The Sauerland Foundation concentrates its giving on large, targeted gifts to two primary sectors: major visual arts institutions and direct-support youth education programs. Grants are few but substantial and have been made repeatedly to the same organizations, indicating a preference for deep, high-impact partnerships rather than broad, distributed philanthropy. The foundation appears to focus regionally in Ohio, supporting a flagship cultural institution and an education/intervention program for young people.
Very concentrated giving: only four grants totaling $970,000 split almost evenly between two repeat recipients. Grants are large, likely multi-year or multi-installment donations focused on sustaining a small number of core partners rather than one-off, small grants to many organizations.
Sauerland Foundation’s recent grantmaking is defined by repeated, high-value support for a small set of organizations, especially the Cleveland Museum of Art and Friends of Breakthrough. The foundation has made $250,000 grants to both groups in 2025, continuing a pattern of multi-year backing that also includes earlier gifts to each recipient. That repeat funding points to a relationship-based approach rather than one-off awards. Its portfolio also reaches into other Cleveland-area institutions and youth-serving organizations, including Friends of Intergenerational School, Greater Cleve Habitat for Humanity, and Cleveland Foodbank. Across the recent grants list, the foundation supports both cultural institutions and direct-service nonprofits, with a clear preference for organizations that operate at a regional scale. The giving pattern suggests a funder that favors substantial donations to established partners. Grants in the recent list range from $40,000 to $250,000, and several recipients appear more than once across 2023 through 2025. Sauerland Foundation’s work is concentrated in Ohio, while still including a small number of grants outside the state.
In arts support, Sauerland Foundation gave $250,000 in 2025 and $250,000 in 2024 to the Cleveland Museum of Art, plus $60,000 in 2023 to the same institution. That repeated backing shows a sustained commitment to a major visual arts organization. Youth education is another core area. The foundation awarded $250,000 in 2025, $220,000 in 2024, and $60,000 in 2023 to Friends of Breakthrough for direct support tied to underserved students. The foundation also funds school-linked and community-serving work. It gave $115,000 in 2025, $110,000 in 2024, and $50,000 in 2023 to Friends of Intergenerational School, and provided $80,000 in 2025 to Shaker Schools Foundation. Beyond education, it supported basic-needs and civic groups such as Cleveland Foodbank and Legal Aid Society of Greater Cin.
Sauerland Foundation’s recent grants cluster around a typical size of $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $40,000 at the 75th percentile, while the recent list also includes larger strategic awards up to $250,000. The same recipients recur across multiple years, showing a pattern of repeat support rather than single-time gifts. The foundation is a private grantmaker; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The available record shows only donation-type grants.
$2.4M
$27.1M
$781K
$2.4M
Most grants fall between $10K and $40K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$40K
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Notable grantees: Cleveland Museum of Art, Friends of Breakthrough, Other Ohio-based arts and youth-serving nonprofits (smaller/unlisted recipients)
The foundation gives primarily in Ohio, with 68% of grants landing in the HQ state. Cleveland is the main recipient city in the recent grants list, alongside Cincinnati, Chagrin Falls, and Shaker Heights. Outside Ohio, the recent list includes grants to Oakland, California; Silver Springs, Maryland; and other U.S. recipients. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 122 grants in the United States.
The recent grants point to two main areas: major visual arts institutions and youth education. The foundation repeatedly backed the Cleveland Museum of Art and Friends of Breakthrough, and also supported Friends of Intergenerational School, Shaker Schools Foundation, and other regional nonprofit work.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. The Cleveland Museum of Art received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Friends of Breakthrough and Friends of Intergenerational School also received multiple awards over that span.
Typical recent grant sizes are $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $40,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes larger awards, including multiple gifts of $250,000.
