Community Foundation of Greater
The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne is a public charity based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, formed in 1922. It makes grants for charitable purposes in Greater Fort Wayne and across the United States, supports scholarships, manages charitable funds, and provides leadership on community needs and quality of life in Allen County.
Key facts about Community Foundation of Greater
In short: Community Foundation of Greater gave $12.9M across 299 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in Indiana. 28% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 35-1119450
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $12,948,809
- Grants made (2025)
- 299
- Average grant
- $43,307
- Median grant
- $17,450
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (83 of 298, 2025)
- Total assets
- $287,737,343
- Primary geography
- Indiana (78% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$287.7M
+17.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$12.9M
+32.2% YoY
Grant Count
299
+15.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
+14.6% YoY
Is Community Foundation of Greater open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 83 of 298 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $38K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $23K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states that it “inspires enduring philanthropy by encouraging charitable giving, conducting meaningful grantmaking, and leading community initiatives.” Its filing describes grants for a variety of charitable purposes, from nonprofit operations to pressing social issues, as well as scholarships for students pursuing further education.
Its Rising Together program provides operational funding aligned with the five pillars of its Let’s Rise! Vision Plan. The website describes Connected Community as supporting equity, access, civic engagement, pride in place, connectivity, and belonging. The foundation also describes Agile grants for innovative program-related expenses and Engage grants for first-time applicants; its 2025 program update set maximums of $20,000 and $3,000, respectively. Youth Empowered Philanthropy involves students in grades 10–12 making grant decisions, and the foundation says nonprofits can apply for grant dollars or student volunteer time.
Examples of supported organizations show a range of work. Fort Wayne Public Television says it engages the community through educational, informative, inspirational, and entertaining content. Turnstone says it provides comprehensive services and programs to empower people with disabilities. The Fort Wayne Museum of Art says it collects, preserves, and presents American and related art. Love One International describes its work as providing medical care and family preservation for children and families in Uganda.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 299 grants totaling $12,948,809. Grant amounts ranged from $5,066 to $1,241,318, with a median of $17,450.
Open Grants
10 open opportunities from Community Foundation of Greater
AWS Foundation Scholarship Fund Grant
Community Foundation of Greater
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Barbara Burt Innovative Leader Fund Grant
Community Foundation of Greater
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CFGFW Agile Grants
Community Foundation of Greater
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Community Foundation of Greater?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its grant programs as supporting residents across Allen County and Northeast Indiana, and its filing says grants are made in Greater Fort Wayne and across the United States. In 2025, most reported grant dollars went to Indiana recipients; grants also went to recipients in Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, and Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 299 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5.2M (2019) to $12.9M (2025). In 2025 it made 299 grants totaling $12.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stillwater Hospice ($1.2M). Together the top 10 received $4.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,346 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,099 grants of 1,346 (82%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stillwater Hospice Fort Wayne, IN | Charitable Support | $1,241,318 |
| American Endowment Foundation Hudson, OH | Charitable Support | $796,203 |
| St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Fort Wayne, IN | Charitable Support | $385,000 |
| Love One International Brentwood, TN | Charitable Support | $350,000 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ne IN Fort Wayne, IN | Charitable Support | $342,749 |
| For Others Collective Franklin, TN | Charitable Support | $250,000 |
| Fort Wayne Public Television Inc Fort Wayne, IN | Charitable Support | $235,537 |
| City of Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN | Charitable Support | $220,900 |
| A City on a Hill Church Inc Uniondale, IN | Charitable Support | $200,000 |
| Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Fort Wayne, IN | Charitable Support | $194,386 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $287,737,343 | $49,647,700 | $18,941,771 | $12,948,809 |
| 2024 | $245,430,623 | $33,839,099 | $14,995,424 | $9,791,293 |
| 2023 | $219,144,373 | $22,701,309 | $13,600,228 | $9,476,248 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $287,737,343 | $245,430,623 | $219,144,373 |
| Revenue | $49,647,700 | $33,839,099 | $22,701,309 |
| Expenses | $18,941,771 | $14,995,424 | $13,600,228 |
| Net Investment Income | $23,599,636 | $12,713,031 | $8,443,915 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 10, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists R Bradley Little as “President &” (the title appears incomplete), Heidi Ludwig as COO, Alison Gerardot as Chief Impact Officer, and Sarah Knoch as Controller. It lists Sherry Early as Chair, Susan Wesner as Vice Chair, Christine Boles as Secretary, Robert Slusser as Treasurer, and Paul O Sauerteig and Gary Shearer as Directors.
