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    5. Portage Foundation
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    Portage Foundation

    ActiveHealth Care
    KENT, OHWebsite3304708950

    About Portage Foundation

    The Portage Foundation is building a thriving and dynamic community for Portage County and the region. We inspire philanthropy, build endowments, impact causes and foster projects, and engage community leaders.

    Focus Areas

    Animal WelfareArts & CultureChildren's ServicesEconomic DevelopmentEducationEnvironmentHealthHuman ServicesScholarships

    Funding Style

    unrestricted supportgeneral operating supportflexible/multi-purpose fundingshort-term/one-time support

    About Portage Foundation

    The Portage Foundation’s recent giving shows a strong local pattern: every grant in the latest file went to Ohio recipients, with the largest awards going to Aurora Community Relief Program and Aurora Schools Foundation. That mix points to a funder supporting both immediate community needs and longer-term civic capacity across Portage County and nearby service areas. The foundation gives through multiple channels. Its active programs include competitive general grants, education funding, scholarships, and a rapid-response fund for urgent food insecurity needs. The recent list also includes support for arts, youth programming, human services, and community initiatives, suggesting a broad community foundation model rather than a single-issue approach. Several awards are general-use grants, indicating flexibility in how recipient organizations can direct the money. Smaller named scholarship funds sit alongside larger nonprofit grants, which places The Portage Foundation in both institutional and individual student support. The presence of programs for high school seniors, college students, trade candidates, and doctoral candidates shows that education funding is a recurring part of its work, not an occasional add-on.

    What Portage Foundation Funds

    Education is a major line of work for The Portage Foundation. The Portage Foundation Fund for Education supports programs and nonprofit organizations that address educational needs across all age levels in Portage County, including children’s literacy, STEM, and adult and veteran programming. Its scholarship programs extend that support to high school seniors, college students, trade candidates, and doctoral candidates. Community relief is another clear theme. The Rapid Response Fund is designed for nonprofits helping Portage County residents facing urgent food insecurity needs, especially through food pantry services. The foundation also funds arts and community activity. Recent general-use support includes Aurora Community Theatre, Main Street Ravenna, and Kiwanis Club of Ravenna, showing that cultural programming and local civic life are both part of its grantmaking. Animal welfare and youth-focused work also appear in its stated focus areas.

    How Portage Foundation Gives

    The Portage Foundation’s typical grant size sits at $11,250 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $32,750 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also shows a wider spread, from five-figure operating support to a $100,000 award. Many grants are labeled general use, which fits its stated philosophy of unrestricted, flexible, short-term support. The foundation appears to use both recurring programs and one-off awards. Its active menu includes annual grants, scholarships, a rapid-response fund, and named endowed scholarship funds, all of which are open to applicants. Applications for the annual competitive cycle are reviewed by the Grants and Scholarships Committee. The structure suggests a community foundation with endowed funds and an active grantmaking program rather than a donor-advised or program-related investing model.

    Financial Snapshot

    Annual Giving

    $20K

    Total Assets

    $7.8M

    Total Revenue

    $527K

    Total Expenses

    $331K

    Typical Grant Size

    Most grants fall between $11K and $33K, with a median of $15K.

    25th Percentile

    $11K

    Median

    $15K

    75th Percentile

    $33K

    Geographic Reach

    Local1 state funded
    Funding intensity
    Low
    High
    Headquarters

    Leadership

    JANICE SIMMONS-MORTIMER

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    Privacy PolicyTerms of ServiceSystem Status
    EIN (Tax ID): 34-1176817Latest Form 990: 2025Total assets: $7.8M3 filings on recordFind their full 990 filing →
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    Topics

    organizational capacityadministrative and overhead costsprogram generalist supportinfrastructure and core functions

    Where Portage Foundation Makes Grants

    The Portage Foundation’s giving is entirely in Ohio in the available record, and its grantmaking is concentrated in Portage County and nearby communities. Recent recipients include Aurora, Northfield, Mantua, Brecksville, Ravenna, Canton, Warren, and Kent. Aurora appears repeatedly in the recent grants list, while Ravenna shows up more than once as well. The distribution reflects a local Ohio footprint rather than multi-state or national giving.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Portage Foundation

    What kinds of programs does The Portage Foundation fund most often?

    Its active programs cover education, scholarships, general nonprofit grants, and crisis response. The foundation also lists focus areas that include animal welfare, arts and culture, children’s services, economic development, environment, health, and human services.

    Does The Portage Foundation support scholarships?

    Yes. It awards scholarships from multiple endowed funds to Portage County students, including high school seniors and college students. The scholarship programs also include trade and doctoral candidates, and the foundation says it awards over $60,000 in scholarships annually.

    How does The Portage Foundation make grants?

