The Waddell Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on local Marion-area civic and heritage institutions, with a dominant emphasis on historical preservation and programming alongside targeted support for local healthcare. Most dollars flow to a small set of repeat grantees—particularly the Ohio Historical Society—indicating a focus on sustaining longstanding community cultural assets and essential services in Marion County.
Concentrated, repeat funding: a majority of funds go to a handful of recurring local grantees (large multi-grant support to a flagship historical organization), with smaller targeted grants to civic health and redevelopment projects.
The Waddell Foundation’s most visible pattern is sustained support for Marion County heritage institutions, especially the Ohio Historical Society and Marion County Fed Womens. In 2025, the foundation gave $30,000 and $25,000 to the Ohio Historical Society, and another $25,000 to Marion County Fed Womens, reinforcing a grantmaking profile centered on local history, preservation, and community memory. That pattern is repeated across prior years as well, with multiple awards to the same organizations rather than a wide spread of one-off gifts. The foundation also backs local health and senior-serving organizations. Marion General Hospital Foundation appears repeatedly in the recent grants list with $20,000 awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while senior-focused groups such as New Vision Senior Group, Marion Senior Center, and Pleasant Senior Center each received $5,000 grants. Smaller awards also reach arts and civic life, including Marion Palace Theatre and community-based senior programs in Marion, Caledonia, and Prospect. The overall picture is of a local funder supporting recurring civic, heritage, health, and older-adult services in Marion County and nearby Ohio communities.
Historical preservation is a clear anchor in the Waddell Foundation’s giving. The Ohio Historical Society received multiple grants across 2023 through 2025, including $30,000 in 2025 and $25,000 awards in both 2023 and 2024, showing repeated support for regional history work. A second area is women’s history and county heritage. Marion County Fed Womens received $25,000 in 2025, $21,200 in 2024, and $12,500 in 2023, indicating continued funding for a local historical organization rather than a one-time project. Health and older-adult services are another theme. Marion General Hospital Foundation received $20,000 grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation also funded senior service providers, including Axess Pointe for $10,000 and Family and Community Services for $5,000, along with local senior centers.
The typical grant size is small-to-mid scale, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $20,000. That distribution matches a pattern of many $5,000 awards alongside repeated $20,000 and $25,000 commitments. The grants list also shows multi-year repetition to several recipients, suggesting ongoing support rather than isolated gifts. Waddell Foundation is a private foundation, not an individual-giving vehicle, and it does not make program-related investments.
$465K
$4.7M
$262K
$231K
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in OH.
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Notable grantees: Ohio Historical Society, Marion General Hospital Foundation, Marion County Fed Womens, Marion County Land Reutilization
Grantmaking is local and entirely within Ohio: 100% of grants in the recent data went to recipients in the HQ state. Marion is the most visible recipient city, with multiple awards to Marion-based organizations. Columbus also appears repeatedly through the Ohio Historical Society and Life Care Alliance. Other Ohio recipient cities include Caledonia, Ravenna, Delaware, Prospect, and Green Camp, showing a county-centered footprint with some nearby regional reach.
The foundation supports historical preservation and local heritage groups, health-related organizations, and senior-serving programs. Recent grants include repeated funding for the Ohio Historical Society and Marion County Fed Womens, along with Marion General Hospital Foundation and several senior centers and senior service providers.
Typical awards are modest: the grant-size distribution is p25 $5,000, median $5,000, and p75 $20,000. Recent examples show many $5,000 gifts, with larger recurring grants at $20,000 and $25,000.
Yes. The recipient country distribution shows 42 grants to US organizations, and 100% of recent grants went to recipients in Ohio. Recent recipient cities include Marion, Columbus, Caledonia, Ravenna, Delaware, Prospect, and Green Camp.
Yes. Several organizations appear across multiple years, including the Ohio Historical Society, Marion County Fed Womens, and Marion General Hospital Foundation. The recurring pattern suggests ongoing support for a small set of local institutions.
