This foundation appears to make focused, place-based gifts supporting local youth development through outdoor/overnight camp programming. Its sole recorded grant is a sizable unrestricted award to YMCA Camp Ernst, indicating a preference for funding operations of established community youth-serving organizations in the Fort Mitchell/Northern Kentucky area.
Concentrated, single large grant pattern — one sizeable unrestricted award to a local camp rather than many small or diversified grants; likely opportunistic or focused philanthropy at the community level.
A defining feature of the George and Mary Jo Budig Family Foundation C/o George J Budig is its repeated support for YMCA Camp Ernst in Burlington, Kentucky. Across 2023 and 2024, the camp received the foundation’s two largest recent grants, both for general operations, signaling a preference for unrestricted support to established youth-serving organizations. The foundation’s broader giving pattern extends beyond camping to community nonprofits in Northern Kentucky and the Cincinnati area, with grants to food banks, shelters, churches, schools, and human services groups. The foundation reported $586,400 in annual grants and $4,330,184 in total assets in its latest filing. Recent awards are small to mid-sized in the context of that annual giving, but the recipient list shows a mix of anchor gifts and many modest operating grants. Several groups appear more than once in the recent-grants record, including Freestore Foodbank, Salvation Army, Villa Madonna Academy, Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky, Talbert House, St. Bernard Food Pantry, and Matthew 25 Ministries. That repeat activity points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time project funding.
The foundation’s recent grants show a consistent tilt toward general operating support. In 2024, it gave $20,000 to Freestore Foodbank and $10,000 to the Salvation Army, both in Cincinnati, for general operations. It also supported Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky with $10,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2023, again for general operations. Youth and education are another visible thread. Villa Madonna Academy in Villa Hills received $10,000 in both 2023 and 2024, while Redwood School in Fort Mitchell received $3,000 in 2024. The foundation also backed St. Elizabeth Foundation in Edgewood with $3,000 in 2024 and St. Elizabeth Healthcare Fdtn with $3,000 in 2023. Human services and anti-poverty work appear throughout the record as well, with grants to United Way of Greater Cinti, Talbert House, Matthew 25 Ministries, Our Daily Bread, and the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired.
Typical grant sizes are small: the 25th percentile is $400, the median is $500, and the 75th percentile is $1,000. The recent-grants list, however, also includes a handful of larger operating awards in the $10,000 to $50,000 range. The pattern suggests a mix of broad community support and a few higher-dollar anchor grants. The recipient list includes repeated grantees across 2023 and 2024, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off gifts. The foundation is a family foundation, and the available record shows general operating support as the dominant funding mode.
$199K
$5.3M
$192K
$236K
Most grants fall between $400 and $1K, with a median of $500.
25th Percentile
$400
Median
$500
75th Percentile
$1K
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Notable grantees: YMCA Camp Ernst
Giving is concentrated in Kentucky and the Cincinnati metro area. Kentucky accounts for 34% of grants by recipient location, and Burlington, Covington, Newport, Villa Hills, Dayton, Fort Mitchell, and Edgewood all appear in the recent record. Cincinnati, Ohio is also a major destination, with multiple grants to organizations there, including Freestore Foodbank, the Salvation Army, United Way of Greater Cinti, Talbert House, and Matthew 25 Ministries. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
The recent grants point to nonprofit organizations working in youth development, food assistance, shelter, education, and broader human services. Examples in the record include YMCA Camp Ernst for camp programming, Freestore Foodbank and St. Bernard Food Pantry for food support, and Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky and Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky for housing-related services.
Yes. The grant descriptions in the recent record are overwhelmingly labeled general operations. That includes awards to YMCA Camp Ernst, Freestore Foodbank, Salvation Army, Villa Madonna Academy, and several other recipients, showing a clear preference for unrestricted support rather than project-specific grants.
The foundation’s typical grant sizes are very small: $400 at the 25th percentile, $500 at the median, and $1,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent-grants table also shows larger awards, including $50,000 and $30,000 to YMCA Camp Ernst and $20,000 to Freestore Foodbank.
Yes. Several organizations appear in both 2023 and 2024, including Freestore Foodbank, Salvation Army, Villa Madonna Academy, Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky, Talbert House, St. Bernard Food Pantry, and Matthew 25 Ministries. That pattern suggests continued support over multiple years.
