About Olive B Cole Foundation
The Olive B Cole Foundation concentrates almost all of its giving on college scholarships for individuals and a small amount on local community recreation infrastructure. Grants are large, targeted awards to scholarship programs (multiple awards over time) and a substantial single-year gift to the Cole Center Family YMCA for pool maintenance, indicating a local Fort Wayne focus on education access and neighborhood amenities.
Focus Areas
College scholarships for local students (need- and/or merit-based)Scholarship program funding and administration supportCommunity recreation infrastructure in Fort Wayne (YMCA pool maintenance)
Who They Fund
K-12 students and college-bound youthat-risk youth and familiesrural/Northeast Indiana communitiesfamilies and parents (parent engagement, prenatal services)older adults/residents of nursing homes
Giving Approach
About Olive B Cole Foundation
Olive B Cole Foundation Inc. puts most of its funding into college scholarships for local students, with additional support for Fort Wayne-area community infrastructure and youth-serving facilities. The grant record shows repeated scholarship awards in Fort Wayne alongside capital and maintenance support for places used by residents across Northeast Indiana. One of the clearest patterns is its long-running scholarship activity: multiple awards in the six-figure range have been paid out as scholarship grants over several years, including awards recorded in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Outside education, the foundation has also backed local assets that serve the public directly. Examples include support for Cole Center Family YMCA in Kendallville for pool maintenance projects and a separate gift to Purdue University Fort Wayne for the Parker Cole Crossing Bridge Grant. Those awards sit alongside grants to schools, colleges, and community organizations in towns such as Kendallville, Fort Wayne, Angola, Auburn, and Garrett. The pattern points to a funder with a strong local orientation and a mix of scholarship administration, education access, and place-based community support.
What Olive B Cole Foundation Funds
Scholarships are the foundation’s core program area. It gave $50,000 to Ivy Tech Community College in Fort Wayne for scholarships, and its active scholarship programs for Noble County students provide up to $2,500 per year for up to four years. Some scholarship awards also include added support for students pursuing teaching degrees. Career and technical education appears in a separate grant to Impact Institute in Kendallville for machine and welding programs, funded at $100,000 in 2025. In youth and learning programs, the foundation awarded $40,000 to Science Central in Fort Wayne for Science 4U. Health-related giving shows up in grants to St. Martin’s Healthcare in Garrett for a mobile clinic and mobile unit, each at $55,000 in different years. The foundation also supported community recreation through Kendallville Parks & Recreation for a skate park and outdoor fireplace.
How Olive B Cole Foundation Gives
Typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $13,500 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record includes both recurring scholarship payments and one-time capital or program grants, which suggests a mix of repeat support and project-specific awards. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations, and its active scholarship programs are open to unsolicited applications. For charitable organizations, it uses a preliminary proposal letter process before a formal application, with quarterly review for some general grants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.5M
Total Assets
$32.4M
Total Revenue
$2M
Total Expenses
$2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $5K and $30K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$30K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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