The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges connects donors and partners with students in need, positively impacting Ohio’s economic engine.
The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ recent grantmaking is anchored by scholarships to member campuses, with awards ranging from individual student support to campus-level unrestricted funding. Several of its largest recent grants went to the University of Southern Indiana, Purdue University, and Cedarville University, showing a mix of Ohio and neighboring-state recipients within its regional scope. The foundation also supports institutions across Ohio such as Franklin University, Baldwin Wallace University, and Oberlin College through scholarship awards. Its work is closely tied to student access and completion at independent colleges and universities. Beyond direct scholarship support, the foundation backs campus programs through grants that can include unrestricted support alongside scholarship funds. The pattern visible in the recent grants list shows repeated awards to the same institutions across multiple years, suggesting ongoing relationships rather than isolated one-time gifts. The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges also operates programs that extend beyond grant checks, including scholarship management and campus-based initiatives connected to career readiness, internships, and diversity programming. That mix places it at the intersection of tuition assistance, student services, and campus support for member colleges.
Scholarship support is the clearest thread in the foundation’s recent grantmaking. It gave $82,777 to Cedarville University for scholarships in 2024, and followed with $76,677 in 2025 for the same purpose. Similar awards went to Franklin University for scholarships and unrestricted support, including $78,078 in 2024 and $57,662 in 2025. The foundation also funds student access through broader campus support. Baldwin Wallace University received $72,379 in 2024 for scholarships and unrestricted support, while John Carroll University received $61,907 in 2024 for the same type of award. Another recurring theme is institutional support for independent colleges, with awards that help campuses manage student financial aid and scholarship activity. Beyond scholarship aid, the foundation supports student development programming. Its active portfolio includes a career-readiness initiative, internship programs, and a diversity campus grants program tied to member campuses in Ohio.
$2.8M
$8.8M
$5.4M
$5M
Most grants fall between $11K and $44K, with a median of $26K.
25th Percentile
$11K
Median
$26K
75th Percentile
$44K
WILLIAM SPIKER
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Typical grant size sits at a p25 of $10,717, a median of $25,631, and a p75 of $43,527. The recent grants list shows a pattern of recurring awards to the same colleges over multiple years, including repeated support for institutions such as Cedarville University, Franklin University, Baldwin Wallace University, and John Carroll University. That suggests ongoing institutional relationships rather than one-off grants. The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges is a nonprofit foundation that makes award-based grants and administers scholarship-related support for students at member colleges and universities. It does not fund individuals directly outside its scholarship framework, and several active programs accept unsolicited submissions, including scholarship management and career-readiness initiatives. Other campus grants, such as diversity programming, are invitation-based.
Grant recipients are overwhelmingly in the United States, and 54% of grants go to recipients in Ohio. The top state by grant count is Wisconsin, while the recent grants list also shows multiple awards to Indiana institutions, including the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville and Purdue University in West Lafayette. Within Ohio, recurring recipient cities include Columbus, Berea, Cleveland, Granville, and Cedarville, showing a broad spread across the state rather than concentration in one metro area.
Its active programs include scholarship management, a statewide scholarship program, internship initiatives, a career-readiness program, and campus diversity grants. The recent grants list also shows awards for scholarships and unrestricted support to independent colleges and universities.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers around a p25 of $10,717, a median of $25,631, and a p75 of $43,527. Some active programs are fixed at $2,500 for Inspiration Diversity Campus Grants, while scholarship awards can run much larger through the Ohio Scholars Program.
Yes. Several colleges appear across multiple years in the recent grants list. Cedarville University, Franklin University, Baldwin Wallace University, John Carroll University, and Purdue University all received repeated awards in 2023, 2024, or 2025.
Ohio is the main recipient state, with 54% of grants going there. Recent grant recipients include Columbus, Cedarville, Berea, Cleveland, Granville, and Evansville, and the top state by grant count is Wisconsin.
It operates programs tied to internships and career readiness, including TalentedU, Regional Rising Talent, and the Non-Profit Internship Program. It also administers scholarships through Scholarship Management and supports campus-based diversity programming through Inspiration Diversity Campus Grants.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Designed for initiatives at OFIC member campuses. The grants support successful existing programs or the launch of new initiatives addressing diversity, inclusion, access, and equity.
