Supports programs that benefit the central Ohio community by improving educational opportunities and literacy for school-age children and young children (including parent-involvement programs), and by improving the economic, housing, physical well-being, and safety of underprivileged families to create greater stability for children and families.
The Siemer Family Foundation’s largest recent commitments have gone to the Siemer Institute, including $18.5 million in 2025, $10 million in 2024, and $6 million in 2023. That pattern shows a funder willing to make very large, repeat support for a closely aligned partner while also funding a broader set of Central Ohio nonprofits. The foundation’s public grantmaking centers on educational opportunity, literacy, early learning, parental involvement, and family stability, with a strong emphasis on the economic, housing, physical well-being, and safety needs of underprivileged families. Recent grants also point to a mix of direct service and community infrastructure support. In Columbus, the foundation gave $975,720 to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation and $500,000 to Future Ready Five. It also supported organizations tied to neighborhood stability and basic needs, including Community Development for All People, Mid-Ohio Foodbank, Community Shelter Board, and United Way of Central Ohio. The recurring presence of central Ohio groups suggests a funder focused on place-based, community-facing work rather than broad national grantmaking. Its portfolio also includes education, health, social services, and advancing philanthropy, but the throughline is support for children and families in Central Ohio.
Education and literacy are core to the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $500,000 to Future Ready Five for education and $360,000 to Muskingum University for education, alongside $250,000 to Foundation of the Catholic Diocese Of for education. Those grants fit a pattern of backing schooling and learning opportunities for children and youth. Family stability and basic-needs support appear just as central. The foundation awarded $500,000 to Mid-Ohio Foodbank Dba Mid-Ohio Food Collective and $100,000 to Community Shelter Board for neighborhood-related work, both in Columbus-area community support contexts. It also gave $300,000 to Community Development for All People and $110,000 to United Way of Central Ohio Inc for social services. Health-related grants include $100,000 to University Hospitals and $200,000 to Cleveland Maidan Association. The foundation also supports philanthropy infrastructure. A $200,000 grant to Columbus Foundation falls under advancing philanthropy.
$23.1M
$76.8M
$59.7M
$23.5M
Most grants fall between $15K and $43K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$43K
SCOTT HEITKAMP
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Typical awards cluster at a modest operating-grant scale: the stated grant-size distribution is p25 $15,000, median $20,000, and p75 $43,200. That sits alongside a much larger set of high-value awards, including multi-million-dollar support for a single repeat recipient. The foundation is classified as a Regular Funder and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its grantmaking is clearly recurring rather than one-off. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including the Siemer Institute, Community Development for All People, Cleveland Maidan Association, United Way of Central Ohio Inc, Burning Limb, and Community Shelter Board. The foundation also accepts unsolicited applications through its annual grants program and a separate Siemer Family Foundation program.
The foundation gives locally, with 88% of grants going to recipients in Ohio. Central Ohio is the main focus, but the recipient map also includes New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland, Florida, Washington, DC, and Ohio cities beyond Columbus. Columbus appears repeatedly across the grant list, including awards to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, Future Ready Five, Community Shelter Board, and Columbus Foundation. Outside Columbus, Grove City, Cleveland, New Concord, and Frisco also appear in the recent grants data.
Its stated focus is educational opportunities for school-age children, literacy, early learning with parental involvement, and the economic, housing, physical well-being, and safety needs of underprivileged families. The active grant programs also mention youth development, early childhood education, family stability, and community education.
Yes. Both active grant-program descriptions say the foundation accepts unsolicited applications, including the Siemer Family Foundation Annual Grants program.
The stated distribution is p25 $15,000, median $20,000, and p75 $43,200. The annual grants program also describes a grant range of $10,000 to $25,000.
Yes. The geographic scope is local, and 88% of grants go to recipients in Ohio. Central Ohio is the main program geography, even though the recent-grants list also includes recipients in other states.
