Chaffee Family Foundation Inc is a private 501(c)(3) foundation based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The foundation was established in 2014 and operates as a grantmaking organization focused on supporting charitable initiatives that address poverty and promote learning and growth within communities.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$361K
+15.3% YoY
Grant Count
24
+14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
+0.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to support educational initiatives of charitable organizations to enrich lives through learning opportunities. The foundation primarily funds programs that assist families, individuals, and communities in reducing or removing causes and conditions of poverty.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Food security and hunger relief
- Beekeeping and scouting organizations
The foundation uses the concept of "teaching people to fish" as a guiding principle in selecting initiatives to support.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Grants are awarded by invitation only, with funding determinations made annually in June.
Grant Range
$500–$50,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports organizations and initiatives in:
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- California
- Ohio (educational initiatives exclusively within the state)
The foundation exclusively supports Ohio organizations for educational programs and initiatives within Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (2024):
- Total assets: $4,903,211
- Total giving: $361,000
- Total revenues: $266,970
- Total expenses: $437,672
Assets & Giving (2023):
- Total assets: $5,070,000
- Total giving: $313,000–$321,000
- Total revenues: $519,000
- Total expenses: $378,000
Giving Rate: Approximately 6.2% of assets
Staffing: The foundation operates with zero employees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
121 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by family members serving in the following roles:
- Karen J Chaffee – President
- Troy A Chaffee – Vice President
- Bradley C Chaffee – Vice President
- Scott W Chaffee – Secretary
- Todd V Chaffee – Treasurer
- Charles V Chaffee – Director
All board members serve one hour per week with no compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KAREN J CHAFFEE | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| TROY A CHAFFEE | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| BRADLEY C CHAFFEE | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| SCOTT W CHAFFEE | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| TODD V CHAFFEE | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| CHARLES V CHAFFEE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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