The foundation concentrates exclusively on higher education, providing subsidy-style support to Kentucky colleges and universities. Grants are relatively few but meaningful, with repeated payments to the University of Louisville and a sizable award to Thomas More University, indicating a regional focus on sustaining institutional operations or programs. The foundation appears to prioritize institutional support for postsecondary institutions in Kentucky rather than a broad mix of charitable causes.
Dean Dorton Allen Ford Charitable Foundation Inc. stands out for a concentrated pattern of subsidy-style support to Kentucky higher education, led by a $20,000 grant to Thomas More University Inc in Crestview Hills. The foundation’s recent grants show repeated backing for institutions rather than a broad mix of charities, with the University of Louisville Foundation receiving $10,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025. That same pattern appears in other Kentucky recipients, suggesting a preference for sustaining programs and operations at colleges and universities across the state. The foundation’s giving is also anchored in Lexington and Louisville, where several recipients appear across multiple years. Town Branch Park in Lexington received $5,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington received $2,500 in both 2024 and 2025. Alongside these education-focused grants, the foundation also makes smaller subsidy grants to local community organizations and regional institutions, but the defining feature of its portfolio is continued support for Kentucky postsecondary capacity.
Higher education is the clearest theme in the foundation’s grantmaking. The University of Louisville Foundation received $10,000 in 2025, following the same amount in 2024 and 2023, showing an ongoing institutional relationship. Thomas More University Inc also received a $20,000 subsidy in 2025, pointing to support for private Catholic higher education in Northern Kentucky. Beyond universities, the foundation supports health, arts, and community organizations through modest subsidies. Kentucky Children’s Hospital received $2,500 in 2024 and again in 2025. Fund for the Arts in Louisville was funded in 2023, 2024, and 2025, with grants ranging from $950 to $1,900. Lexington-based community priorities also appear through LexArts and Glean Kentucky Inc, each receiving support in the recent grant list.
Typical grants are modest, with a p25 of $200, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $2,500. The recent record also includes a larger outlier at $20,000, showing that the foundation mainly makes small to mid-sized subsidies while occasionally writing a much larger institutional check. The grant list shows repeat giving across multiple years to the same recipients, including several annual awards from 2023 through 2025. The foundation’s filings and grant records point to a subsidy-style, institutional-support model rather than individual giving or program-related investments.
$58K
$41K
$66K
$58K
Most grants fall between $200 and $3K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$200
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$3K
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Concentrated and targeted: a very small number of mid-size grants focused on higher education, including repeat funding to a core grantee (University of Louisville) and single substantial awards to other regional universities.
Notable grantees: University of Louisville Foundation, Thomas More University Inc, Other Kentucky colleges and universities (regional higher education focus)
Grantmaking is concentrated in Kentucky, which accounts for 76% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Lexington and Louisville appear repeatedly in the recipient list, including organizations such as Town Branch Park, Kentucky Children’s Hospital, and the University of Louisville Foundation. Outside Kentucky, the foundation has a smaller set of grants to recipients in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Mt Vernon. All recent grants in the data went to U.S. recipients.
The foundation focuses on Kentucky colleges and universities, especially through subsidy-style support. Recent grants include recurring awards to the University of Louisville Foundation and a larger grant to Thomas More University Inc, both of which fit a pattern of institutional support for postsecondary education.
Typical awards are relatively small: the grant-size distribution shows a p25 of $200, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $2,500. The recent record also includes larger institutional grants, including a $20,000 grant in 2025.
Yes. The recent grant list shows repeated support across multiple years, including the University of Louisville Foundation in 2023, 2024, and 2025, Town Branch Park in those same three years, and Kentucky Children’s Hospital in 2024 and 2025.
