The Gessner Family Foundation concentrates its giving on local housing stability and neighborhood revitalization in the Columbus/Massillon area, using donations to support affordable homeownership and emergency mortgage relief. Its grants are tightly focused and directed to Habitat for Humanity initiatives that combine direct homeowner assistance with corridor renewal projects in Western Stark County and the Tremont area.
The Gessner Family Foundation C/o Larry a Mcallister has made emergency mortgage subsidy work a defining part of its recent giving, pairing that direct homeowner relief with support for the Massillon Ohio Tremont corridor habitat renewal project. A 2025 grant of $291,000 to Habitat for Humanity shows the scale of that commitment, while a separate stream of gifts has gone to historic preservation, local institutions, and community services in Stark County and nearby communities. The foundation’s recent record points to a narrow geographic range and a strong preference for projects tied to place: affordable housing, neighborhood improvement, and local civic assets. It has also backed organizations that serve residents through food access, youth programming, libraries, and economic planning, but those awards sit alongside a larger pattern of housing stability and community redevelopment. In practice, the foundation appears to support organizations that can move specific local projects forward, often through operating support, capital campaign support, or direct program funding. Its grants include repeat awards to the same organizations across multiple years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time gifts.
Housing stability is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s giving. It provided $291,000 to Habitat for Humanity in 2025 for the emergency mortgage subsidy program in Western Stark County and support for the Massillon Ohio Tremont Corridor Habitat Renewal Project, following a $317,000 grant for the same purpose in 2023. The foundation also supports place-based preservation work: it gave $100,000 to Spring Hill Farm in 2025 for historic preservation and made repeated historic preservation grants to Massillon Heritage Foundation. Beyond housing and preservation, the foundation backs local civic and community services. It gave $100,000 to The Massillon Museum in 2025 for general operations and $75,000 to St John's United Church of Christ in both 2024 and 2025 for general operations. It has also supported food access, scholarship aid, and youth-serving organizations in the region.
Typical grant size centers on mid-sized awards: p25 is $12,000, median is $25,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent record shows repeated support to the same recipients across multiple years, including Habitat for Humanity, Spring Hill Farm, Massillon Heritage Foundation, The Massillon Museum, St John's United Church of Christ, Stark State College Foundation, and Akron Canton Regional Food Bank. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than one-off grants. The foundation is structured as a family foundation and funds individuals. Its grants appear to be made through program support, general operations, capital campaigns, scholarship funding, and direct relief, depending on the recipient and project.
$1.4M
$26.9M
$2.5M
$1.7M
Most grants fall between $12K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Highly concentrated giving: few, relatively large grants directed to a single recurring partner (Habitat for Humanity) with a clear local geographic focus and program-specific support.
Notable grantees: Habitat for Humanity (Western Stark County / Massillon Tremont Corridor projects)
Grantmaking is concentrated in Ohio, with 87% of grants going to recipients in the headquarters state. Recent awards cluster in Massillon, Canton, North Canton, Akron, and Wooster, with Massillon appearing frequently across housing, preservation, arts, library, and youth funding. Canton and North Canton also recur through housing, economic development, and scholarship support. Outside those cities, Wooster appears in a general-operations grant to United Way of Wayne & Holmes Counties. The grant list is entirely U.S.-based, with no non-U.S. recipient countries represented.
The recent grants point to housing stability, historic preservation, youth services, food access, scholarship support, and local civic institutions. Habitat for Humanity, Massillon Heritage Foundation, Spring Hill Farm, The Massillon Museum, St John's United Church of Christ, and Akron Canton Regional Food Bank all appear in the grant record.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Habitat for Humanity, Spring Hill Farm, Massillon Heritage Foundation, The Massillon Museum, St John's United Church of Christ, Stark State College Foundation, and Akron Canton Regional Food Bank. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time gifts.
The grant-size distribution is centered on mid-sized awards: p25 is $12,000, the median is $25,000, and p75 is $50,000. The recent list also includes larger project grants, including awards above $100,000 for housing, preservation, and local institutions.
