Stocker Foundation

About Stocker Foundation

The Stocker Foundation pairs two different patterns of giving: large unrestricted support routed through the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and direct, place-based funding for neighborhood and school-centered work in Ohio. That combination shows up in its recent awards, where Tucson organizations receive six-figure support while Elyria and nearby Lorain County groups are funded for capital, operating, and program needs. The foundation also uses donor-advised funding, which appears in its relationship with the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. Recent grants also show a willingness to sustain the same organizations across multiple years. Community Foundation for Southern Arizona received $502,500 in both 2023 and 2024, then $500,000 in 2025. Neighborhood Alliance in Elyria received $65,505 in 2023 and $350,000 in 2025 for its capital campaign. In education and enrichment, the foundation supports school districts, literacy organizations, food programs, and children’s services, including Elyria City Schools, Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, and Literacy Connects. Across these awards, the foundation funds both general operating needs and named projects, with a strong preference for targeted support rather than broad, unrestricted institutional giving at scale.

What Stocker Foundation Funds

Education is the most visible program area in the foundation’s competitive grantmaking. Elyria City School District received $87,500 in 2025 for Project Lead The Way and STEAM teacher support, tying the foundation’s education work to classroom instruction rather than only general support. Another education grant went to Footpath Foundation for “5th Grade Outside Discovering Me,” showing interest in hands-on learning for older elementary students. Early childhood and literacy also appear in the grant list. San Juan Island School District received $75,000 in 2025 for “Preschool - Early Education During School 2024-2025,” and Reading Is Fundamental received $60,000 in 2024 for unrestricted support. In Tucson, Literacy Connects received $50,600 in 2024, connecting the foundation’s Southwest giving with literacy work. Beyond education, the foundation funds community-serving infrastructure. Second Harvest Foodbank of North Central Ohio received $75,000 in 2025 for the Lorain County School Food Program, linking grantmaking to student nutrition and local service delivery.

How Stocker Foundation Gives