The Oatey Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of sizable, locally focused awards that strengthen Cleveland’s cultural institutions and community-serving organizations. Recent grants show a clear tilt toward arts and music organizations (museums and orchestra) alongside community development and youth services. The foundation tends to support established, place-based nonprofits and makes repeat grants to a few core partners.
Concentrated, high-dollar local grants with repetition to core grantees rather than many small gifts; few recipients receive most of the funding each year.
Oatey Foundation’s recent giving is marked by repeated general-support grants to a small set of Cleveland-area institutions, with the largest award going to the Cleveland Orchestra at $110,000 in 2024. The pattern is not broad or program-specific; it centers on established local nonprofits that carry cultural, health, and community roles in the region. Two of the clearest examples are Community West Foundation, which received $100,000 in 2024 after a matching $100,000 grant in 2023, and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, which received $62,500 in both 2024 and 2023. Those repeat awards point to a funder that leans on long-standing partners rather than one-time project bets. The foundation also uses flexible support for organizations serving Cleveland through arts, social services, and community infrastructure, including Metrohealth Foundation, Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland, and Cleveland Water Alliance. Across the recent grants list, the giving profile suggests a locally focused funder that backs organizational stability through unrestricted or general support rather than narrowly targeted project funding.
Arts and culture appear prominently in the foundation’s grant list. In 2024, it gave $62,500 to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum for general support, and it also awarded $20,000 to Beck Center for the Arts in 2023. Music is a separate thread within that cluster: the Cleveland Orchestra received $110,000 in 2024, the largest recent grant on file. Beyond arts institutions, the foundation supports community services and health-related organizations. Metrohealth Foundation received $50,000 in both 2024 and 2023, while the Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland received $35,000 in 2023 and $25,000 in 2024. Youth-focused work is also present through Youth Challenge, which received $80,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2023.
Oatey Foundation’s typical grant size sits around a few thousand dollars, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $5,250, and a p75 of $20,000. The recent grant list shows a different upper tier as well, with several six-figure and high-five-figure awards to core partners. Its giving is repeated rather than one-off in several cases: Community West Foundation, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, Metrohealth Foundation, Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland, Youth Challenge, Living Waters for the World, and YMCA of Greater Cleveland each appear in more than one year. The foundation is a grantmaker, not an individual-giving vehicle, and it does not make program-related investments. Grants in the recent list are described as general support.
$575K
$8.7M
$3.2M
$631K
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Notable grantees: Community West Foundation, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, Cleveland Orchestra, Youth Challenge
Giving is overwhelmingly local: 87% of grants go to recipients in Ohio, and the top state by grant count is OH. Cleveland appears most often among recipient cities, with other awards landing in Westlake, Beachwood, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Chagrin Falls, Highland Hills, and Macedonia. The recent grants list also includes a smaller number of grants outside Ohio, including Spring Hill, Tennessee; East Moline, Illinois; and Jackson, Wyoming. Across the recipient-country distribution, all 63 grants went to U.S. organizations.
The recent grants show a mix of Cleveland arts and culture institutions, community development intermediaries, youth services, and health-related organizations. Named recipients include the Cleveland Orchestra, Community West Foundation, Metrohealth Foundation, and Youth Challenge, all funded with general support.
Yes, but most of its giving stays in Ohio. The recipient distribution shows 87% of grants to Ohio organizations, while the recent list also includes grants to organizations in Tennessee, Illinois, and Wyoming.
The foundation’s typical grant size is modest relative to its larger awards: p25 is $5,000, the median is $5,250, and p75 is $20,000. Recent grants also include larger general-support awards to longstanding partners.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Community West Foundation, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum, Metrohealth Foundation, Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland, Youth Challenge, Living Waters for the World, and YMCA of Greater Cleveland.
The recent grants are described as general support. The foundation’s philosophy tags also point to general operating support, unrestricted support, and core or organizational support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COMMUNITY WEST FOUNDATION | WESTLAKE, OH | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| VELOSANO | CLEVELAND, OH | $55,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| METROHEALTH FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREATER CLEVELAND PARTNERSHIP | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2026 | GE |
| LIVING WATERS FOR THE WORLD | SPRING HILL, TN | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUTH CHALLENGE | WESTLAKE, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF GREATER CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND WATER ALLIANCE | CLEVELAND, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACHIEVEMENT CENTERS FOR CHILDREN | HIGHLAND HILLS, OH | $14,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM | CLEVELAND, OH | $12,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION | CLEVELAND, OH | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DIVERSITY CENTER OF NE OHIO | BEECHWOOD, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PROVIDENCE HOUSE | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JACKSON HOLE SKI AND SNOW CLUB | JACKSON, WY | $8,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND LEADERSHIP CENTER | CLEVELAND, OH | $6,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICA SCORES CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $6,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BREAKTHROUGH T1D MICHIGAN NORTHERN OHIO | SOUTHFIELD, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MALTZ MUSEUM | BEECHWOOD, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UCP OF GREATER CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $4,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| NORTH COAST COMMUNITY HOMES | CLEVELAND, OH | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND COUNCIL ON WORLD AFFAIRS | CLEVELAND, OH | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE | CLEVELAND, OH | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND ANIMAL PROTECTIVE LEAGUE | CLEVELAND, OH | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COMMUNITY WEST FOUNDATION | WESTLAKE, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND FOUNDATION SAY YES CLEVELAND SCHOLAR | CLEVELAND, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM | CLEVELAND, OH | $62,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| METROHEALTH FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUTH CHALLENGE | WESTLAKE, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIVING WATERS FOR THE WORLD | SPRING HILL, TN | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOUNDATION | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PRESIDENTS COUNCIL | CLEVELAND, OH | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DIVERSITY CENTER OF NE OHIO | BEECHWOOD, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ELIZA JENNINGS HONORING THE LEGACYGROWING TO SERVE | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ACHIEVEMENT CENTERS FOR CHILDREN | HIGHLAND HILLS, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YMCA OF GREATER CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC PHILANTHROPY INSTITUTE | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| GREATER CLEVELAND SPORTS COMMISSION | CLEVELAND, OH | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JACKSON HOLE SKI AND SNOW CLUB | JACKSON, WY | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PROVIDENCE HOUSE | CLEVELAND, OH | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICA SCORES CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $5,750 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES UNLIMITED | CLEVELAND, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER CLEVELAND | CLEVELAND, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| JDRF GOLF CLASSIC | EAST MOLINE, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
GREATER CLEVELAND PARTNERSHIP
$50,000GE
LIVING WATERS FOR THE WORLD
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GENERAL SUPPORT
CLEVELAND WATER ALLIANCE
$25,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM
$12,500GENERAL SUPPORT
JACKSON HOLE SKI AND SNOW CLUB
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
MALTZ MUSEUM
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER CLEVELAND
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UCP OF GREATER CLEVELAND
$4,500GENERAL SUPPORT
CLEVELAND FOUNDATION SAY YES CLEVELAND SCHOLAR
$100,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM
$62,500GENERAL SUPPORT
CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SALVATION ARMY OF GREATER CLEVELAND
$35,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LIVING WATERS FOR THE WORLD
$30,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PRESIDENTS COUNCIL
$12,500GENERAL SUPPORT
FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
ELIZA JENNINGS HONORING THE LEGACYGROWING TO SERVE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CLEVELAND CLINIC PHILANTHROPY INSTITUTE
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JACKSON HOLE SKI AND SNOW CLUB
$8,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER CLEVELAND
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
JDRF GOLF CLASSIC
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT