTY INC
$120,000NEIGHBORHOOD
WORLD PARTNERSHIP FOUNDATION
NEIGHBORHOOD
SOCIETY OF SAINT PIUS X SOUTH-WEST DISTRICT INC
$75,000SOCIAL SERVICES
THE SOCIETY OF ST PIUS X OF ST MARY'S INC
$75,000EDUCATION
ST THOMAS AQUINAS SEMINARY ASSOC
$75,000EDUCATION
AMERICAN COUNCIL OF THE BLIND OF OHIO
$61,500SOCIAL SERVICES
ATM EDUCATION DBA RELATIONSHIPS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
$50,000EDUCATION
OHIOHEALTH FOUNDATION INC
$45,465HEALTH
ROSS COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION COMMISSION
$40,000NEIGHBORHOOD
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF ROSS COUNTY
$30,336SOCIAL SERVICES
NORTHWEST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$30,000RELIGION
SCIOTO SOCIETY INC
$30,000ARTS AND HUMANITIES
CRACK HOUSE MINISTRIES
$30,000RELIGION
SALVATION ARMY (CENTRAL OHIO)
$29,000SOCIAL SERVICES
PICKAWAY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$26,401ARTS AND HUMANITIES
SERENITY FAIR WAY FOUNDATION
$25,000NEIGHBORHOOD
SCIOTO VALLEY YOUTH LEAGUE SOFTBALL
$25,000SOCIAL SERVICES
ASSISTANCE HOUSE
$25,000SOCIAL SERVICES
CJF MINISTRIES
$25,000RELIGION
OHIO PARKS AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION
$20,998HEALTH
COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHILLICOTHE OHIO-CARVER COMMUNITY CTR
$20,000SOCIAL SERVICES
WELLSTON CITY SCHOOLS
$20,000SOCIAL SERVICES
CHILLICOTHE-ROSS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC
$20,000ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY
GOOD SHEPHERD CHRISTIAN CHURCH
$20,000RELIGION
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
$20,000EDUCATION
JOSEPH HOUSE OF CLEVELAND INC
$18,000SOCIAL SERVICES
OHIO HUMANITIES COUNCIL
$15,810ARTS AND HUMANITIES
LIMA-ALLEN COUNTY VMCCC FOUNDATION
$15,000NEIGHBORHOOD
COLUMBUS CITY SCHOOLS
$15,000EDUCATION
LIMA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ASSOCIATION INC
$15,000ARTS AND HUMANITIES
MIDWEST CENTER FOR HOME HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE EDUCATION DBA LEADINGAG
$14,539HEALTH
JACKSON CITY SCHOOLS
$12,500SOCIAL SERVICES
PICKAWAY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
$12,092NEIGHBORHOOD
WORLD LITERATURE CRUSADE DBA EVERY HOME FOR CHRIST
$12,000RELIGION
TIFFIN-SENECA UNITED WAY INC
$12,000SOCIAL SERVICES