About Romich Foundation
A defining feature of Romich Foundation grantmaking is its repeated support for Norwayne Schools in Creston, where one recent award reached $74,409 for the middle school, music department, athletic boosters, and general funds. That pattern points to a funder that backs practical, local needs through direct grants rather than broad, abstract initiatives. Across the recent record, the foundation supports schools, makerspaces, community food and gathering spaces, disability inclusion, and local service organizations.
Romich Foundation’s largest recent awards also show how it works: $48,726 to Schantz Makerspace in Wooster for general purposes and $37,759 to JoyfulCafe in Wooster for general purposes. The portfolio includes support for community infrastructure as well as education-linked programs, with grants often directed to organizations that can use flexible funding for daily operations, programming, or local outreach. Recipients appear mostly in Ohio, especially in and around Wayne County, with some grants reaching beyond the immediate area. The overall picture is of a foundation that funds a small set of organizations repeatedly, often with unrestricted support, and uses those relationships to reinforce community-serving institutions and hands-on learning opportunities.
What Romich Foundation Funds
Education is a consistent thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2024, it gave $40,671 to Norwayne Schools for the middle school, music department, athletic boosters, and general funds, and it also supported University of Akron-Wayne College with $7,813 in 2024 and $5,000 in 2023.
Hands-on learning is another clear theme. Schantz Makerspace received $47,879 in 2024 for general purposes, while National Inventors Hall of Fame received $5,000 in 2025 and $3,000 in 2023. The foundation also backed Camp Invention with $3,640 in 2024.
Community support and inclusion appear in grants such as $34,060 to Includeability in 2025 and $26,288 to Guardian Group in 2025, both for general purposes. Local service organizations also show up in the record, including Wooster Hope Center at $35,000 in 2023.
How Romich Foundation Gives
Romich Foundation’s typical grant size is small to mid-sized, with a p25 of $250, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $3,480. That distribution sits below the larger awards that appear in the recent grants list, which suggests a mix of modest general support and occasional larger commitments. The grant record also shows repeat funding: Norwayne Schools, Schantz Makerspace, JoyfulCafe, United Way of Wayne and Holmes Co, The Counseling Center, and National Inventors Hall of Fame each appear more than once across the listed years. The foundation is not positioned as an individual funder and does not make program-related investments. Its active grant programs include both unsolicited and invitation-only options, with several maker and STEAM-related programs accepting unsolicited requests.