Cornwell Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Athens, OH EIN: 81-4805177

Cornwell Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Athens, Ohio. Its stated primary goal is to support local charitable organizations in southeastern Ohio.

Key facts about Cornwell Foundation Inc

In short: Cornwell Foundation Inc gave $131K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Ohio. 69% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
81-4805177
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$131,325
Grants made (2024)
16
Average grant
$8,208
Median grant
$1,236
New grantees (estimate)
69% first-time grantees (11 of 16, 2024)
Total assets
$2,531,155
Primary geography
Ohio (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.5M

+36.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$131K

+57.8% YoY

Grant Count

16

+23.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

+28.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cornwell Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $98K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Cornwell Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

69%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 11 of 16 grantees (69%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $20K. How we count

Medians: $600 first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 25% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving grew 161% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 135% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation states that its primary goal is supporting local southeastern Ohio charitable organizations. Its 2024 grants included support for animal welfare, community projects, schools, local news, and other charitable purposes.

Among its grantees, Turn It Gold Fund describes its mission as raising awareness and money toward childhood cancer, with a goal of changing the lives of children affected by the disease.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $131,325. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $85,000, with a median grant of $1,236. Its largest grants included $85,000 to Friends of the Shelter Dogs, $15,000 to Rising Suns Pharmacy, and $10,960 to the City of Athens for Christmas lights. Turn It Gold in Houston, Texas, received $200.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation states that its primary goal is to support local southeastern Ohio charitable organizations. The 2024 filing lists grants to recipients in Ohio and one $200 grant to a recipient in Texas.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.

Cities

AthensAlbanyColumbusChaunceyHoustonLoganNelsonvilleBufordChagrin FallsCorningDublinGlousterGrove CityGuysvilleLexingtonMc ArthurMillfieldOxfordStewartThe Plains

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K11 grants2020 16 grants2021 16 grants2022 13 grants2023 16 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $43K (2020) to $131K (2024). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $131K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Friends of the Shelter Dogs: $85KFriends of the Shelter Dogs$85KRising Suns Pharmacy: $15KRising Suns Pharmacy$15KCity of Athens: $11KCity of Athens$11KRising Appalachia Warriors: $6KRising Appalachia Warriors$6KSoutheast Ohio Independent News: $5KSoutheast Ohio IndependentNews$5KLiving Water Worship Center: $4KLiving Water Worship Center$4KVillage of Albany: $2KVillage of Albany$2KAlexander Local School District: $2KAlexander Local SchoolDistrict$2KSoutheast Ohio History Center: $600Southeast Ohio History Center$600Elmo Memorial Golf Tournament: $500Elmo Memorial Golf Tournament$500

The largest 2024 recipient was Friends of the Shelter Dogs ($85K). Together the top 10 received $131K.

Grant Size Distribution

72 grants across all recorded years

71<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 72 (99%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Friends of the Shelter Dogs Athens, OHCharitable Purposes$85,000
Rising Suns Pharmacy Athens, OHCharitable Purposes$15,000
City of Athens Athens, OHChristmas Lights$10,960
Rising Appalachia Warriors Millfield, OHCharitable Purposes$5,900
Southeast Ohio Independent News Athens, OHCharitable Purposes$5,000
Living Water Worship Center Albany, OHCharitable Purposes$3,500
Village of Albany Albany, OHChristmas Lights$2,188
Alexander Local School District Albany, OHProject Christmas$1,872
Southeast Ohio History Center Athens, OHCharitable Purposes$600
Elmo Memorial Golf Tournament Dublin, OHCharitable Purposes$500

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants Grant count
2024 $2,531,155 $716,065 $152,434 $131,325 16
2023 $1,858,509 $215,294 $96,785 $83,226 13
2022 $1,603,639 $170,099 $104,531 $86,706 16
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K$800K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$2,531,155$1,858,509$1,603,639
Revenue$716,065$215,294$170,099
Expenses$152,434$96,785$104,531
Qualifying Distributions$131,997$83,377$88,566
Net Investment Income$107,228$71,748$87,134
Distributable Amount$97,818$84,257$83,038

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists R Leslie Cornwell as president, David Cornwell as member, Anne Cornwell as treasurer, and Kris Cornwell as secretary.

Cornwell Foundation Inc is led by R. Leslie Cornwell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • R. Leslie Cornwell

    President

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Anne Cornwell

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Cornwell

    Member

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kris Cornwell

    Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 662, Athens, OH 45701

Frequently asked questions about Cornwell Foundation Inc

How much does Cornwell Foundation Inc give each year?

Cornwell Foundation Inc gave $131K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $83K across 13 grants.

What is Cornwell Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Cornwell Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $1,236, and its average grant was $8,208, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cornwell Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.

Where does Cornwell Foundation Inc give grants?

Cornwell Foundation Inc gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Athens, OH (8 grants) and Albany, OH (3 grants).

Who are Cornwell Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Cornwell Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Friends of the Shelter Dogs ($85,000), Rising Suns Pharmacy ($15,000) and City of Athens ($10,960), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Cornwell Foundation Inc?

Cornwell Foundation Inc reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $132K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $98K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Cornwell Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation states that its primary goal is supporting local southeastern Ohio charitable organizations. Its 2024 grants included support for animal welfare, community projects, schools, local news, and other charitable purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Cornwell Foundation Inc?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Cornwell Foundation Inc's EIN?

Cornwell Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4805177. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does Cornwell Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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