Cornerstone Foundation
Cornerstone Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2024 filing reports 15 grants totaling $71,794 to charitable organizations.
Cornerstone Foundation at a glance
In short: Cornerstone Foundation gave $72K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in Ohio. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $71,794
- +61.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- +15.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,786
- +39.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $779,138
- +5.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (52% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cornerstone Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing lists Ronald H McSwain as the contact for a written request in letter form. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Ronald H Mcswain
Mailing address: 366 Oak Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45246
Phone: (513) 554-1600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cornerstone Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Olivet University ($20K). Together the top 10 received $65K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 80 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio (52%), Illinois (28%), New York (8%), Pennsylvania (7%), and Colorado (4%). The largest share went to Ohio recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Cornerstone Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 15 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 73% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 150% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $45K (2023) to $166K (2019). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $72K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Olivet University Bourbonnais, IL | Charitable | $20,094 |
| City Gospel Mission Cincinnati, OH | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Tunnels to Towers Staten Island, NY | Charitable | $6,000 |
| CHCA Cincinnati, OH | Charitable | $6,000 |
| Restavec Cincinnati, OH | Charitable | $5,000 |
| In Faith Exon, PA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Prokids Cincinnati, OH | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Urban Young Life Mason, OH | Charitable | $3,000 |
| OMF International Littleton, CO | Charitable | $2,600 |
| Crossroads Health Center Mentor, OH | Charitable | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Cornerstone Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $779,138 | $110,884 | $76,359 | $71,794 | 15 | $72,927 | $105,571 | $48,507 |
| 2023 | $739,922 | $41,778 | $47,992 | $44,600 | 13 | $45,700 | $39,636 | $41,832 |
| 2022 | $746,136 | $-6,432 | $55,252 | $51,800 | 14 | $53,300 | $10,786 | $37,832 |
| 2021 | $813,476 | $86,016 | $65,497 | $61,650 | 18 | $63,550 | $77,069 | $49,925 |
| 2020 | $759,807 | $155,182 | $156,927 | $150,624 | 20 | — | $27,422 | $41,893 |
| 2019 | $726,833 | $50,447 | $170,651 | $165,929 | 13 | — | $45,725 | $43,558 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cornerstone Foundation reported a distributable amount of $49K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The filing describes the grants’ purposes as charitable. The recipients include organizations with varied missions. ProKids says it advocates for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system; Lighthouse Youth Services says it empowers young people and families through care that promotes healing and growth; and Rising Leaders Inc says it develops resilient leaders and works to restore broken places. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $71,794. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $20,094, with a median grant of $3,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $20,094 to Olivet University, $10,000 to City Gospel Mission, $6,000 each to Tunnels to Towers and CHCA, and $5,000 each to Restavec, In Faith, and ProKids.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ronald H McSwain as president/treasurer, Phyllis McSwain as vice president, Jason McSwain as secretary, and Julie Carnes and Michelle Bacon as directors.
Cornerstone Foundation is led by Ronald H. McSwain, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ronald H. McSwain
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Carnes
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Bacon
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason McSwain
Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis McSwain
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Cornerstone Foundation
How much does Cornerstone Foundation give each year?
Cornerstone Foundation gave $72K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $45K across 13 grants.
What is Cornerstone Foundation's typical grant size?
Cornerstone Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $4,786, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cornerstone Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Cornerstone Foundation give grants?
Cornerstone Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Illinois (28%) and New York (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (6 grants) and Mason, OH (2 grants).
Does Cornerstone Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Cornerstone Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (15 grants).
Who are Cornerstone Foundation's largest grantees?
Cornerstone Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Olivet University ($20,094), City Gospel Mission ($10,000) and Tunnels to Towers ($6,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cornerstone Foundation?
Cornerstone Foundation reported $779K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $73K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $49K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cornerstone Foundation fund?
The filing describes the grants’ purposes as charitable. The recipients include organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cornerstone Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cornerstone Foundation's EIN?
Cornerstone Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1220787. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Cornerstone Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 13, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Cornerstone Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cornerstone Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cornerstone-foundation-morg_4376e1c8e8564d3399b5d9ba0a7aba92
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311220787_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cornerstone Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cornerstone-foundation-morg_4376e1c8e8564d3399b5d9ba0a7aba92},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Cornerstone Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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