The Schmetterling Foundation concentrates its giving on faith‑based education and direct human services, favoring large, mission‑driven awards that support school capital/scholarship needs and recovery or youth development programs. Grants combine capital and scholarship investments in Catholic and higher education with sizable unrestricted operating support for service organizations, indicating a preference for both building institutional capacity and funding front‑line program delivery.
A $1,000,000 grant to San Juan Diego Catholic High School for a second-floor fund is the clearest signal of The Schmetterling Foundation’s priorities: it backs Catholic education at a scale that reaches capital projects, scholarships, and operating support. The same pattern appears across other higher-education and school awards, where the foundation pairs building needs with student aid rather than limiting itself to one form of support. The funder also gives in ways that extend beyond classrooms. It has supported recovery services, youth development, and community-facing nonprofit work, including a substantial unrestricted award to Into Action Recovery Inc. and a major grant to the Young Mens Christian Association for its Four Points YMCA Tomorrow Academy. Those gifts show a willingness to fund both institutional capacity and direct program delivery. Its grantmaking is not narrowly local. With national reach and a regular-funder structure, the foundation shows up in education, human services, and selected community programs through grants that are often large enough to matter for capital, scholarship, or operating needs. The mix of faith-based schooling, recovery work, and youth programming defines the foundation’s public profile.
Catholic secondary education is a central theme. The foundation gave $600,000 to San Juan Diego Catholic High School for operating, capital, and scholarship funds, and later backed the same school with a $1,000,000 second-floor fund. Higher education also appears in the portfolio. Calumet College received $400,000 for capital and scholarship support, while Rose-hulman Institute of Technology received $100,000 for Rose Hulman Ventures and another $50,000 for the same purpose. Outside education, the foundation supports recovery and youth development. It awarded $750,000 in general and unrestricted support to Into Action Recovery Inc. and $750,000 to the Young Mens Christian Association for Four Points YMCA Tomorrow Academy. Smaller grants extend to public-benefit organizations such as Make-a-wish Foundation of America, National Womens Law Center, and American Civil Liberties Union Foundation Inc. These gifts show a broader but still selective pattern of support.
Typical grants cluster tightly around $5,000 to $10,000, with a p25 of $5,000, median of $10,000, and p75 of $10,000. That said, the foundation also makes occasional seven-figure commitments, so its distribution includes a small number of very large awards alongside many smaller grants. The record shows repeat support across multiple years for several recipients, including San Juan Diego Catholic High School, Austin Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society, Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc, and Rose-hulman Institute of Technology. The Schmetterling Foundation is a regular funder and funds individuals, but no application process is shown in the data.
$2.3M
$43M
$3.9M
$2.9M
Most grants fall between $5K and $10K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in IN.
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Concentrated, high‑dollar grants (five grants totaling $3.5M) with a mix of repeat funding to a flagship grantee and several single, sizable awards; combines capital/capitalized scholarship gifts with large unrestricted operating grants.
Notable grantees: San Juan Diego Catholic High School, Into Action Recovery Inc, Young Men’s Christian Association (Four Points YMCA Tomorrow Academy), Calumet College
The foundation gives nationally, with all listed grants going to U.S. recipients. Indiana stands out as the top state by grant count, and several recent awards went to Indianapolis, Whiting, Terre Haute, New Castle, North Vernon, and Austin, Texas among others. The HQ state, Delaware, received 0% of grants in the data provided. Recent recipient locations also include Brookfield, Illinois; Austin and Tewksbury, Massachusetts; and Phoenix, Arizona. This spread suggests a multi-state grant pattern rather than a single-region strategy.
The foundation’s recent grants emphasize Catholic secondary education, higher education, recovery services, and youth development. Named recipients include San Juan Diego Catholic High School, Calumet College, Into Action Recovery Inc., and the Young Mens Christian Association for Four Points YMCA Tomorrow Academy.
Yes. The data shows repeat giving to several recipients across multiple years, including San Juan Diego Catholic High School, Austin Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society, Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc, and Rose-hulman Institute of Technology.
The middle of the distribution is relatively compact: p25 is $5,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $10,000. The foundation also makes much larger grants, including awards of $750,000 and $1,000,000.
