The Ellen and Richard Berghamer Foundation concentrates its philanthropic support locally in Cincinnati, making substantial, repeat gifts to cultural institutions and a faith-affiliated eldercare organization. Its giving favors long-term sustainability (endowment) for the Cincinnati Symphony, operational/annual support for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, and program support for an Episcopal retirement homes provider. The pattern suggests a commitment to sustaining prominent local cultural and community-serving institutions rather than broad geographic or issue diversification.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small number of local institutions with repeated multi-grant support; emphasis on both long-term sustainability (endowment) and annual operating needs rather than many small one-off grants.
A $150,000 endowment grant to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra anchors the Ellen and Richard Berghamer Fdtn’s recent giving and points to a pattern of sustaining local institutions over time. The foundation’s grants stay in Greater Cincinnati and are concentrated in a small set of organizations, with repeated support for the symphony, the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Episcopal Retirement Homes Inc, and other community-serving institutions. Across the recent grants list, the foundation uses different grant types — endowment, annual fund, project/program support, and general operating support — to reinforce ongoing operations as well as specific initiatives. The scale of individual awards is substantial for the region. Grants in the recent list range from five figures into six figures, including multiple gifts to the same recipients across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That repeat pattern suggests relationship-based philanthropy rather than one-time awards. In addition to cultural institutions, the foundation also supports eldercare, radio, higher education, blindness and visual impairment services, and the Salvation Army, all through local recipients in Ohio.
The foundation’s strongest pattern is support for cultural and educational institutions in Cincinnati. In arts funding, it gave $115,000 to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for project/program support in 2025 and $100,000 for project/program support in 2024, after a $150,000 endowment grant in 2023. It also backs conservation and public learning through the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, including $130,000 for an annual fund gift in 2023, $100,000 for an annual fund gift in 2024, and $115,000 for project/program support in 2025. Faith-linked eldercare is another clear line of support. Episcopal Retirement Homes Inc received $67,500 in 2023 as a memorial donation, then $50,000 in project/program support in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also funds media and education through Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation and Ohio Wesleyan University.
Typical awards are sizable: the recent distribution shows a p25 of $20,000, a median of $30,000, and a p75 of $75,625. The pattern is repeat support rather than isolated gifts, with several recipients appearing in multiple years and often receiving more than one type of grant. The foundation also uses a mix of endowment, annual fund, project/program, memorial donation, and general operating support, which suggests flexibility in how it structures grants. All reported grants go to U.S. recipients, and the grantmaking is entirely local to Ohio.
$455K
$8.1M
$1.2M
$580K
Most grants fall between $20K and $76K, with a median of $30K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$30K
75th Percentile
$76K
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Notable grantees: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Episcopal Retirement Homes Inc
Grant recipients are concentrated in Ohio, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Cincinnati accounts for most of the named recipients, including organizations in the performing arts, conservation, radio, eldercare, religious service, and disability services sectors. Delaware, Ohio appears as the location for Ohio Wesleyan University. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with no non-U.S. recipients in the recent grants list.
The foundation funds Cincinnati cultural institutions, eldercare providers, radio, higher education, and social-service organizations. Recent grants include support for performing arts, conservation education, faith-affiliated retirement homes, blindness and visual impairment services, and the Salvation Army.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, Episcopal Retirement Homes Inc, Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation, Ohio Wesleyan University, The Salvation Army, Cincinnati Public Radio Inc, and Clovernook Center for the Blind & Visually Impaired.
The recent grant size distribution shows a p25 of $20,000, a median of $30,000, and a p75 of $75,625. The list also includes larger six-figure awards, including a $150,000 endowment grant.
Its grantmaking is local and entirely in Ohio. The recent grants list shows 100% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state, with Cincinnati receiving most of the awards and Delaware, Ohio appearing once.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CINCINNATI, OH | $125,000 | 2026 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN | CINCINNATI, OH | $125,000 | 2026 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $60,000 | 2026 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI PUBLIC RADIO INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $40,000 | 2026 | PROJECT/PROGRAM FUNDS |
| GREATER CINCINNATI TELEVISION EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | CINCINNATI, OH | $35,000 | 2026 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | DELAWARE, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUND |
| CLOVERNOOK CENTER FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIING SUPPORT |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN | CINCINNATI, OH | $115,000 | 2025 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CINCINNATI, OH | $115,000 | 2025 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GREATER CINCINNATI TELEVISION EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | CINCINNATI, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | DELAWARE, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUND |
| CLOVERNOOK CENTER FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIING SUPPORT |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI PUBLIC RADIO INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | PROJECT/PROGRAM FUNDS |
| CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN | CINCINNATI, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL FUND |
| CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CINCINNATI, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| GREATER CINCINNATI TELEVISION EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | CINCINNATI, OH | $25,000 | 2024 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI PUBLIC RADIO INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | PROJECT/PROGRAM FUNDS |
| OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | DELAWARE, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL FUND |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL FUND |
| CLOVERNOOK CENTER FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED | CINCINNATI, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | CINCINNATI, OH | $150,000 | 2023 | ENDOWMENT |
| CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN | CINCINNATI, OH | $130,000 | 2023 | ANNUAL FUND |
| EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $67,500 | 2023 | MEMORIAL DONATION |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | CINCINNATI, OH | $37,500 | 2023 | ANNUAL FUND |
| OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | DELAWARE, OH | $30,000 | 2023 | ANNUAL FUND |
| GREATER CINCINNATI TELEVISION EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | CINCINNATI, OH | $30,000 | 2023 | ANNUAL FUND |
| CLOVERNOOK CENTER FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED | CINCINNATI, OH | $17,500 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI PUBLIC RADIO INC | CINCINNATI, OH | $17,500 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
CINCINNATI ZOO AND BOTANICAL GARDEN
$125,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC
$60,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
ANNUAL FUND
GENERAL OPERATIING SUPPORT
THE SALVATION ARMY
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC
$50,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
GENERAL OPERATIING SUPPORT
THE SALVATION ARMY
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC
$50,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
THE SALVATION ARMY
$20,000ANNUAL FUND
EPISCOPAL RETIREMENT HOMES INC
$67,500MEMORIAL DONATION
THE SALVATION ARMY
$37,500ANNUAL FUND