What kinds of organizations does The James J and Joan a Gardner Family Foundation support?

Its active programs prioritize 501(c)(3) nonprofits working in education, health care, faith-based organizations, pro-life initiatives, and poverty or underserved communities. Recent grants also show sustained support for higher education, pediatric medicine, charter school improvement, and Cincinnati cultural and conservation institutions.

Does the foundation make multi-year grants?

Yes. The active grant programs say multi-year requests may be considered, and the recent grants list shows repeated awards to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, including Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the University of Cincinnati Foundation, and Accelerate Great Schools.

What is a typical grant size?

The foundation’s typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $71,250 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger awards, so the portfolio ranges from modest competitive grants to major institutional commitments.

Can organizations outside Cincinnati apply?

The active grant programs give highest priority to organizations in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and the communities where the Trustees live. Some program language also allows other locations to be considered under special circumstances, but the foundation’s recent giving is overwhelmingly centered on Cincinnati and Ohio.

What does the recent grant record say about geography?

Ohio is the top state by grant count, with 64% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, and many grants go to Cincinnati organizations such as the University of Cincinnati Foundation, Cincinnati Works Inc, and the Zoological Society of Cincinnati.

James J and Joan A Gardner Family Foundation

Name: James J and Joan A Gardner Family Foundation — grants, 990 financials & funding data
Creator: Kindora

ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism

CINCINNATI, OHWebsite5134591085

About James J and Joan A Gardner Family Foundation

The Gardner Family Foundation concentrates its giving locally in the Cincinnati area, prioritizing large institutional investments in health, higher education, K–12 school improvement, and cultural/animal conservation. Most of its dollars go to a small set of repeat grantees—major civic institutions and education organizations—suggesting a strategy of sustained, high-impact support rather than many small grants. The foundation’s pattern indicates a focus on strengthening local infrastructure (medical care/research, university programs, charter school growth, and the zoo) that benefits the Greater Cincinnati community.

Focus Areas

Pediatric healthcare and medical research at Cincinnati Children’s HospitalUniversity of Cincinnati research, campus initiatives, and higher education capacityCharter school expansion and K–12 school improvement (Accelerate Great Schools)Zoo and botanical garden operations, conservation, and public education (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)

Giving Approach

Concentrated, high-value grants to a small number of repeat local institutions—multiple large gifts to flagship organizations rather than many small or one-off awards.

Notable grantees: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati Foundation, Accelerate Great Schools, Zoological Society of Cincinnati (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden)

About James J and Joan A Gardner Family Foundation

The James J and Joan a Gardner Family Foundation’s recent grantmaking is defined by repeated large commitments to Cincinnati institutions, especially Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the University of Cincinnati Foundation, and Accelerate Great Schools. Those grants sit in the high six- and seven-figure range and recur across multiple years, signaling a pattern of sustained support rather than one-time awards. The foundation also backs the city’s civic and community infrastructure through organizations such as the Zoological Society of Cincinnati, Great Parks Forever, and the Cincinnati Museum Center, reflecting a portfolio centered on health, education, conservation, and local quality of life. Several of its largest awards go to organizations that operate at institutional scale. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center received major gifts in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while the University of Cincinnati Foundation appears with substantial support in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Accelerate Great Schools also shows up repeatedly, indicating that K–12 school improvement is not an occasional theme but a continuing area of attention. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s giving reads as concentrated and multi-year, with Cincinnati-based nonprofits accounting for much of the activity.

What James J and Joan A Gardner Family Foundation Funds

In pediatric healthcare and medical research, the foundation supported Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center with multiple large grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025. In higher education and research, it gave to the University of Cincinnati Foundation in three consecutive years, including a $1,375,000 grant in 2023 and $875,000 grants in 2024 and 2025. Education is another clear thread. Accelerate Great Schools received several awards, including $1,637,200 in 2023, $698,560 in 2024, $664,240 in 2025, and $177,975 in 2025, showing ongoing support for charter school expansion and school improvement. The foundation also funded St Xavier High School and Xavier Jesuit Academy, both in Cincinnati. Outside education and health, the foundation supported the Zoological Society of Cincinnati and Great Parks Forever, along with Cincinnati Museum Center, pointing to grants for conservation, parks, and public education.