Ohio receives 68% of the foundation’s grants, and Cleveland appears most often in the recent grants list. Other Ohio cities on the list include Cincinnati, Chagrin Falls, Shaker Heights, and Fairlawn.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it does not fund individuals, and the recent grants list shows organizational donations only.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRIENDS OF BREAKTHROUGH | CLEVELAND, OH | $260,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART | CLEVELAND, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLEVELAND FOODBANK | CLEVELAND, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| FRIENDS OF INTERGENERATIONAL SCHOOL | CLEVELAND, OH | $120,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| GREATER CLEVE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $100,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| THE HOMELESS CHARITY | FAIRLAWN, OH | $90,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION H&V | CLEVELAND, OH | $75,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OFFICE OF PHILANTHROPY | CLEVELAND, OH | $75,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS HHI | CLEVELAND, OH | $75,000 | 2026 | DONATIONS |
| COMMON CAUSE EDUCATION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $60,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $60,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| ACLU OF OHIO FOUNDATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $60,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| THE HAVEN HOME LLC | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| OPEN DOORS ACADEMY | CLEVELAND, OH | $50,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| AMERICAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $40,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CINCINNATI WORKS | CINCINNATI, OH | $40,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| PEOPLE WORKING COOPERATIVELY | CINCINNATI, OH | $40,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF GREATER CIN | CINCINNATI, OH | $40,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| MOUNTAIN COMPREHENSIVE CARE CENTER | PRESTONSBURG, KY | $40,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $40,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CORKSCREW SWAMP SANCTUARY | NAPLES, FL | $35,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| WOMEN HELPING WOMEN | CINCINNATI, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLERMONT CO SENIOR SERVICES | BATAVIA, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| SEEDS OF LITERACY | CLEVELAND, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| BAKER HUNT ART CENTER | COVINGTON, KY | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | MONTGOMERY, AL | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| FREESTORE FOODBANK | CINCINNATI, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF CLEVELAND MANDEL BUILDING | BEACHWOOD, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| WETA INC | ARLINGTON, VA | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| GRACE HOUSE INC | AKRON, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CARDINAL LAND CONSERVANCY | LOVELAND, OH | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| SUSTAINABLE VILLAGES HONDURAS | WASHINGTON, DC | $30,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| LEELANAU CONSERVANCY | LELAND, MI | $25,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| SHAKER SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| WESTERN RESERVE LAND CONSERVANCY | MORELAND HILLS, OH | $25,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| GREATER MILFORD AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY | MILFORD, OH | $20,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| NEW BREMEN HISTORICAL ASSOC | NEW BREMEN, OH | $20,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| ZELIE'S HOME | GARFIELD HEIGHTS, OH | $20,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLEVELAND ANIMAL PROTECTIVE LEAGUE | CLEVELAND, OH | $20,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| LOSS OF SPOUSE SANTUARY | ST JOSEPH, MO | $15,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLEVELAND RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| LONG BEACH RESCUE MISSION | LONG BEACH, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| DING DARLING WILDLIFE SOC | SANIBEL, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| VALLEY VIEW NATURE PRESERVE | MILFORD, OH | $10,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FUND | SANIBEL, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| US SWIMMING FOUNDATION | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| USS CLEVELAND LEGACY FOUND | CLEVELAND, OH | $5,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| SANIBEL CAPTIVE AUDUBON SOCIETY | SANIBEL, FL | $3,000 | 2026 | DONATION |
| CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART | CLEVELAND, OH | $250,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
| FRIENDS OF BREAKTHROUGH | CLEVELAND, OH | $250,000 | 2025 | DONATION |
FRIENDS OF BREAKTHROUGH
$260,000DONATION
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART
$250,000DONATION
FRIENDS OF INTERGENERATIONAL SCHOOL
$120,000DONATION
GREATER CLEVE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$100,000DONATION
THE HOMELESS CHARITY
$90,000DONATION
CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION H&V
$75,000DONATION
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY OFFICE OF PHILANTHROPY
$75,000DONATION
UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS HHI
$75,000DONATIONS
THE HAVEN HOME LLC
$50,000DONATION
OPEN DOORS ACADEMY
$50,000DONATION
PEOPLE WORKING COOPERATIVELY
$40,000DONATION
MOUNTAIN COMPREHENSIVE CARE CENTER
$40,000DONATION
WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION INC
$40,000DONATION
CLERMONT CO SENIOR SERVICES
$30,000DONATION
BAKER HUNT ART CENTER
$30,000DONATION
GRACE HOUSE INC
$30,000DONATION
CARDINAL LAND CONSERVANCY
$30,000DONATION
SUSTAINABLE VILLAGES HONDURAS
$30,000DONATION
GREATER MILFORD AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$20,000DONATION
NEW BREMEN HISTORICAL ASSOC
$20,000DONATION
LOSS OF SPOUSE SANTUARY
$15,000DONATION
CLEVELAND RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE
$10,000DONATION
VALLEY VIEW NATURE PRESERVE
$10,000DONATION
SANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FUND
$10,000DONATION
US SWIMMING FOUNDATION
$10,000DONATION
SANIBEL CAPTIVE AUDUBON SOCIETY
$3,000DONATION
CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART
$250,000DONATION
FRIENDS OF BREAKTHROUGH
$250,000DONATION