Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber

CINCINNATI, OH EIN: 23-7089617 Website

Community Improvement & Capacity Building

The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio, established in 1971. The Foundation operates as the philanthropic arm of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, a civic and business organization founded in 1839. The Foundation receives and distributes charitable funds to support strategic priorities focused on economic development, growth initiatives, and regional vibrancy.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.3M

-6.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$9.7M

+55.1% YoY

Grant Count

+125.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$1.1M

-31.1% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission: To develop and promote economic development, talent initiatives, and the unique offerings in the Cincinnati region.

The Foundation supports a wide variety of work including:

Talent initiatives
Diversity and inclusion efforts
Economic development and growth initiatives
Regional growth programming
BLINK (immersive public arts festival)
Workforce Innovation Center
Cincinnati Business Excellerator
Minority business accelerator

The Foundation also routinely serves as a fiscal sponsor for efforts by affiliates and other economic development initiatives focused on building economic vibrancy across the entire region.

Grantmaking

The Foundation's grantmaking primarily targets Ohio and Kentucky.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation focuses on the Cincinnati region and surrounding areas, with primary grantmaking in Ohio and Kentucky.

Grant Distribution by State

Ohio $27.6M (100%)

Kentucky $40K (0%)

States

Kentucky Ohio

Cities

BellevueCincinantiCincinnatiCovingtonHamiltonLouisvilleLovelandMainevilleMasonNewportWest Chester

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

2024 Financial Summary:

Total Revenue: $10,130,701
Total Expenses: $10,828,121
Total Assets: $5,293,944
Total Liabilities: $1,500,000
Total Giving: $9,675,605

Tax Status: Tax-exempt since October 1971 (EIN: 23-7089617)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$5,293,944	$5,640,491	$5,121,644
Revenue	$10,130,701	$6,837,028	$9,148,460
Expenses	$10,828,121	$6,517,675	$10,104,104
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	$203,748	$51,795	$-6,408
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 9 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

117 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber ($7,841,963), Minority Business Accelerator ($893,143), Redi Cincinnati ($425,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CINCINNATI USA REGIONAL CHAMBER CINCINNATI, OH	TO SUPPORT CINCINNATI FESTIVALS AND EVENTS, REGIONAL WORKFORCE INNITIATIVES, AND GROW THE VIBRANCY AND ECONOMIC PROSPERITY OF THE CINCINNATI REGION.	$7,841,963
MINORITY BUSINESS ACCELERATOR CINCINNATI, OH	TO INCREASE ECONOMIC INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT IN THE CINCINNATI REGION.	$893,143
CINCINNATI COMPASS CINCINNATI, OH	TO ADVANCE THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INCLUSION OF IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES TO ENHANCE THE OVERALL VIBRANCY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH OF THE CINCINNATI REGION.	$243,994
REDI CINCINNATI CINCINNATI, OH	TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND PROSPERITY IN THE 16-COUNTY CINCINNATI REGION.	$425,000
CINCYTECH CINCINNATI, OH	TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO BE A CATALYST FOR STARTUP GROWTH IN OUR REGION	$110,000
BRIGHTON CENTER INC NEWPORT, KY	TO ADVANCE THE PIPELINE OF SKILLED TALENT FOR REGIONAL EMPLOYERS AND SKILL UP INDIVIDUALS	$40,250
THE GASKINS FOUNDATION CINCINNATI, OH	TO ADVANCE THE PIPELINE OF SKILLED TALENT FOR REGIONAL EMPLOYERS AND SKILL UP INDIVIDUALS	$40,250
URBAN LEAGUE OF GREATER CINCINNATI CINCINNATI, OH	TO ADVANCE THE PIPELINE OF SKILLED TALENT FOR REGIONAL EMPLOYERS AND SKILL UP INDIVIDUALS	$40,250
CINCINNATI-HAMILTON COUNTY COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY CINCINNATI, OH	TO ADVANCE THE PIPELINE OF SKILLED TALENT FOR REGIONAL EMPLOYERS AND SKILL UP INDIVIDUALS	$40,250

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

President: Brendon Cull

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES ZIMMERMAN	CHAIR	2	—
CHRISTOPHER CHE	SECRETARY	2	—
BRENDON CULL	PRESIDENT	2	—
WHITNEY ECKERT	TREASURER	2	—
WARREN WEBER	VICE CHAIR	2	—
ALEX DERKSON	MEMBER	2	—
PATRICK DOLLE	MEMBER	2	—
BARBARA HAUSER	MEMBER	2	—
CAROLYN MICHELI	MEMBER	2	—
BARB SMITH	MEMBER	2	—
DANIELLE WILSON	MEMBER	2	—
KATE WARD	ASSISTANT SECRETARY	2	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Foundation has been active in supporting regional initiatives, including:

2026

**BLINK 2026:** The Foundation supports BLINK, which will be the nation's largest immersive public arts festival. BLINK 2026 (October 8-11, 2026) will showcase Cincinnati as an international center of immersive light-based visual and performing arts, featuring more than 100 visual artists and 100 performing artists, 50+ community organizations, and 2,000+ students and youth. The event is projected to draw more than two million visitors with a direct economic impact exceeding $200 million.

**Storefronts to the Forefront Program:** The Foundation, in partnership with Cincinnati Chamber, Duke Energy, and Huntington National Bank, announced seven recipients of $5,000 grants through this program.

Ride Cincinnati Raises Record $2.1M, Awards 27 Grants

**Ride Cincinnati:** The Foundation supported Ride Cincinnati, which raised a record $2.1 million and awarded 27 grants.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Community Improvement & Capacity Building

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber fund?

**Mission:** To develop and promote economic development, talent initiatives, and the unique offerings in the Cincinnati region. The Foundation supports a wide variety of work including: • Talent initiatives • Diversity and inclusion efforts • Economic development and growth initiatives • Regional growth programming • BLINK (immersive public arts festival) • Workforce Innovation Center • Cincinnati Business Excellerator • Minority business accelerator The Foundation also routinely serves as a f…

How do I apply for a grant from Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber?

**Financial Capacity:** • Total assets: $5,293,944 (2024) • Total giving: $9,675,605 (2024) • Typical award range: $40,250–$7,841,963 **Primary funding focus areas:** • Local Government Grants • Community & Civic Engagement Grants • Grants for Nonprofit Human Services • Human Services • Arts, Culture & Humanities • Religion-Related initiatives The Foundation's grantmaking primarily targets Ohio and Kentucky.

Where does Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber make grants?

The Foundation focuses on the Cincinnati region and surrounding areas, with primary grantmaking in Ohio and Kentucky.

What size grants does Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber award?

In 2024, Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber awarded 9 grants totaling $9.7M — an average of about $1.1M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber's EIN?

Cincinnati Usa Regional Chamber's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7089617. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.