Ohio receives 87% of grants, and recent recipients cluster in Massillon, Canton, North Canton, Akron, and Wooster. Massillon appears especially often, including in grants to Spring Hill Farm, Massillon Heritage Foundation, The Massillon Museum, Massillon Public Library, and Boys' & Girls' Club of Massillon.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | CANTON, OH | $291,000 | 2025 | EMERGENCY MORTGAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY & SUPPORT FOR THE MASSILLON OHIO TREMONT CORRIDOR HABITAT RENEWAL PROJECT |
| THE MASSILLON MUSEUM | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| SPRING HILL FARM | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| MASSILLON HERITAGE FOUNDATION | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD | CANTON, OH | $100,000 | 2025 | FOR THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE OF "STRENGTHENING STARK" |
| ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | MASSILLON, OH | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| STARK STATE COLLEGE FOUNDATION | NORTH CANTON, OH | $60,000 | 2025 | RUTH HESS-WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP |
| BOYS' & GIRLS' CLUB OF MASSILLON | MASSILLON, OH | $60,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN AND GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY | MASSILLON, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| UNITED WAY OF WAYNE & HOLMES COUNTIES | WOOSTER, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| AKRON CANTON REGIONAL FOOD BANK | AKRON, OH | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| REFUGE OF HOPE MINISTRIES | CANTON, OH | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| FRIENDS OF MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY | MASSILLON, OH | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| JUMP START INC | CLEVELAND, OH | $38,750 | 2025 | STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN |
| MASSILLON CEMETERY ASSOCIATION | AKRON, OH | $35,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BEACON CHARITABLE PHARMACY | CANTON, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ARTFUL LIVING AND LEARNING | NORTH CANTON, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | FOR USE IN MASSILLON CITY SCHOOLS |
| VANTAGE AGING MEALS ON WHEELS | AKRON, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS TO BE USED IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY AND WAYNE COUNTY |
| THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA | CHARLESTON, SC | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF A RESEARCH FELLOW IN RHEUMETOLOGY AND IMUNOLOGY DEPARTMENT |
| KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | KENT, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY AND WAYNE COUNTY |
| KENNEDY CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| STARKFRESH | NORTH CANTON, OH | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| STARK COUNTY DIAPER BANK | CANTON, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| SAM CENTER | MASSILLON, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MOUNTAIN RESCUE ASPEN INC | ASPEN, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| A PLACE TO BE | MIDDLEBURG, VA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| STARK COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY | LOUISVILLE, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BOYS' & GIRLS' CLUB OF WOOSTER | WOOSTER, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD | CANTON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | FOR THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE OF "STRENGTHENING STARK" |
| STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD | CANTON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | FOR THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE OF "STRENGTHENING STARK" |
| THE MASSILLON MUSEUM | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| SPRING HILL FARM | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| MASSILLON HERITAGE FOUNDATION | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| SPRING HILL FARM | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| THE MASSILLON MUSEUM | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| MASSILLON HERITAGE FOUNDATION | MASSILLON, OH | $100,000 | 2024 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | MASSILLON, OH | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST | MASSILLON, OH | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| JUMP START INC | CLEVELAND, OH | $67,900 | 2024 | STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN |
| JUMP START INC | CLEVELAND, OH | $67,900 | 2024 | STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN |
| STARK STATE COLLEGE FOUNDATION | NORTH CANTON, OH | $60,000 | 2024 | RUTH HESS-WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP |
| STARK STATE COLLEGE FOUNDATION | NORTH CANTON, OH | $60,000 | 2024 | RUTH HESS-WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP |
| AKRON CANTON REGIONAL FOOD BANK | AKRON, OH | $60,000 | 2024 | IMMEDIATE IMPACT GRANT TO PROVIDE FOOD AS A RESULT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN CANTON, OH, & GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| AKRON CANTON REGIONAL FOOD BANK | AKRON, OH | $60,000 | 2024 | IMMEDIATE IMPACT GRANT TO PROVIDE FOOD AS A RESULT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN CANTON, OH, & GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BOYS' & GIRLS' CLUB OF MASSILLON | MASSILLON, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | HELPING LOCAL KIDS OF MASSILLON, OH |
| MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY | MASSILLON, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BEACON CHARITABLE PHARMACY | CANTON, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS & GRANTS FUNDS TO BE USED IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY |
| BEACON CHARITABLE PHARMACY | CANTON, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS & GRANTS FUNDS TO BE USED IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY |
| UNITED WAY OF WAYNE & HOLMES COUNTIES | WOOSTER, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATIONS & COVID-19 FUND |
| BOYS' & GIRLS' CLUB OF MASSILLON | MASSILLON, OH | $50,000 | 2024 | HELPING LOCAL KIDS OF MASSILLON, OH |
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$291,000EMERGENCY MORTGAGE SUBSIDY PROGRAM IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY & SUPPORT FOR THE MASSILLON OHIO TREMONT CORRIDOR HABITAT RENEWAL PROJECT
SPRING HILL FARM
$100,000HISTORIC PRESERVATION
MASSILLON HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$100,000HISTORIC PRESERVATION
STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD
$100,000FOR THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE OF "STRENGTHENING STARK"
ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
GENERAL OPERATIONS
MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY
$50,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
FRIENDS OF MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY
$40,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MASSILLON CEMETERY ASSOCIATION
$35,500GENERAL OPERATIONS
ARTFUL LIVING AND LEARNING
$30,000FOR USE IN MASSILLON CITY SCHOOLS
GENERAL OPERATIONS TO BE USED IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY AND WAYNE COUNTY
THE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
$25,000SUPPORT OF A RESEARCH FELLOW IN RHEUMETOLOGY AND IMUNOLOGY DEPARTMENT
GENERAL OPERATIONS IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY AND WAYNE COUNTY
KENNEDY CENTER
$15,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
STARKFRESH
$15,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
STARK COUNTY DIAPER BANK
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
SAM CENTER
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
MOUNTAIN RESCUE ASPEN INC
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
BOYS' & GIRLS' CLUB OF WOOSTER
$10,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD
$100,000FOR THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE OF "STRENGTHENING STARK"
STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARD
$100,000FOR THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICE OF "STRENGTHENING STARK"
SPRING HILL FARM
$100,000HISTORIC PRESERVATION
MASSILLON HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$100,000HISTORIC PRESERVATION
SPRING HILL FARM
$100,000HISTORIC PRESERVATION
MASSILLON HERITAGE FOUNDATION
$100,000HISTORIC PRESERVATION
ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
$75,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
ST JOHN'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
$75,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
JUMP START INC
$67,900STARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
IMMEDIATE IMPACT GRANT TO PROVIDE FOOD AS A RESULT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN CANTON, OH, & GENERAL OPERATIONS
IMMEDIATE IMPACT GRANT TO PROVIDE FOOD AS A RESULT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN CANTON, OH, & GENERAL OPERATIONS
MASSILLON PUBLIC LIBRARY
$50,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
GENERAL OPERATIONS & GRANTS FUNDS TO BE USED IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY
GENERAL OPERATIONS & GRANTS FUNDS TO BE USED IN WESTERN STARK COUNTY