The Washington County Community Foundation predominantly funds local, place-based needs in and around Salem, IN, with a strong emphasis on cultural heritage, education, and basic needs. Large recurring awards to the Stevens Museum and local school- and scholarship-focused organizations show a preference for sustaining anchor institutions, while numerous smaller grants support public safety, food access, youth programming and faith-based community services. Grants are frequently multi-year or repeated to the same local organizations, signaling long-term partnerships rather than one-off awards.
Washington County Community Foundation Inc repeatedly backs institutions that shape daily life in Washington County, especially the Stevens Museum, local schools, and community infrastructure in Salem. Across the recent grants list, the foundation shows a pattern of multi-year support for anchor organizations: Washington County Historical Society Inc (Stevens Museum) received one of the largest awards in 2024 and another in 2025, while Salem Education Foundation and the City of Salem also appear with repeated funding. That mix points to a funder that is not limited to one sector. Historic preservation, education, youth programming, food and nutrition, and public safety all sit within its local portfolio. The grant record also includes support for preschool literacy through The Dollywood Foundation, scholarships through school-linked organizations, and safety equipment for township emergency services. Leadership is listed under Judith Johnson, and the foundation’s annual grantmaking totals nearly $1.94 million with assets above $41 million, giving it room to sustain both larger institutional grants and smaller community awards. The grant list is entirely local and entirely U.S.-based, reinforcing a place-based strategy centered on Washington County and nearby Indiana communities.
Historic preservation is one of the clearest themes in the foundation’s recent giving. Washington County Historical Society Inc (Stevens Museum) received $209,201 in 2024 and $133,075 in 2025 for historic preservation. Education is another major line of support: Salem Education Foundation received $114,857 in 2023 and $98,060 in 2025, while East Washington Dollars for Scholars and West Washington School Corporation each appeared with scholarship funding. Early childhood literacy also shows up through The Dollywood Foundation, which received $20,000 in 2023, $18,000 in 2025, and $16,400 in 2024 for preschool literacy. Public safety and local infrastructure are present as well, including $94,000 to the City of Salem in 2025 and $19,095 to Jackson Township Vfd in 2025 for safety equipment.
Typical awards are in the low five figures: the 25th percentile is $6,981, the median is $10,575, and the 75th percentile is $29,274. The recent record shows repeat support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially local education, museum, and municipal recipients. That points to an ongoing relationship model rather than one-time grants. The foundation operates as a community foundation with local grant cycles and named programs, and its public grant pages indicate that several cycles accept unsolicited requests, including the general grantmaking program, the women’s giving circle, the youth foundation cycle, and the scholarship program.
$598K
$41.3M
$10.1M
$1.5M
Most grants fall between $7K and $29K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$29K
JUDITH JOHNSON
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Concentrated, locally focused giving with repeated multi-year grants to anchor organizations alongside numerous modest awards to schools, churches, emergency services and community programs; mix of several large flagship grants and many smaller operational/program grants.
Notable grantees: Washington County Historical Society (Stevens Museum), Salem Education Foundation, YMCA of Washington County, Dare To Care Food Bank, City of Salem
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Indiana: 91% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Salem appears repeatedly in the recipient list, including the City of Salem, Salem Education Foundation, Salem Community Schools, and Washington County Historical Society Inc (Stevens Museum). Other Indiana recipient cities include Pekin, Campbellsburg, Palmyra, New Albany, and West Lafayette. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 66 grants in the United States.
Recent grants show repeated support for historic preservation, education, youth programming, food and nutrition, and local public safety. Examples in the record include museum support, school and scholarship funding, preschool literacy, municipal infrastructure, and safety equipment for emergency services.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers on modest local awards: the 25th percentile is $6,981, the median is $10,575, and the 75th percentile is $29,274. The pattern includes both smaller program grants and larger multi-year institutional awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Washington County Historical Society Inc (Stevens Museum), Salem Education Foundation, City of Salem, YMCA of Washington County, East Washington Dollars for Scholars, West Washington School Corporation, and The Dollywood Foundation. That indicates recurring support rather than isolated gifts.