Indiana is the top state by grant count. Recent Indiana recipients include Calumet College in Whiting, Rose-hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indianapolis Zoological Society Inc in Indianapolis, and Ibca Indiana All Stars Inc in North Vernon.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, and the grant record includes scholarship-oriented support such as the Pinki Michael Hutchins Scholarship fund at Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION | AUSTIN, TX | $750,000 | 2026 | Four Points YMCA Tomorrow Academy |
| CHILDRENS HOSPITAL MEDICAL CENTER | CINCINNATI, OH | $500,000 | 2026 | for the outdoor space |
| CALUMET COLLEGE | WHITING, IN | $500,000 | 2026 | Capital campaign |
| MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF AMERICA | PHOENIX, AZ | $200,000 | 2026 | The Olivia Colleen Starblazer Award |
| CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY | BROOKFIELD, IL | $50,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| INDIANAPOLIS ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | Entrance enhancement project |
| ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| IBCA INDIANA ALL STARS INC | NORTH VERNON, IN | $40,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY INC | GREENWOOD, IN | $35,000 | 2026 | STEM program funding |
| ST JUDE CATHOLIC CHURCH INDIANAPOLIS INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $32,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| AUSTIN ZOO | AUSTIN, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $20,000 | 2026 | For GRTV's digital archive |
| GEM SESSIONS FOUNDATION INC | MCCORDSVILLE, IN | $19,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| PARTNERS IN HEALTH A NONPROFIT CORPORATION | FREDERICK, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2026 | For WYCE Fall Fund Drive |
| CLAGETT SAILING | PORTSMOUTH, RI | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SIGMA ALPHA MU FOUNDATION | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FRIENDS OF THE FOREST HILLS PARK ASSOCIATION | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | For WYCE to upgrade the Shift Editor software |
| Morristown Jr-Sr High School | Morristown, IN | $2,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| Noblesville High School | Noblesville, IN | $2,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION | AUSTIN, TX | $750,000 | 2025 | Four Points YMCA Tomorrow Academy |
| INTO ACTION RECOVERY INC | TEWKSBURY, MA | $750,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $100,000 | 2025 | Rose Hulman Ventures |
| NATIONS OF COACHES INC | DECATUR, AL | $100,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| AUSTIN ZOO | AUSTIN, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | TERRE HAUTE, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | Rose Hulman Ventures |
| CHICAGO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY | BROOKFIELD, IL | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| INDIANAPOLIS ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SPORTS REACH INC | CAMPBELLSVLLE, KY | $45,000 | 2025 | To support basketball trip to Columbia |
| INDIANAPOLIS ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $35,000 | 2025 | Butterflies at the Indianapolis Zoo |
| IBCA INDIANA ALL STARS INC | NORTH VERNON, IN | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION OF AMERICA | PHOENIX, AZ | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PHILMONT STAFF ASSOCIATION INC | CIMARRON, NM | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| LITERACY CENTER OF WEST MICHIGAN | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PANCREATIC CANCER ACTION NETWORK INC | EL SEGUNDO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| LAST PRISONER PROJECT | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PARTNERS IN HEALTH A NONPROFIT CORPORATION | FREDERICK, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HEADBANG FOR SCIENCE INC | COSTA MESA, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE EDUCATION FUND | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| PACERS BASKETBALL CORP FOUNDATION INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $8,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ST JUDE CATHOLIC CHURCH INDIANAPOLIS INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SAILING ANGELS FOUNDATION | HOUSTON, TX | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NATIONAL WOMENS LAW CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
CALUMET COLLEGE
$500,000Capital campaign
Entrance enhancement project
ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$50,000General & Unrestricted
IBCA INDIANA ALL STARS INC
$40,000General & Unrestricted
GREENWOOD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY INC
$35,000STEM program funding
ST JUDE CATHOLIC CHURCH INDIANAPOLIS INC
$32,000General & Unrestricted
AUSTIN ZOO
$25,000General & Unrestricted
GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER
$20,000For GRTV's digital archive
GEM SESSIONS FOUNDATION INC
$19,000General & Unrestricted
GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER
$10,000General & Unrestricted
GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER
$10,000For WYCE Fall Fund Drive
CLAGETT SAILING
$5,000General & Unrestricted
SIGMA ALPHA MU FOUNDATION
$5,000General & Unrestricted
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
$5,000General & Unrestricted
FRIENDS OF THE FOREST HILLS PARK ASSOCIATION
$5,000General & Unrestricted
GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER
$5,000For WYCE to upgrade the Shift Editor software
Morristown Jr-Sr High School
$2,000General & Unrestricted
Noblesville High School
$2,000General & Unrestricted
INTO ACTION RECOVERY INC
$750,000General & Unrestricted
ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$100,000Rose Hulman Ventures
AUSTIN ZOO
$50,000General & Unrestricted
ROSE-HULMAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$50,000Rose Hulman Ventures
SPORTS REACH INC
$45,000To support basketball trip to Columbia
IBCA INDIANA ALL STARS INC
$30,000General & Unrestricted
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY
$10,000General & Unrestricted
PHILMONT STAFF ASSOCIATION INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
HEADBANG FOR SCIENCE INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
ST JUDE CATHOLIC CHURCH INDIANAPOLIS INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
SAILING ANGELS FOUNDATION
$5,000General & Unrestricted
GRAND RAPIDS CABLE ACCESS CENTER
$5,000General & Unrestricted