Most grants go to Kentucky recipients. The data shows 76% of grants to recipients in KY, and Kentucky is also the top state by grant count. Lexington and Louisville appear often among recipient locations.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Its recent grantmaking consists of subsidy-style grants to organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY INC | CRESTVIEW HILLS, KY | $20,000 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER CINCINNATI | CINCINNATI, OH | $7,500 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| TOWN BRANCH PARK | LEXINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY - CINCINNATI | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| METRO UNITED WAY | LOUISVILLE, KY | $3,200 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BLUEGRASS | LEXINGTON, KY | $2,675 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| KENTUCKY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | LEXINGTON, KY | $2,500 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| ASBURY UNIVERSITY | WILMORE, KY | $2,500 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| ARTSWAVE | CINCINNATI, OH | $1,825 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL INDIANA | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $1,650 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| FUND FOR THE ARTS | LOUISVILLE, KY | $1,550 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| LEXARTS | LEXINGTON, KY | $1,000 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| GLEAN KENTUCKY INC | LEXINGTON, KY | $1,000 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF THE GREATER TRIANGLE | DURHAM, NC | $600 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER | COVINGTON, KY | $500 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| MASTERS PROVISION | INDEPENDENCE, KY | $500 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| PILLAR | CRESTWOOD, KY | $250 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF THE BLUEGRASS | LEXINGTON, KY | $250 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| NATIONAL MS SOCIETY - NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $250 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| ST JOSEPH CHILDREN'S HOME | LOUISVILLE, KY | $150 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| DAY SPRING | LOUISVILLE, KY | $100 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| ST JOSEPH SCHOOL | BARDSTOWN, KY | $50 | 2026 | SUBSIDY |
| THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY INC | CRESTVIEW HILLS, KY | $20,000 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE FOUNDATION | LOUISVILLE, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER CINCINNATI | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,850 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| TOWN BRANCH PARK | LEXINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| WILLIAM LAWRENCE & BLANCHE HUGHES FOUNDATION | LEXINGTON, KY | $2,500 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| KENTUCKY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | LEXINGTON, KY | $2,500 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BLUEGRASS | LEXINGTON, KY | $2,200 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| METRO UNITED WAY | LOUISVILLE, KY | $2,100 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| GLEAN KENTUCKY INC | LEXINGTON, KY | $2,000 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL INDIANA | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $1,800 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| ARTSWAVE | CINCINNATI, OH | $1,300 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| KYCPA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | LOUISVILLE, KY | $1,000 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| FUND FOR THE ARTS | LOUISVILLE, KY | $950 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| LEXARTS | LEXINGTON, KY | $700 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| AMPLIFY LOUISVILLE INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $500 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF THE BLUEGRASS | LEXINGTON, KY | $250 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| THE LIVING ARTS & SCIENCE CENTER | LEXINGTON, KY | $200 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF THE GREATER TRIANGLE | DURHAM, NC | $100 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| FOSTER SUCCESS | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $100 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| MIGHTYCAUSE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | MARIANNA, FL | $100 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| HINKLE CREEK ELEMENTARY | NOBLESVILLE, IN | $75 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS WASHINGTON | WASHINGTON, DC | $75 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| PRESENTATION ACADEMY | LOUISVILLE, KY | $50 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| FEED LOUISVILLE INC | LOUISVILLE, KY | $50 | 2025 | SUBSIDY |
| UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE FOUNDATION | LOUISVILLE, KY | $10,000 | 2024 | SUBSIDY |
| TOWN BRANCH PARK | LEXINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2024 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY - LOUISVILLE METRO | LOUISVILLE, KY | $3,900 | 2024 | SUBSIDY |
| UNITED WAY OF THE BLUEGRASS | LEXINGTON, KY | $3,000 | 2024 | SUBSIDY |
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY - CINCINNATI
$5,000SUBSIDY
SUBSIDY
KENTUCKY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$2,500SUBSIDY
ASBURY UNIVERSITY
$2,500SUBSIDY
ARTSWAVE
$1,825SUBSIDY
LEXARTS
$1,000SUBSIDY
GLEAN KENTUCKY INC
$1,000SUBSIDY
CHILDREN'S LAW CENTER
$500SUBSIDY
MASTERS PROVISION
$500SUBSIDY
PILLAR
$250SUBSIDY
ST JOSEPH CHILDREN'S HOME
$150SUBSIDY
DAY SPRING
$100SUBSIDY
ST JOSEPH SCHOOL
$50SUBSIDY
THOMAS MORE UNIVERSITY INC
$20,000SUBSIDY
WILLIAM LAWRENCE & BLANCHE HUGHES FOUNDATION
$2,500SUBSIDY
KENTUCKY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$2,500SUBSIDY
GLEAN KENTUCKY INC
$2,000SUBSIDY
KYCPA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$1,000SUBSIDY
LEXARTS
$700SUBSIDY
FOSTER SUCCESS
$100SUBSIDY
HINKLE CREEK ELEMENTARY
$75SUBSIDY
PRESENTATION ACADEMY
$50SUBSIDY
FEED LOUISVILLE INC
$50SUBSIDY