Yes. Several organizations appear in more than one year, including the Siemer Institute, Community Development for All People, Cleveland Maidan Association, United Way of Central Ohio Inc, Burning Limb, and Community Shelter Board.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIEMER INSTITUTE | COLUMBUS, OH | $18,500,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $975,720 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MID-OHIO FOODBANK DBA MID-OHIO FOOD COLLECTIVE | GROVE CITY, OH | $500,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| MUSKINGUM UNIVERSITY | NEW CONCORD, OH | $360,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR ALL PEOPLE | COLUMBUS, OH | $300,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| BURNING LIMB FOUNDATION | FRISCO, TX | $225,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| CLEVELAND MAIDAN ASSOCIATION | CLEVELAND, OH | $200,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| COLUMBUS FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $200,000 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL OHIO INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $110,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| SALVATION ARMY (CENTRAL OHIO) | COLUMBUS, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SAFE CHILDREN COALITION INC | SARASOTA, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| COMMUNITY SHELTER BOARD | COLUMBUS, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| OHIO LIVING FOUNDATION | WESTERVILLE, OH | $65,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| STAR HOUSE | COLUMBUS, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| THE SALVATION ARMY OF SARASOTA COUNTY | SARASOTA, FL | $50,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| NEW ALBANY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | NEW ALBANY, OH | $48,950 | 2025 | ADVANCING PHILANTHROPY |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER OHIO | CLEVELAND, OH | $45,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| BROAD STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | COLUMBUS, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| UNITED SCHOOLS NETWORK INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CRISTO REY COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL | COLUMBUS, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY FOUNDATION | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SON MINISTRIES DBA FESTA | HILLIARD, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| YWCA COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| PELOTONIA | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | ARTS AND HUMANITIES |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL FLORIDA | SARASOTA, FL | $30,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| CITY YEAR COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CENTRAL COMMUNITY HOUSE OF COLUMBUS INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $26,564 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF CENTRAL OHIO | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| COLUMBUS EARLY LEARNING CENTERS | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| THE TIDES FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF CENTRAL OHIO | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| PER SCHOLAS INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| I KNOW I CAN | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| HOMEPORT | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| DIRECTIONS FOR YOUTH & FAMILIES | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CLINTONVILLE-BEECHWOLD COMMUNITY RESOURCES CENTER | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| ETHIOPIAN TEWAHEDO SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| LSS CHOICES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| OHIO WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY | DELAWARE, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| WESTERVILLE AREA RESOURCE MINISTRY (WARM) | WESTERVILLE, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| 2ND & 7 | COLUMBUS, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF CENTRAL OHIO | COLUMBUS, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| NEW DIRECTIONS CAREER CENTER | COLUMBUS, OH | $18,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| COLLEGE MENTORS FOR KIDS INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $16,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SEEDS OF CARING | COLUMBUS, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CENTER FOR EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES INC | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| THE CENTER FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES INC | COLUMBUS, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | NEIGHBORHOOD |
| FRIENDS OF CASA OF FRANKLIN COUNTY OHIO | DUBLIN, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
| CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES | COLUMBUS, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | SOCIAL SERVICES |
SIEMER INSTITUTE
$18,500,000SOCIAL SERVICES
NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$975,720SOCIAL SERVICES
BURNING LIMB FOUNDATION
HEALTH
CLEVELAND MAIDAN ASSOCIATION
$200,000HEALTH
SALVATION ARMY (CENTRAL OHIO)
$100,000EDUCATION
OHIO LIVING FOUNDATION
$65,000EDUCATION
THE SALVATION ARMY OF SARASOTA COUNTY
$50,000SOCIAL SERVICES
BROAD STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
$35,000SOCIAL SERVICES
CRISTO REY COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL
$35,000EDUCATION
SON MINISTRIES DBA FESTA
$30,000SOCIAL SERVICES
HOMEPORT
$25,000SOCIAL SERVICES
2ND & 7
$20,000EDUCATION
FRIENDS OF CASA OF FRANKLIN COUNTY OHIO
$15,000SOCIAL SERVICES