Deadline: Submissions are described as now open; no specific deadline is stated in the scraped content.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KENYON COLLEGE | GAMBIER, OH | $185,371 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| DENISON UNIVERSITY | GRANVILLE, OH | $179,560 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| OBERLIN COLLEGE | OBERLINE, OH | $147,117 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER | WOOSTER, OH | $120,035 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY | WETERVILLE, OH | $95,536 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $92,822 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY | CEDARVILLE, OH | $90,971 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY | WEST LAYAYETTE, IN | $83,831 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| LAKE ERIE COLLEGE | PAINESVILLE, OH | $77,311 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY | CLEVELAND, OH | $69,497 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY | ADA, OH | $67,630 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY | BEREA, OH | $66,004 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION | ALLIANCE, OH | $60,846 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY | FINDLAY, OH | $57,312 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| TIFFIN UNIVERSITY | TIFFIN, OH | $56,653 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| ASHLAND UNIVERSITY | ASHLAND, OH | $55,592 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY | MT VERNON, OH | $52,482 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CAPITAL UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $52,079 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| WALSH UNIVERSITY | NORTH CANTON, OH | $51,636 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| MUSKINGUM UNIVERSITY | NEW CONCORD, OH | $49,654 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| MARIETTA COLLEGE | MARIETTA, OH | $47,957 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY | SPRINGFIELD, OH | $47,265 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY | TIFFIN, OH | $44,268 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| URSULINE COLLEGE | PEPPER PIKE, OH | $43,417 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| WILMINGTON COLLEGE | WILMINGTON, OH | $43,391 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| BLUFFTON UNIVERSITY | BLUFFTON, OH | $42,767 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| HIRAM COLLEGE | HIRAM, OH | $42,397 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| MALONE UNIVERSITY | CANTON, OH | $41,480 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $41,436 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| LOURDES UNIVERSITY | SYLVANIA, OH | $40,314 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| DEFIANCE COLLEGE | DEFIANCE, OH | $37,391 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY | COLUMBUS, OH | $31,979 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY | YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $29,919 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI | CINCINNATI, OH | $26,112 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $25,200 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY | NORMAL, IL | $19,200 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | CHICAGO, IL | $17,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| BRATTLEBORO UNION HIGH SCHOOL | BRATTLEBORO, VT | $16,620 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS | SHREWSBURY, MA | $16,323 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| HOLYOKE HIGH SCHOOL | HOLYOKE, MA | $14,826 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $13,120 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| BALL STATE UNIVERSITY | MUNCIE, IN | $12,695 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $11,728 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING | MILWAUKEE, WI | $11,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| MURRAY STATE UNIVERSITY | MURRAY, KY | $10,846 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $10,750 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY | ST LOUIS, MO | $10,562 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY KOKOMO | KOKOMO, IN | $10,253 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| CUYAHOGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE | CLEVELAND, OH | $10,229 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY | RIVER FORST, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIP |
FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY
SCHOLARSHIP
CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY
$90,971SCHOLARSHIP
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
$83,831SCHOLARSHIP
BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY
$66,004SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION
$60,846SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY
$57,312SCHOLARSHIP
TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
$56,653SCHOLARSHIP
ASHLAND UNIVERSITY
$55,592SCHOLARSHIP
MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
$52,482SCHOLARSHIP
WALSH UNIVERSITY
$51,636SCHOLARSHIP
MARIETTA COLLEGE
$47,957SCHOLARSHIP
WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY
$47,265SCHOLARSHIP
HEIDELBERG UNIVERSITY
$44,268SCHOLARSHIP
URSULINE COLLEGE
$43,417SCHOLARSHIP
BLUFFTON UNIVERSITY
$42,767SCHOLARSHIP
HIRAM COLLEGE
$42,397SCHOLARSHIP
OHIO DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
$41,436SCHOLARSHIP
LOURDES UNIVERSITY
$40,314SCHOLARSHIP
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
$31,979SCHOLARSHIP
YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY
$29,919SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
$26,112SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO
$25,200SCHOLARSHIP
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
$19,200SCHOLARSHIP
ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$17,000SCHOLARSHIP
BRATTLEBORO UNION HIGH SCHOOL
$16,620SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS
$16,323SCHOLARSHIP
HOLYOKE HIGH SCHOOL
$14,826SCHOLARSHIP
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$13,120SCHOLARSHIP
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY
$12,695SCHOLARSHIP
INDIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
$11,728SCHOLARSHIP
INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
$10,750SCHOLARSHIP
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY
$10,562SCHOLARSHIP
INDIANA UNIVERSITY KOKOMO
$10,253SCHOLARSHIP
DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY
$10,000SCHOLARSHIP