    It offers several open programs, including annual grants, a main grant cycle, education funding, and a rapid-response fund. The annual competitive grant program is reviewed by the Grants and Scholarships Committee, and the foundation lists these programs as accepting unsolicited applications.

    What is a typical grant size from The Portage Foundation?

    The typical grant size is $11,250 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $32,750 at the 75th percentile. Some named scholarship awards are smaller, such as $200 to $2,500, while one recent general-use grant reached $100,000.

    Where does The Portage Foundation give?

    Its giving is local and entirely in Ohio in the latest record. Recent grantees are located in Aurora, Northfield, Mantua, Brecksville, Ravenna, Canton, Warren, and Kent, with the strongest concentration in Portage County and nearby communities.

    Latest 990 Filing

    2025

    Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.

    Open Grant Opportunities

    Current and upcoming funding from Portage Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.

    Open nowCloses in 19 days (Aug 31, 2026)Award: $1K – $5K

    Annual Community Grants (Portage Foundation Grants Cycle)

    Animal WelfareArts and CultureChildren's Programs+5 more

    Who can apply: Organizations must be located in or provide services to residents of Portage County; grant seekers outside Portage County must provide information on services provided and individuals served in Portage County. Grants are made only to IRS 501(c)(3) charities. Prior reporting requirements must be fulfilled before applying. The foundation gives slight priority to smaller nonprofits and those not awarded in both of the past two consecutive years.

    Deadline: Annual open call July 15 through August 31; awards announced around November 1.

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    Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.

    Recent Grants

    Most recent grants reported to the IRS.

    RecipientLocationAmountYearPurpose
    AURORA COMMUNITY RELIEF PROGRAMAURORA, OH$10,0002025GENERAL USE
    TREE CITY CATSKENT, OH$10,0002025GENERAL USE
    AURORA COMMUNITY RELIEF PROGRAMAURORA, OH$100,0002024GENERAL USE
    AURORA SCHOOLS FOUNDATIONAURORA, OH$50,0002024GENERAL USE
    BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHTNORTHFIELD, OH$40,5002024GENERAL USE
    CRESTWOOD 4C'SMANTUA, OH$25,0002024GENERAL USE
    GIRLS ON THE RUN OF GREATER SUMMITBRECKSVILLE, OH$22,0002024GENERAL USE
    AURORA COMMUNITY THEATREAURORA, OH$15,0002024GENERAL USE
    MAIN STREET RAVENNARAVENNA, OH$15,0002024GENERAL USE
    KIWANIS CLUB OF RAVENNARAVENNA, OH$12,5002024GENERAL USE
    JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF NORTH CENTRAL OHIOCANTON, OH$10,0002024GENERAL USE
    NORTHEAST OHIO ADOPTION SERVICESWARREN, OH$9,3422024GENERAL USE
    HAYMAKER FARMERS MARKETKENT, OH$5,6642024GENERAL USE
    CENTRAL OHIO SADDLE CLUBSTREETSBORO, OH$57,6632023GENERAL USE
    PORTAGE MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATIONRAVENNA, OH$10,0142023GENERAL USE
    AURORA CITY SCHOOLSAURORA, OH$8,5912023GENERAL USE
    FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICESRAVENNA, OH$6,7472023GENERAL USE

    AURORA COMMUNITY RELIEF PROGRAM

    $10,000
    AURORA, OH2025

    GENERAL USE

    TREE CITY CATS

    $10,000
    KENT, OH2025

    GENERAL USE

    AURORA COMMUNITY RELIEF PROGRAM

    $100,000
    AURORA, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    AURORA SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

    $50,000
    AURORA, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT

    $40,500
    NORTHFIELD, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    CRESTWOOD 4C'S

    $25,000
    MANTUA, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    GIRLS ON THE RUN OF GREATER SUMMIT

    $22,000
    BRECKSVILLE, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    AURORA COMMUNITY THEATRE

    $15,000
    AURORA, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    MAIN STREET RAVENNA

    $15,000
    RAVENNA, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    KIWANIS CLUB OF RAVENNA

    $12,500
    RAVENNA, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF NORTH CENTRAL OHIO

    $10,000
    CANTON, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    NORTHEAST OHIO ADOPTION SERVICES

    $9,342
    WARREN, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    HAYMAKER FARMERS MARKET

    $5,664
    KENT, OH2024

    GENERAL USE

    CENTRAL OHIO SADDLE CLUB

    $57,663
    STREETSBORO, OH2023

    GENERAL USE

    PORTAGE MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION

    $10,014
    RAVENNA, OH2023

    GENERAL USE

    AURORA CITY SCHOOLS

    $8,591
    AURORA, OH2023

    GENERAL USE

    FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES

    $6,747
    RAVENNA, OH2023

    GENERAL USE