The MISSION of Marion Community Foundation is to continually improve the Marion area community through philanthropy, leadership, and civic engagement.
Marion Community Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by a broad local portfolio that reaches education, community services, arts and culture, health, and civic life in Marion County. The foundation also directs major support to long-standing institutions such as Marion Family YMCA, Marion Catholic School, and Palace Cultural Arts, showing a mix of recurring community anchors and mission-specific projects. Its work includes scholarship funds, annual competitive community grants, responsive grants for urgent needs, and special America 250 support tied to local commemoration and public history. The scholarship side is especially notable because the foundation administers a common application connected to 160+ and 170+ local donor-created scholarship funds, serving students pursuing college, trade school, graduate study, professional school, and vocational training. On the community side, the foundation funds Marion’s charities, nonprofits, collaborations, and teacher-led classroom projects, while also making room for donor-designated field-of-interest grants. Recent awards also show support for heritage institutions and public engagement efforts, alongside basic-needs and health-related organizations.
Education appears across multiple programs. Marion Community Foundation gives through scholarships for Marion area students and through TEACH Grants for K-12 classroom teachers or teams, including one award of $55,731 to Marion Technical College and another of $50,090 to Knowledge Academy. Community health and basic needs are also part of the portfolio. The foundation awarded $55,000 to MGH Foundation, $81,594 to Center StreetHealth Center, and $54,226 to Boys & Girls Club of Marion, reflecting support for local health access and youth-serving organizations. Arts, history, and heritage are another clear thread. Recent grants include $236,294 to Palace Cultural Arts, $166,884 to Stengel True Museum, and $67,702 to Marion County Historical Society. The America 250 programs further connect grantmaking to history, storytelling, festivals, and public programming in Marion County.
Typical grant size sits at $9,606 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $28,342 at the 75th percentile. At the same time, recent awards range from smaller classroom and special-project grants to six-figure support for anchor organizations, so the distribution is wide. The foundation appears to make repeated awards to some recipients across multiple years, including Marion Family YMCA, Palace Cultural Arts, Epworth United Methodist, Marion Union Station, Marion Technical College, and Boys & Girls Club. It operates as a community foundation with a local grantmaking model, and several programs accept unsolicited requests, including scholarships, community grants, TEACH Grants, general responsive grants, and field-of-interest grants.
$3.6M
$75M
$7.1M
$3.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $28K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$28K
Julie F Prettyman
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Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local: 97% of grants go to recipients in Ohio, and the recent-grants list shows US recipients only. Marion, Ohio dominates the recipient map, with additional recent awards reaching Columbus, Ohio through Worthington Christian Church. Program geography is centered on Marion County, with some activity extending to Morrow County through TEACH Grants. The top grant-count state is Virginia, but the recipient distribution in the dataset is local and Ohio-centered.
The foundation supports scholarships, community grants, responsive grants, TEACH Grants, field-of-interest grants, racial equity and justice grants, and special America 250 grants. Recent focus areas also include arts and culture, education, health and wellness, basic needs, community development, environment and parks, youth services, and racial equity and justice.
Marion Community Foundation runs a common application scholarship program for Marion area students pursuing college, trade school, graduate, professional, and vocational training. The program is tied to 160+ or 170+ local donor-created scholarship funds, depending on the program description provided.
Yes. Several programs accept unsolicited requests, including Community Grants, General Grants (Responsive Grants), TEACH Grants, Scholarships, Racial Equity & Justice Grants, and Field of Interest Grants. The America 250 programs are listed as not accepting unsolicited applications.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $9,606 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $28,342 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger six-figure grants, showing that the distribution extends well above the median.
Recent grantees include Marion Family YMCA, Marion Catholic School, Palace Cultural Arts, Stengel True Museum, Marion County Historical Society, MGH Foundation, and Marion Technical College. Most recent grants in the dataset went to recipients in Marion, Ohio.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Marion Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Open to any charitable nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization or equivalent, including educational, governmental, and religious programs, looking to improve issues of equity and justice in Marion County.
