County North Foundation
County North Foundation is a private foundation based in West Unity, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports scholarship grants benefiting individual students through colleges and universities.
County North Foundation at a glance
In short: County North Foundation gave $43K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $43,000
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,955
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $889,728
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to County North Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It directs applicants to contact Lewis Hilkert and submit their name, address, telephone number, high school, graduation date, class rank, and transcript. Awards are restricted by graduation from high school.
- Review Cycle
- The submission deadline varies year to year.
- Deadline
- The submission deadline varies year to year.
- Contact
Application contact: Lewis Hilkert
Mailing address: 16806 Us 20A No 14, West Unity, OH 43570
Phone: (419) 924-2321
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who County North Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bowling Green State University ($14K across 7 grants). Together the top 8 received $43K.
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 110 grants of 110 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How County North Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $40K (2022) to $69K (2020). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $43K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg University Tiffin, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Marissa Bennett | $2,000 |
| Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Ethan Beard | $2,000 |
| Heidelberg University Tiffin, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Kacy Connolly | $2,000 |
| The University of Toledo Toledo, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Alora Siegel | $2,000 |
| Kent State University Kent, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Allison Kaylor | $2,000 |
| Kent State University Kent, OH | ScholarshipReturned CheckAshley Kaylor | $2,000 |
| Ohio University Athens, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Margaret Wheeler | $2,000 |
| Kent State University Kent, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Olivia Hulbert | $2,000 |
| The Ohio State University Columbus, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Kendall Siebenaler | $2,000 |
| Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH | ScholarshipFor the benefit of Ethan Adams | $2,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $889,728 | $67,797 | $57,156 | $43,000 | 22 | $43,236 | $53,877 | $46,779 |
| 2024 | $877,048 | $32,026 | $55,080 | $42,000 | 21 | $42,198 | $29,438 | $45,342 |
| 2023 | $869,287 | $28,387 | $53,133 | $41,000 | 20 | $41,249 | $16,503 | $42,248 |
| 2022 | $900,722 | $25,266 | $53,195 | $40,000 | 20 | $40,168 | $27,794 | $43,626 |
| 2021 | $913,096 | $76,613 | $65,153 | $53,000 | 27 | $52,337 | $71,637 | $48,506 |
| 2020 | $901,636 | $2,991 | $80,184 | $69,000 | 23 | — | $17,080 | $45,500 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, County North Foundation reported a distributable amount of $47K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants were reported as scholarships for the benefit of named students. Supported grantees include colleges and universities. Defiance College describes its mission as preparing students for distinctive lives in their professions through service; Heidelberg University describes its programs as rooted in the liberal arts, with coursework in areas including sciences, global education, and business. Bowling Green State University’s listed grantee description identifies the organization as an AAUP-associated labor union representing university faculty.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $43,000 through 22 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $2,000, with a median of $2,000. Examples include $2,000 grants to Heidelberg University, Bowling Green State University, Defiance College, The University of Toledo, Kent State University, Ohio University, and The Ohio State University. The filing lists these grants as scholarships, generally for the benefit of individual students.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lewis D Hilkert, Paul E Elder, and Sarah Carothers as trustees.
County North Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lewis D Hilkert
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul E Elder
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Carothers
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 County North Foundation
How much does County North Foundation give each year?
County North Foundation gave $43K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $42K across 21 grants.
What is County North Foundation's typical grant size?
County North Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $1,955, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does County North Foundation give grants?
County North Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bowling Green, OH (7 grants), Toledo, OH (4 grants), Kent, OH (3 grants) and Tiffin, OH (2 grants).
Does County North Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on County North Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are County North Foundation's largest grantees?
County North Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bowling Green State University ($14,000 across 7 grants), The University of Toledo ($7,000 across 4 grants) and Kent State University ($6,000 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is County North Foundation?
County North Foundation reported $890K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $43K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $47K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does County North Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants were reported as scholarships for the benefit of named students. Supported grantees include colleges and universities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from County North Foundation?
The 2025 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is County North Foundation's EIN?
County North Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1596311. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in County North Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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