The Joanie Jeanne and Howard Bernard Foundation appears to have made a single very large grant transferring assets into a related philanthropic vehicle (The Joanie Bernard Foundation) for general operating support. There is no evidence of external programmatic giving in this data set; the foundation’s activity looks like an internal endowment or capitalization of a family foundation rather than direct grantmaking to charities.
Highly concentrated: a single, very large internal transfer to a related foundation (no distributed or repeat external grantees shown). This looks like asset consolidation or seed funding of a family foundation rather than routine grantmaking.
A $93,406,507 transfer to The Joanie Bernard Foundation C/o Fifth Third Bank in 2024 is the clearest signal in the record: this foundation’s current activity centers on building up a related feline-welfare vehicle rather than dispersing a wide set of external grants. The Joanie Jeanne and Howard Bernard Foundation also appears in 2023 as a source of support for animal organizations in and around Cincinnati, with awards that range from six-figure project grants to smaller operating support. The named recipients point to a consistent animal-care profile: Cincinnati Animal Care received $586,000 for general operating support, while United Coalition for Animals received $535,000 for project or program support. Other grants in the same year went to shelters, spay/neuter providers, and animal welfare groups across southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky. The foundation’s active grant programs describe a specific interest in feline welfare, including spay/neuter, fostering, adoption, community cat programs, education, public awareness, and the Give Them Ten movement. Taken together, the record shows a family philanthropy structure that both capitalizes a related foundation entity and funds cat-focused organizations through letter-of-inquiry grantmaking.
The foundation’s program language is centered on feline welfare. It supports spay/neuter, fostering, adoption, community cat programs, and public education, with one grant program also naming the Give Them Ten movement. In the recent grants list, Ohio Alleycat Resource & Spay/neuter Clinic received $175,000 for project or program support, matching that emphasis on cat population management. Adoption and shelter work also appears in support for Spca Cincinnati, which received $300,000 for project or program support. Public-facing outreach shows up as well: Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden received $108,600 for a project or program grant. These examples show a mix of direct animal-care services, education, and community cat work rather than a single-purpose giving model.
The grant-size profile is wide: the 25th percentile is $25,000, the median is $162,500, and the 75th percentile is $350,000. The record is also highly concentrated in a small number of awards, including one very large transfer in 2024 and multiple six-figure grants in 2023. Recurring relationships are visible across the list, with Cincinnati-area animal organizations appearing alongside related groups in northern Kentucky and nearby Ohio communities. The grant program descriptions indicate an unsolicited letter-of-inquiry process for eligible organizations.
$93.4M
$0
$353K
$93.6M
Most grants fall between $25K and $350K, with a median of $163K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$163K
75th Percentile
$350K
About 75% of grants go to recipients in OH.
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Notable grantees: The Joanie Bernard Foundation c/o Fifth Third Bank
Grants are overwhelmingly tied to Ohio, which accounts for 75% of grants in the data, and the top state by count is OH. Cincinnati is the main recipient city, with additional awards in Dayton, Xenia, and Batavia. Outside Ohio, grants also reached Burlington, Covington, and Florence in Kentucky, plus Brunswick, Maine. All recorded grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The grant program descriptions say prospective applicants begin with a letter of inquiry, and at least one program specifies an online letter of inquiry for funding consideration. The process is described as unsolicited and available to eligible nonprofit organizations.
The active programs are aimed at organizations, groups, and projects that advance feline welfare. The listed focus areas include spay/neuter, fostering, adoption, community cat programs, and education or public awareness about cats.
The grant-size distribution is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, a median of $162,500, and $350,000 at the 75th percentile.
Ohio is the top state by grant count, with 75% of grants going to recipients in OH. The recipient list is centered in Cincinnati, with additional grants in Dayton, Xenia, and Batavia.
The recent grants list includes animal care and welfare organizations, such as Cincinnati Animal Care, United Coalition for Animals, Spca Cincinnati, Ohio Alleycat Resource & Spay/neuter Clinic, and The Homeless Animal Rescue Team of Cincinnati.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Current and upcoming funding from Joanie Jeanne and Howard Bernard Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Must have a sincere interest in serving feline welfare; be a 501(c)(3) organization; submit a current IRS Form 990; have annual revenue above $200,000 or total assets of $500,000 or more; be located within 100 miles of Cincinnati, Ohio; have a physical location and agree to an on-site visit.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE JOANIE BERNARD FOUNDATION C/O FIFTH THIRD BANK | CINCINNATI, OH | $93,406,507 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CINCINNATI ANIMAL CARE | CINCINNATI, OH | $586,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING & |
| UNITED COALITION FOR ANIMALS | CINCINNATI, OH | $535,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| HORIZON COMMUNITY FUNDS OF NORTHERN KENTUCKY | BURLINGTON, KY | $500,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SPCA CINCINNATI | CINCINNATI, OH | $300,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| BLUEGRASS AREA DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT | COVINGTON, KY | $250,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| HUMANE SOCIETY OF GREATER DAYTON | DAYTON, OH | $250,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT |
| OHIO ALLEYCAT RESOURCE & SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC | CINCINNATI, OH | $175,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| NORTHERN KENTUCKY AREA DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT | FLORENCE, KY | $150,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN | CINCINNATI, OH | $108,600 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| MY FURRY VALENTINE | CINCINNATI, OH | $50,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| SAVE THE ANIMALS FOUNDATION | CINCINNATI, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATNG SUPPORT |
| THE HOMELESS ANIMAL RESCUE TEAM (HART) OF CINCINNATI | CINCINNATI, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| ADVOCATES FOR ANIMALS FELINE RESCUE | XENIA, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| LEAGUE FOR ANIMAL WELFARE | BATAVIA, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| UNITED SPAY ALLIANCE | BRUNSWICK, ME | $5,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIP |
THE JOANIE BERNARD FOUNDATION C/O FIFTH THIRD BANK
$93,406,507GENERAL OPERATING
CINCINNATI ANIMAL CARE
$586,000GENERAL OPERATING &
UNITED COALITION FOR ANIMALS
$535,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
HORIZON COMMUNITY FUNDS OF NORTHERN KENTUCKY
$500,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
SPCA CINCINNATI
$300,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
BLUEGRASS AREA DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
$250,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
HUMANE SOCIETY OF GREATER DAYTON
$250,000PROGRAM/PROJECT SUPPORT
OHIO ALLEYCAT RESOURCE & SPAY/NEUTER CLINIC
$175,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
NORTHERN KENTUCKY AREA DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
$150,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN
$108,600PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
MY FURRY VALENTINE
$50,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
SAVE THE ANIMALS FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL OPERATNG SUPPORT
THE HOMELESS ANIMAL RESCUE TEAM (HART) OF CINCINNATI
$25,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
ADVOCATES FOR ANIMALS FELINE RESCUE
$25,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
LEAGUE FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
$10,000PROJECT/PROGRAM SUPPORT
UNITED SPAY ALLIANCE
$5,000SCHOLARSHIP
