The Natural Stone Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Natural Stone Institute. It provides funding for industry initiatives that member dues cannot cover, with the goals of increasing natural stone's market share, supporting globally unified standards, clarifying differences between natural and manmade materials, educating and inspiring architects and designers to use more natural stone, and cultivating future stone industry leaders.
Natural Stone Foundation channels its giving through the Natural Stone Institute, with unrestricted support to the institute appearing in the largest recent grants on file: $147,570 in 2024, $95,499 in 2025, and $66,814 in 2023 to Natural Stone Institute in Oberlin, Ohio. That pattern fits a funder whose work is closely tied to the stone industry itself, supporting initiatives that member dues cannot cover. Its stated purpose is to advance natural stone market share, support globally unified standards, clarify the difference between natural and manmade materials, educate architects and designers, and cultivate future stone industry leaders. The foundation’s active programs show how that mission is put into practice: scholarships for aspiring fabricators, installers, and administrative apprentices; grant support for education, promotion, and standards; and a scholarship aimed at women in stone who are building technical skills and leadership potential. Across those programs, the foundation is funding industry infrastructure as much as individual learning, with a clear emphasis on workforce development, standards, and professional pipeline building.
Education is a central theme in the foundation’s giving. Through the Natural Stone Scholarship, it supports aspiring fabricators, installers, and administrative apprentices who want to advance in the stone industry. It also backs the Women in Stone Empowerment Scholarship, which helps a winner build technical and practical knowledge while deepening commitment to a career in stone. Beyond scholarships, the foundation funds broader industry initiatives. A 2024 general-use grant to Natural Stone Institute supported the organization behind those education and standards efforts. The foundation also names natural stone promotion as a core area, including work meant to help architects and designers better understand when and why to specify natural stone. Standards is another stated focus, tied to globally unified standards for stone materials and to clarifying differences between natural and manmade products.
Recent grant size data show a middle-heavy pattern: the 25th percentile is $87,003, the median is $107,192, and the 75th percentile is $127,381. The recent grants list is small and recurring, with Natural Stone Institute appearing in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all as general-use grants. The foundation is a public charity and does not fund individuals, even though it maintains scholarship programs. Its active grants are not open to unsolicited applications, and the available programs are oriented around the stone industry rather than broad public grantseeking.
$95K
$905K
$217K
$114K
Most grants fall between $87K and $127K, with a median of $107K.
25th Percentile
$87K
Median
$107K
75th Percentile
$127K
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Giving is tightly concentrated in Ohio: 100% of grants in the data went to recipients in the HQ state, and Ohio is also the top state by grant count. The recent grants all landed in Oberlin, Ohio, at Natural Stone Institute. Program geography is broader on paper, with scholarship and grant programs defined for North America and, for some grants, global reach, but the observed recipient pattern is entirely U.S.-based.
It funds industry initiatives tied to natural stone, including education and scholarships, natural stone promotion, and standards work. Its stated goals include increasing natural stone’s market share, supporting globally unified standards, clarifying differences between natural and manmade materials, educating architects and designers, and developing future leaders in the stone industry.
The recent grants on file went to Natural Stone Institute in Oberlin, Ohio. The foundation also operates scholarship programs for aspiring fabricators, installers, administrative apprentices, and women building careers in the stone industry.
Typical grants are in the low six figures. The grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $87,003, a median of $107,192, and a 75th percentile of $127,381.
No. The active grant programs listed for the foundation all say they do not accept unsolicited requests.
The observed giving is local and concentrated in Ohio. All grants in the available data went to U.S. recipients, and 100% of grants were to organizations in the HQ state, Ohio.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Natural Stone Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Participation is through donated natural stone materials, fabrication, and installation to Gary Sinise Foundation projects; no public grant application process is described.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NATURAL STONE INSTITUTE | OBERLIN, OH | $95,499 | 2025 | GENERAL USE |
| NATURAL STONE INSTITUTE | OBERLIN, OH | $147,570 | 2024 | GENERAL USE |
| NATURAL STONE INSTITUTE | OBERLIN, OH | $66,814 | 2023 | GENERAL USE |
NATURAL STONE INSTITUTE
$95,499GENERAL USE
NATURAL STONE INSTITUTE
GENERAL USE
NATURAL STONE INSTITUTE
$66,814GENERAL USE
