The Robert O and Annamae Orr Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy in the Greater Akron/Canton region, prioritizing basic needs and community institutions. Major support goes to hunger relief and family-focused residential services (food bank, family shelters, Ronald McDonald House), alongside sizable gifts to local cultural attractions like the zoo and art museum. The foundation appears to favor established regional nonprofits that directly serve families and vulnerable populations.
Concentrated, place-based giving in Greater Akron/Canton with several repeat, mid-to-large grants to a small set of core grantees; funding mixes multi-year or multiple installments rather than many one-off small gifts.
A $95,000 program-support grant to Akron Zoo is the largest recent award in the Robert O and Annamae Orr Family Foundation’s record, and it fits a pattern of giving that combines community institutions with direct human services. The foundation’s recent grants show sustained support for Akron-area nonprofits that serve children, families, and residents with basic needs, including repeated funding for Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Ronald McDonald House of Akron, Grace House, and Akron Art Museum. Several grantees appear in more than one year, suggesting a steady relationship rather than one-off gifts. The foundation also backs emergency and family-stabilization work through organizations such as The Salvation Army, Open M, Good Samaritan Hunger Center, and Embracing Futures. Cultural and civic life is part of the mix as well, with support going to the zoo, museum, and children’s museum. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s pattern is local and concentrated, with most awards landing in the Akron area and neighboring Summit County communities. The grant purposes are usually program support or general support, indicating an emphasis on sustaining operating work rather than funding narrowly defined projects alone.
Food access is a recurring theme. The foundation gave $60,000 to Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank for program support in 2025, after earlier grants of $60,000 in 2024 and $55,000 in 2023. It also supported Good Samaritan Hunger Center with $35,000 for program support in 2025 and $25,000 for general support in 2024. Family housing and short-term residential assistance is another clear area. Ronald McDonald House of Akron received $50,000 for program support in 2025 and $50,000 for general support in 2024, while Grace House received $50,000 for program support in 2025 and $20,000 for general support in 2024. The foundation also funds community-serving institutions: Akron Art Museum received $50,000 for program support, and Akron Children’s Museum received $25,000 for general support.
Recent grant sizes cluster around a mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $6,925, a median of $15,938, and a p75 of $30,000. The distribution includes a mix of larger anchor grants and many smaller awards, with repeated support to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is structured as a family foundation, does not fund individuals, and does not make program-related investments. Its grants in the recent list are described primarily as program support or general support, suggesting a preference for core operating help.
$564K
$4.5M
$745K
$897K
Most grants fall between $7K and $30K, with a median of $16K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$16K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Notable grantees: Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Grace House, Ronald McDonald House of Akron, Akron Zoo, Akron Art Museum
Giving is tightly concentrated in Ohio, with 100% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Akron is the main recipient city, appearing across the food, housing, arts, and human-services portfolio. Nearby Ohio locations also appear, including Kent and Solon. The geographic scope of giving is local, and the recent grants list shows no recipient countries outside the United States.
The recent grants show support for hunger relief, family residential services, emergency assistance, and local cultural institutions. Examples include Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Ronald McDonald House of Akron, Grace House, The Salvation Army, Akron Zoo, and Akron Art Museum.
Several recipients appear in multiple years, which points to recurring relationships. Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Grace House and Ronald McDonald House of Akron also appear in more than one year.
The typical award sits in the mid-five-figure range. The reported median grant size is $15,938, with a p25 of $6,925 and a p75 of $30,000.
No. The recent grants list shows 58 grants, all to recipients in the United States, and 100% of grants go to recipients in Ohio.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Zoo | Akron, OH | $95,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank | Akron, OH | $60,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Akron Art Museum | Akron, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Ronald McDonald House of Akron | Akron, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Grace House | Akron, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Embracing Futures | Akron, OH | $42,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Good Samaritan Hunger Center | Akron, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| OPEN M | Akron, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Keep Akron Beautiful | Akron, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Habitat for Humanity of Summit County | Akron, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Littlest Heroes | Solon, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Ben Curtis Family Foundation | Kent, OH | $12,500 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Caring for Kids | Stow, OH | $10,050 | 2025 | Program Support |
| ACCESS | Akron, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Humane Society Summit County | Twinsburg, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Char-ity Inc | Cleveland, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Empower Sports | Cleveland, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Mobile MealsFamily and Community Services | Akron, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| NAMI | Cleveland, OH | $8,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Akron Blind Center | Akron, OH | $8,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Shelter Care | Tallmadge, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Battered Women's Shelter | Akron, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| First Glance Student Center | Akron, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| South Street Ministries | Akron, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Autism Society | Akron, OH | $2,500 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Rayl Charitable Organization | Green, OH | $500 | 2025 | Program Support |
| Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank | Akron, OH | $60,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Salvation Army | Akron, OH | $60,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Ronald McDonald House of Akron | Akron, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Keep Akron Beautiful | Akron, OH | $32,500 | 2024 | General Support |
| Akron Zoo | Akron, OH | $30,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Embracing Futures | Akron, OH | $30,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Good Samaritan Hunger Center | Akron, OH | $25,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Grace House | Akron, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| OPEN M | Akron, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Ben Curtis Family Foundation | Kent, OH | $16,875 | 2024 | General Support |
| Littlest Heroes | Solon, OH | $15,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Habitat for Humanity of Summit County | Akron, OH | $15,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Humane Society Summit County | Twinsburg, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Family and Community Services | Ravenna, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Ideastream | Cleveland, OH | $2,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Safety Forces Support Center | Akron, OH | $500 | 2024 | General Support |
| Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank | Akron, OH | $55,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Grace House | Akron, OH | $50,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Akron Zoo | Akron, OH | $44,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Embracing Futures | Akron, OH | $30,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Ronald McDonald House of Akron | Akron, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Akron Children's Museum | Akron, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Littlest Heroes | Solon, OH | $15,000 | 2023 | Program Support |
| Habitat for Humanity of Summit County | Akron, OH | $12,000 | 2023 | General Support |
Akron Zoo
$95,000Program Support
Akron Art Museum
$50,000Program Support
Ronald McDonald House of Akron
$50,000Program Support
Embracing Futures
$42,000Program Support
Good Samaritan Hunger Center
$35,000Program Support
OPEN M
$20,000Program Support
Keep Akron Beautiful
$20,000Program Support
Littlest Heroes
$15,000Program Support
Ben Curtis Family Foundation
$12,500Program Support
Char-ity Inc
$10,000Program Support
Empower Sports
$10,000Program Support
Mobile MealsFamily and Community Services
$10,000Program Support
NAMI
$8,000Program Support
Akron Blind Center
$8,000Program Support
Shelter Care
$5,000Program Support
First Glance Student Center
$5,000Program Support
Autism Society
$2,500Program Support
Rayl Charitable Organization
$500Program Support
Salvation Army
$60,000General Support
Ronald McDonald House of Akron
$50,000General Support
Keep Akron Beautiful
$32,500General Support
Embracing Futures
$30,000General Support
Good Samaritan Hunger Center
$25,000General Support
OPEN M
$20,000General Support
Ben Curtis Family Foundation
$16,875General Support
Littlest Heroes
$15,000General Support
Family and Community Services
$10,000General Support
Ideastream
$2,000General Support
Safety Forces Support Center
$500General Support
Embracing Futures
$30,000Program Support
Ronald McDonald House of Akron
$25,000General Support
Littlest Heroes
$15,000Program Support