History and preservation are prominent, but the list also shows support for senior services, hospital-related health work, and community redevelopment. Examples include senior centers, a hospital foundation, and a land reutilization organization.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY | COLUMBUS, OH | $30,000 | 2025 | HISTORICAL |
| OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | HISTORICAL |
| MARION COUNTY FED WOMENS | MARION, OH | $25,000 | 2025 | HISTORICAL |
| MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | MARION, OH | $20,000 | 2025 | HEALTH |
| MLS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES | DELAWARE, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | REUTILIZATION |
| AXESS POINTE | RAVENNA, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| LIFE CARE ALLIANCE | COLUMBUS, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | HEALTH & NUTRITION |
| CALEDONIA SENIOR CENTER | CALEDONIA, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| GREEN CAMP SENIOR CENTER | GREEN CAMP, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| MARION SENIOR CENTER | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| NEW VISION SENIOR GROUP | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| PROSPECT SENIOR CENTER | PROSPECT, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| MARION PALACE THEATRE | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | ARTS/CULTURAL |
| PLEASANT SENIOR CENTER | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2025 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2024 | HISTORICAL |
| OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2024 | HISTORICAL |
| MARION COUNTY FED WOMENS | MARION, OH | $21,200 | 2024 | HISTORICAL |
| MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | MARION, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | HEALTH |
| MARION COUNTY LAND REUTILIZATION | MARION, OH | $20,000 | 2024 | REUTILIZATION |
| LIFE CARE ALLIANCE | COLUMBUS, OH | $10,000 | 2024 | HEALTH & NUTRITION |
| RIVER VALLEY MUSIC BOOSTERS | CALEDONIA, OH | $6,360 | 2024 | SENIOR TICKETS |
| PLEASANT SENIOR CENTER | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| NEW VISION SENIOR GROUP | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| MARION PALACE THEATRE | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | ARTS/CULTURAL |
| CALEDONIA SENIOR CENTER | CALEDONIA, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| PROSPECT SENIOR CENTER | PROSPECT, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| GREEN CAMP SENIOR CENTER | GREEN CAMP, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| MARION SENIOR CENTER | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES | RAVENNA, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | SENIOR CARE |
| OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | HISTORICAL |
| OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY | COLUMBUS, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | HISTORICAL |
| MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | MARION, OH | $20,000 | 2023 | HEALTH |
| MARION COUNTY FED WOMENS | MARION, OH | $12,500 | 2023 | HISTORICAL |
| LIFE CARE ALLIANCE | COLUMBUS, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | HEALTH & NUTRITION |
| MARION SENIOR CENTER | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| PROSPECT SENIOR CENTER | PROSPECT, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| CALEDONIA SENIOR CENTER | CALEDONIA, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| GREEN CAMP SENIOR CENTER | GREEN CAMP, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| MARION CEMETARY ASSOCIATION | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | HISTORICAL |
| PLEASANT SENIOR CENTER | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
| MARION PALACE THEATRE | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | ARTS/CULTURAL |
| NEW VISION SENIOR GROUP | MARION, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | SERVICES FOR SENIORS |
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$30,000HISTORICAL
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$25,000HISTORICAL
MARION COUNTY FED WOMENS
$25,000HISTORICAL
MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$20,000HEALTH
MLS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES
$10,000REUTILIZATION
AXESS POINTE
$10,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
LIFE CARE ALLIANCE
HEALTH & NUTRITION
CALEDONIA SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
GREEN CAMP SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
MARION SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
NEW VISION SENIOR GROUP
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
PROSPECT SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
MARION PALACE THEATRE
$5,000ARTS/CULTURAL
PLEASANT SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$25,000HISTORICAL
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$25,000HISTORICAL
MARION COUNTY FED WOMENS
$21,200HISTORICAL
MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$20,000HEALTH
MARION COUNTY LAND REUTILIZATION
$20,000REUTILIZATION
LIFE CARE ALLIANCE
$10,000HEALTH & NUTRITION
RIVER VALLEY MUSIC BOOSTERS
$6,360SENIOR TICKETS
PLEASANT SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
NEW VISION SENIOR GROUP
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
MARION PALACE THEATRE
$5,000ARTS/CULTURAL
CALEDONIA SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
PROSPECT SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
GREEN CAMP SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
MARION SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
$5,000SENIOR CARE
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$25,000HISTORICAL
OHIO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$25,000HISTORICAL
MARION GENERAL HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$20,000HEALTH
MARION COUNTY FED WOMENS
$12,500HISTORICAL
LIFE CARE ALLIANCE
$10,000HEALTH & NUTRITION
MARION SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
PROSPECT SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
CALEDONIA SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
GREEN CAMP SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
MARION CEMETARY ASSOCIATION
$5,000HISTORICAL
PLEASANT SENIOR CENTER
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS
MARION PALACE THEATRE
$5,000ARTS/CULTURAL
NEW VISION SENIOR GROUP
$5,000SERVICES FOR SENIORS