Kentucky is the top recipient state by grant count, with 34% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. The record also shows substantial giving in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, but the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FREESTORE FOODBANK | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| YMCA CAMP ERNST | BURLINGTON, KY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| EMERGENCY SHELTER OF NORTHERN KY | COVINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | NEWPORT, KY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| UC FOUNDATION SUNFLOWER REV IT UP FOR PARKINSON'S | CINCINNATI, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| SALVATION ARMY | CINCINNATI, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| TALBERT HOUSE | CINCINNATI, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| VILLA MADONNA ACADEMY | VILLA HILLS, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST ELIZABETH FOUNDATIONHOSPICE PROGRAMS | EDGEWOOD, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MASTER PROVISIONS | FLORENCE, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST BERNARD FOOD PANTRY | DAYTON, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MARINE TOYS FOR TOTS FOUNDATION | TRIANGLE, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FAIRHAVEN RESCUE MISSION | COVINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| PARISH KITCHEN | COVINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| EVERGREEN CEMETERY COMPANY | SOUTHGATE, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| NEEDIEST KIDS OF ALL | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MATTHEW 25MINISTRIES | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| SHELTERHOUSE | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CINCINNATI ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED (CABVI) | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| KET | LEXINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CITY GOSPEL MISSION | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CRAYONS TO COMPUTERS | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSP | MEMPHIS, TN | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES OF NKY | COVINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| EASTERSEALS REDWOOD KENTUCKY | FT MITCHELL, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BRIGHTON CENTER | NEWPORT, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| NEWPORT HS ALUMNI & ASSOCIATES | COVINGTON, KY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BOONE COUNTY ARBORETUM | UNION, KY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| RICHWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | WALTON, KY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| POTTER'S RANCH | UNION, KY | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| YMCA CAMP ERNST | BURLINGTON, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FREESTORE FOODBANK | CINCINNATI, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | NEWPORT, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| EMERGENCY SHELTER OF NORTHERN KY | COVINGTON, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| SALVATION ARMY | CINCINNATI, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| VILLA MADONNA ACADEMY | VILLA HILLS, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST BERNARD FOOD PANTRY | DAYTON, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FAIRHAVEN RESCUE MISSION | COVINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| UNITED WAY OF GREATER CINTI | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| NEEDIEST KIDS OF ALL | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST ELIZABETH FOUNDATION | EDGEWOOD, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIES | CINCINNATI, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES OF NKY | COVINGTON, KY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| CINCINNATI ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED (CABVI) | CINCINNATI, OH | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| REDWOOD SCHOOL | FT MITCHELL, KY | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| OUR DAILY BREAD | CINCINNATI, OH | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| TALBERT HOUSE | CINCINNATI, OH | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MARY ROSE MISSION | FLORENCE, KY | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
UC FOUNDATION SUNFLOWER REV IT UP FOR PARKINSON'S
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
SALVATION ARMY
GENERAL OPERATIONS
VILLA MADONNA ACADEMY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
ST ELIZABETH FOUNDATIONHOSPICE PROGRAMS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
ST BERNARD FOOD PANTRY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
FAIRHAVEN RESCUE MISSION
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
PARISH KITCHEN
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
EVERGREEN CEMETERY COMPANY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
NEEDIEST KIDS OF ALL
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MATTHEW 25MINISTRIES
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
GENERAL OPERATIONS
KET
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES OF NKY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
EASTERSEALS REDWOOD KENTUCKY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
NEWPORT HS ALUMNI & ASSOCIATES
$1,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
BOONE COUNTY ARBORETUM
$1,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
RICHWOOD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
POTTER'S RANCH
$1,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
SALVATION ARMY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
VILLA MADONNA ACADEMY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
ST BERNARD FOOD PANTRY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
FAIRHAVEN RESCUE MISSION
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
UNITED WAY OF GREATER CINTI
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
NEEDIEST KIDS OF ALL
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIES
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES OF NKY
$5,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
GENERAL OPERATIONS
REDWOOD SCHOOL
$3,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MARY ROSE MISSION
$3,000GENERAL OPERATIONS