Community Foundation of Greater is led by R. Bradley Little, President on every filing since 2019; 4 of 24 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
R. Bradley Little
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$189K (2019) → $236K (2025)
Ronald Menze
Chair Part Y
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Chair Part Y, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sherry Early
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Damian Gosheff
Director Par
Director → Director Par, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edmond O'Neal
Director Par
Director → Director Par, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelley Walker
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Denita Washington
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Shearer
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul O. Sauerteig
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Crandall
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Knothe
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nikki Quintana
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Carper
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Swartz
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hallie Custer
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Zach Benedict
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kody Tinnel
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Schenkel
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heidi Ludwig
COO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$115K (2019) → $179K (2025)
Alison Gerardot
Chief Impact
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$98K (2022) → $133K (2025)
Sarah Knoch
Controller
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$102K (2025)
Christine Boles
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Slusser
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Wesner
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Cindy Goodman (2019–2024) — Director Par
- Former: Doug Wood (2019–2023) — Director Par
- Former: Heather Schoegler (2019–2023) — Chair Part Y
- Former: Todd Jacobs (2019–2023) — Director Par
- Former: Jim Cook (2022–2023) — Director Par
- Former: Robert Francis (2019–2022) — Secretary Pa
- Former: Robert Patrick (2019–2022) — Treasurer Pa
- Former: Carrie Minnich (2019–2021) — Director Par
- Former: Irene Walters (2019–2021) — Director Par
- Former: Michael Cahill (2019–2021) — Chair Part Y
- Former: Shannon Hardiek (2019–2021) — Director Par
- Former: Son Huynh (2019–2021) — Director Par
- Former: Benjamin Miles (2021) — Director Par
- Former: Ben Miles (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Chris Rupp (2019–2020) — Director Par
- Former: Jonathan Hancock (2019–2020) — Vice Chair P
- Former: Bruce Menshy (2019) — Treasurer Pa
- Former: Gregory Johnson (2019) — Director
- Former: Michael Barranda (2019) — Director
- Former: Trois Hart (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $236K, to R Bradley Little (President &). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 555 E Wayne Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: (260) 426-4083
Website: https://cfgfw.org
Frequently asked questions about Community Foundation of Greater
How much does Community Foundation of Greater give each year?
Community Foundation of Greater gave $12.9M across 299 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $9.8M across 259 grants.
What is Community Foundation of Greater's typical grant size?
Community Foundation of Greater's median grant in 2025 was $17,450, and its average grant was $43,307, across 299 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Foundation of Greater that year got $38K on average.
Where does Community Foundation of Greater give grants?
Community Foundation of Greater gives mostly in Indiana: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Wayne, IN (193 grants), Indianapolis, IN (16 grants), Huntertown, IN (4 grants) and New Haven, IN (4 grants).
Does Community Foundation of Greater give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 299 grants with a stated purpose on Community Foundation of Greater's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Support" (299 grants).
Who are Community Foundation of Greater's largest grantees?
Community Foundation of Greater's largest 2025 grantees include Stillwater Hospice ($1,241,318), American Endowment Foundation ($796,203) and St Paul's Evangelical Lutheran ($385,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Community Foundation of Greater?
Community Foundation of Greater reported $287.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $49.6M.
What does Community Foundation of Greater fund?
The organization states that it “inspires enduring philanthropy by encouraging charitable giving, conducting meaningful grantmaking, and leading community initiatives.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Community Foundation of Greater?
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 299 grants totaling $12,948,809. Grant amounts ranged from $5,066 to $1,241,318, with a median of $17,450.
What is Community Foundation of Greater's EIN?
Community Foundation of Greater's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-1119450. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Community Foundation of Greater by hand.
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