How James J and Joan A Gardner Family Foundation Gives

Financial Snapshot

Annual Giving

$8.7M

Total Assets

$84.2M

Total Revenue

$20M

Total Expenses

$9.8M

Typical Grant Size

Most grants fall between $10K and $71K, with a median of $25K.

25th Percentile

$10K

Median

$25K

75th Percentile

$71K

Geographic Reach

Regional19 states funded

Funding intensity

Low

High

Headquarters

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Recipient	Location	Amount	Year	Purpose
CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER	CINCINNATI, OH	$1,500,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI FOUNDATION	CINCINNATI, OH	$875,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF CINCINNATI (CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN)	CINCINNATI, OH	$800,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
ACCELERATE GREAT SCHOOLS	CINCINNATI, OH	$664,240	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
GREAT PARKS FOREVER	CINCINNATI, OH	$500,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
MARY MAGDALEN FOUNDATION INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$300,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
XAVIER JESUIT ACADEMY	CINCINNATI, OH	$250,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
ACCELERATE GREAT SCHOOLS	CINCINNATI, OH	$177,975	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
CINCINNATI WORKS INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$150,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
KENZIE'S CLOSET	CINCINNATI, OH	$150,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
LUKE 5 ADVENTURES	MASON, OH	$145,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
TRI-STATE TRAILS	CINCINNATI, OH	$125,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR OHIO PROVINCE	CINCINNATI, OH	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
ST XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL	CINCINNATI, OH	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
VALLEY HOPE ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION	NORTON, KS	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CONNECTION	GRANBY, CO	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP INC	WASHINGTON, DC	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
CAPTAINS FOR CLEAN WATER INC	FORT MYERS, FL	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
CATHOLIC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (CLI)	MALVERN, PA	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
THE CHILDREN'S THEATRE OF CINCINNATI	CINCINNATI, OH	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
PROKIDS	CINCINNATI, OH	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
SANTA MARIA COMMUNITY SERVICES	CINCINNATI, OH	$100,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
CINCINNATI MUSEUM ASSOCIATION (CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM)	CINCINNATI, OH	$83,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE OF GREATER CINCINNATI	CINCINNATI, OH	$75,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
LIVING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED INC (LADD)	CINCINNATI, OH	$70,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
PREGNANCY RESOURCE CONNECTION	GRANBY, CO	$60,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
SAINT PAUL'S OUTREACH	MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIES	BLUE ASH, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
CONSERVATION COLORADO EDUCATION FUND	DENVER, CO	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
CORAL RESTORATION FOUNDATION	TAVERNIER, FL	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
GOD'S LOVE WE DELIVER INC	NEW YORK, NY	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
ISPACE INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
SAMARITAN'S PURSE	BOONE, NC	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
LA SOUPE INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
BETHANY HOUSE SERVICES INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
FREESTORE FOODBANK INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE OF GREATER CINCINNATI	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
AMERICAN RED CROSS	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
FOCUS POINTS FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER	DENVER, CO	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF OHIO KENTUCKY AND INDIANA	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF CINCINNATI (CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN)	CINCINNATI, OH	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
JEFFERSON COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION	WHEAT RIDGE, CO	$50,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
THE ANGELICO PROJECT	LAKESIDE PARK, KY	$40,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
LOWCOUNTRY LAND TRUST INC	CHARLESTON, SC	$38,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
LITERACY NETWORK OF GREATER CINCINNATI DBA QUEEN CITY BOOK BANK	CINCINNATI, OH	$30,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
TENDER MERCIES INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$30,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
ISPACE INC	CINCINNATI, OH	$30,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
VALLEY HOPE ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION	NORTON, KS	$30,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
PORTER-GAUD SCHOOL (O'QUINN SCHOOL OF MOUNT PLEASANT)	CHARLESTON, SC	$26,000	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
REVIV FAMILY SUPPORT FOUNDATION (FORMERLY VIVIAN'S VICTORY INC)	CINCINNATI, OH	$25,200	2025	EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION

Recipient

Location

Amount

Year

Purpose

CINCINNATI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER

CINCINNATI, OH

$1,500,000

2025