Yes. Listed programs that accept unsolicited requests include the general grantmaking program, the women’s giving circle grants, the Washington County Youth Foundation grant cycle, the scholarship program, and the D. Jack Mahuron Education Fund.
Its grantmaking is strongly local, with 91% of grants going to recipients in Indiana. Salem appears frequently among recipient locations, alongside other Indiana communities such as Pekin, Campbellsburg, Palmyra, New Albany, and West Lafayette.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Washington County Community Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applications must be for eligible school projects. Grants are awarded to the school, checks cannot be made payable to individuals, and the same applicant cannot receive funding for the same project more than once.
Deadline: Not specified in the scraped content.
Who can apply: Applications must be for eligible school projects. Grants are awarded to the school, checks cannot be made payable to individuals, and the same applicant cannot receive funding for the same project more than once.
Deadline: Semi-annual cycle; specific opening and closing dates not provided in the scraped content.
Who can apply: Projects must address a community need, be planned and implemented by a youth group in Washington County, and have the youth group associated with a nonprofit organization. Applicants must be nonprofit organizations or causes benefiting Washington County residents. Political campaigns, exclusively sectarian purposes, endowment creation, debt reduction, and routine budgets are ineligible. Final grant evaluation reports are required before applying for another grant.
Deadline: Grant cycle with no specific dates visible in the scraped content.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC (STEVENS MUSEUM) | SALEM, IN | $133,075 | 2025 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| SALEM EDUCATION FOUNDATION | SALEM, IN | $98,060 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| CITY OF SALEM | SALEM, IN | $94,000 | 2025 | INFRASTRUCTURE |
| YMCA OF WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $35,875 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| WEST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATION | CAMPBELLSBURG, IN | $32,592 | 2025 | EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS |
| EAST WASHINGTON DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS | PEKIN, IN | $25,683 | 2025 | EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA | NEW ALBANY, IN | $25,000 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| JACKSON TOWNSHIP VFD | PALMYRA, IN | $19,095 | 2025 | SAFETY EQUIPMENT |
| THE DOLLYWOOD FOUNDATION | PIGEION FORGE, TN | $18,000 | 2025 | PRESCHOOL LITERACY |
| CAST OF WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $14,869 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA | EVANSVILLE, IN | $13,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | $12,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| SALEM COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | SALEM, IN | $11,394 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| AWARENESS WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $10,200 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| DARE TO CARE FOOD BANK | LOUISVILLE, KY | $10,000 | 2025 | FEED NEEDY CHILDREN |
| PEKIN COMMUNITY BETTERMENT ORGANIZATION | PEKIN, IN | $8,750 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| HORNERS CHAPEL MEMORIAL FUND | FREDERICKSBURG, IN | $6,225 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| THE WARMING STATION | SALEM, IN | $6,225 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| WONDER VALLEY CHRISTIAN CHURCH CAMP | SALEM, IN | $6,170 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING |
| SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | SALEM, IN | $6,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| HOME STRETCH FOUNDATION | SALEM, IN | $6,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| EAST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATON | SALEM, IN | $5,850 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC (STEVENS MUSEUM) | SALEM, IN | $209,201 | 2024 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| SALEM EDUCATION FOUNDATION | SALEM, IN | $88,888 | 2024 | EDUCATION |
| YMCA OF WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $46,873 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| CITY OF SALEM | SALEM, IN | $36,775 | 2024 | INFRASTRUCTURE |
| EAST WASHINGTON DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS | PEKIN, IN | $30,143 | 2024 | EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA | NEW ALBANY, IN | $25,000 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| CAST OF WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $20,500 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| SALEM COMMUNITY SCHOOLS | SALEM, IN | $19,877 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| WEST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATION | CAMPBELLSBURG, IN | $17,550 | 2024 | EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS |
| THE DOLLYWOOD FOUNDATION | PIGEION FORGE, TN | $16,400 | 2024 | PRESCHOOL LITERACY |
| JACKSON TOWNSHIP VFD | PALMYRA, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | SAFETY EQUIPMENT |
| DARE TO CARE FOOD BANK | LOUISVILLE, KY | $10,000 | 2024 | FEED NEEDY CHILDREN |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY SOUTHEAST | NEW ALBANY, IN | $9,475 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| AWARENESS WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $8,500 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| WASHINGTON COUNTY FOOD BANK | SALEM, IN | $6,925 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | SALEM, IN | $6,000 | 2024 | OPERATIONS |
| CASA OF WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $5,630 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| IVY TECH STATE COLLEGE | SELLERSBURG, IN | $5,328 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WONDER VALLEY CHRISTIAN CHURCH CAMP | SALEM, IN | $5,175 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| HORNERS CHAPEL MEMORIAL FUND | FREDERICKSBURG, IN | $5,150 | 2024 | PROGRAMMING |
| PURDUE UNIVERSITY | WEST LAFAYETTE, IN | $204,000 | 2023 | PROGRAMMING - FOOD AND NUTRITION |
| SALEM EDUCATION FOUNDATION | SALEM, IN | $114,857 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC (STEVENS MUSEUM) | SALEM, IN | $112,465 | 2023 | HISTORIC PRESERVATION |
| CITY OF SALEM | SALEM, IN | $54,115 | 2023 | INFRASTRUCTURE |
| YMCA OF WASHINGTON COUNTY | SALEM, IN | $38,428 | 2023 | PROGRAMMING |
| EAST WASHINGTON DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS | PEKIN, IN | $35,634 | 2023 | EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS |
| WEST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATION | CAMPBELLSBURG, IN | $28,984 | 2023 | EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS |
| ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA | NEW ALBANY, IN | $25,000 | 2023 | PROGRAMMING |
WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC (STEVENS MUSEUM)
$133,075HISTORIC PRESERVATION
SALEM EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$98,060EDUCATION
CITY OF SALEM
$94,000INFRASTRUCTURE
WEST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATION
$32,592EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
EAST WASHINGTON DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS
$25,683EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA
$25,000PROGRAMMING
JACKSON TOWNSHIP VFD
$19,095SAFETY EQUIPMENT
CAST OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
$14,869PROGRAMMING
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN INDIANA
$13,000SCHOLARSHIPS
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
$12,000SCHOLARSHIPS
SALEM COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$11,394PROGRAMMING
AWARENESS WASHINGTON COUNTY
$10,200PROGRAMMING
PEKIN COMMUNITY BETTERMENT ORGANIZATION
$8,750PROGRAMMING
HORNERS CHAPEL MEMORIAL FUND
$6,225PROGRAMMING
THE WARMING STATION
$6,225OPERATIONS
WONDER VALLEY CHRISTIAN CHURCH CAMP
$6,170PROGRAMMING
SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$6,000OPERATIONS
HOME STRETCH FOUNDATION
$6,000OPERATIONS
EAST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATON
$5,850OPERATIONS
WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC (STEVENS MUSEUM)
$209,201HISTORIC PRESERVATION
SALEM EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$88,888EDUCATION
CITY OF SALEM
$36,775INFRASTRUCTURE
EAST WASHINGTON DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS
$30,143EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA
$25,000PROGRAMMING
CAST OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
$20,500PROGRAMMING
SALEM COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
$19,877PROGRAMMING
WEST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATION
$17,550EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
JACKSON TOWNSHIP VFD
$10,000SAFETY EQUIPMENT
AWARENESS WASHINGTON COUNTY
$8,500PROGRAMMING
WASHINGTON COUNTY FOOD BANK
$6,925PROGRAMMING
SALEM UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$6,000OPERATIONS
CASA OF WASHINGTON COUNTY
$5,630PROGRAMMING
WONDER VALLEY CHRISTIAN CHURCH CAMP
$5,175PROGRAMMING
HORNERS CHAPEL MEMORIAL FUND
$5,150PROGRAMMING
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
$204,000PROGRAMMING - FOOD AND NUTRITION
SALEM EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$114,857EDUCATION
WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC (STEVENS MUSEUM)
$112,465HISTORIC PRESERVATION
CITY OF SALEM
$54,115INFRASTRUCTURE
EAST WASHINGTON DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS
$35,634EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
WEST WASHINGTON SCHOOL CORPORATION
$28,984EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS
ALIGN SOUTHERN INDIANA
$25,000PROGRAMMING