Deadline: Annual February-March cycle
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MARION FAMILY YMCA | MARION, OH | $322,881 | 2025 | — |
| EMANUAL LUTHERAN CHURCH | MARION, OH | $227,969 | 2025 | — |
| Marion Family YMCA | Marion, OH | $211,747 | 2025 | support |
| Stengel True Museum | Marion, OH | $166,884 | 2025 | support |
| PALACE CULTURAL ARTS ASSOCIATION | MARION, OH | $140,524 | 2025 | — |
| Epworth United Methodist | Marion, OH | $129,394 | 2025 | support |
| The Ohio State University | Marion, OH | $125,000 | 2025 | support |
| EPWORTH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | MARION, OH | $124,559 | 2025 | — |
| THIRD STREET FAMILY HEALTH CENTER | MARION, OH | $124,106 | 2025 | — |
| Palace Cultural Arts | Marion, OH | $98,510 | 2025 | support |
| Worthington Christian Church | Columbus, OH | $60,000 | 2025 | support |
| BUCKEYE RIDGE | MARION, OH | $59,925 | 2025 | — |
| Federation of Women's Clubs | Marion, OH | $57,394 | 2025 | support |
| Marion Technical College | Marion, OH | $55,731 | 2025 | support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Marion | Marion, OH | $54,226 | 2025 | support |
| Marion Union Station Assoc | Marion, OH | $50,645 | 2025 | support |
| MARION UNION STATION ASSOCIATION | MARION, OH | $49,850 | 2025 | — |
| Emanuel Lutheran Church | Marion, OH | $45,099 | 2025 | support |
| JAIN CENTER OF SOUTH FLORIDA | WESTON, FL | $44,200 | 2025 | — |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB | MARION, OH | $35,496 | 2025 | — |
| United Way of North Central OH | Marion, OH | $34,822 | 2025 | support |
| Mrn Cty Brd Developmental Disabilities | Marion, OH | $33,411 | 2025 | support |
| DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY | DUBLIN, OH | $33,397 | 2025 | — |
| MARION FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE | MARION, OH | $33,000 | 2025 | — |
| Ohio Governor Dolly Parton | Dublin, OH | $31,337 | 2025 | support |
| Heart of Ohio Homeless Shelter | Marion, OH | $30,977 | 2025 | support |
| PEACE AND FREEDOM COMMITTEE | MARION, OH | $30,650 | 2025 | — |
| Marion Area Chamber Foundation | Marion, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | support |
| Buckeye Ridge Habitat | Marion, OH | $29,347 | 2025 | support |
| Peace and Freedom Committee | Marion, OH | $28,530 | 2025 | support |
| Center St Community Clinic | Marion, OH | $28,132 | 2025 | support |
| HEART OF OHIO HOMELESS SHELTER | MARION, OH | $27,225 | 2025 | — |
| Black Heritage Council | Marion, OH | $27,000 | 2025 | support |
| Marion Area Humane Society | Marion, OH | $26,095 | 2025 | support |
| MARION AREA HUMANE SOCIETY | MARION, OH | $25,695 | 2025 | — |
| Marion Matters | Marion, OH | $24,489 | 2025 | support |
| CENTER STREET COMMUNITY | MARION, OH | $23,762 | 2025 | — |
| MARION PUBLIC LIBRARY | MARION, OH | $23,497 | 2025 | — |
| OHIO HISTORY CONNECTION - WARREN G | MARION, OH | $23,341 | 2025 | — |
| Ohio History Connection | Marion, OH | $22,693 | 2025 | support |
| MARION MATTERS INC | MARION, OH | $21,480 | 2025 | — |
| ST MARY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL | MARION, OH | $21,341 | 2025 | — |
| St Mary Elementary School | Marion, OH | $20,941 | 2025 | support |
| Marion County Historial Society | Marion, OH | $20,578 | 2025 | support |
| St Mary Parish | Marion, OH | $20,155 | 2025 | support |
| OVERFLOW CHURCH | BENTON HARBOR, MI | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| WORTHINGTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH | COLUMBUS, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Marion Victim Assistance Program | Marion, OH | $19,700 | 2025 | support |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | MARION, OH | $19,447 | 2025 | — |
| TRI-RIVERS CAREER CENTER & | MARION, OH | $19,228 | 2025 | — |
EMANUAL LUTHERAN CHURCH
$227,969Marion Family YMCA
$211,747support
Stengel True Museum
$166,884support
PALACE CULTURAL ARTS ASSOCIATION
$140,524Epworth United Methodist
$129,394support
The Ohio State University
$125,000support
EPWORTH UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$124,559THIRD STREET FAMILY HEALTH CENTER
$124,106Palace Cultural Arts
$98,510support
Worthington Christian Church
$60,000support
BUCKEYE RIDGE
$59,925Federation of Women's Clubs
$57,394support
Marion Technical College
$55,731support
Marion Union Station Assoc
$50,645support
MARION UNION STATION ASSOCIATION
$49,850Emanuel Lutheran Church
$45,099support
JAIN CENTER OF SOUTH FLORIDA
$44,200Mrn Cty Brd Developmental Disabilities
$33,411support
MARION FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
$33,000Heart of Ohio Homeless Shelter
$30,977support
PEACE AND FREEDOM COMMITTEE
$30,650Marion Area Chamber Foundation
$30,000support
Buckeye Ridge Habitat
$29,347support
Peace and Freedom Committee
$28,530support
Center St Community Clinic
$28,132support
HEART OF OHIO HOMELESS SHELTER
$27,225Black Heritage Council
$27,000support
Marion Area Humane Society
$26,095support
MARION AREA HUMANE SOCIETY
$25,695Marion Matters
$24,489support
CENTER STREET COMMUNITY
$23,762MARION PUBLIC LIBRARY
$23,497MARION MATTERS INC
$21,480ST MARY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
$21,341St Mary Elementary School
$20,941support
Marion County Historial Society
$20,578support
St Mary Parish
$20,155support
OVERFLOW CHURCH
$20,000WORTHINGTON CHRISTIAN CHURCH
$20,000Marion Victim Assistance Program
$19,700support
TRI-RIVERS CAREER CENTER &
$19,228