Culture Works
Culture Works is a Dayton, Ohio-based public charity that raises and distributes support for arts and culture in the Dayton Region. It describes itself as a funding, advocacy, and service organization and, in its 2025 filing, reported 10 grants totaling $222,074, all to recipients in Ohio.
Culture Works at a glance
In short: Culture Works gave $222K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), mostly in Ohio. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $222,074
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,207
- -9.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,895
- Total assets
- $3,388,067
- +3.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Culture Works
- How to Apply
-
Consult the relevant grant program’s application requirements and participate in the review process. The website describes panel review and applicant support workshops; eligibility, financial documentation, and other requirements depend on the grant tier.
- Contact
Mailing address: 31 South Main Street A210, Dayton, OH 45402
Phone: (937) 222-2787
Website: https://cultureworks.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Culture Works funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Dayton Performing Arts Alliance ($52K). Together the top 10 received $222K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 48 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Culture Works describes its service area as eight counties: Butler, Clark, Darke, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Warren. Its 2025 filing reported that 100% of grant dollars went to Ohio recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Culture Works open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $21K first-time, $21K 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $196K (2024) to $374K (2019). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $222K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dayton Performing Arts Alliance Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $52,238 |
| The Dayton Art Institute Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $41,161 |
| The Muse Machine Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $23,111 |
| Dayton Public Radio Inc Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $21,953 |
| Springfield Symphony Orchestra Springfield, OH | Operating Support | $21,197 |
| The Human Race Theater Company Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $20,593 |
| Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $19,939 |
| K12 Gallery & Tejas Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $11,454 |
| Bach Society of Dayton Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $5,393 |
| The Contemporary Dayton Dayton, OH | Operating Support | $5,035 |
Ready to take the next step with Culture Works?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,388,067 | $1,321,963 | $1,261,866 | $222,074 | 10 | $73,648 |
| 2024 | $3,264,912 | $1,139,441 | $1,339,520 | $196,080 | 8 | $11,155 |
| 2023 | $3,235,858 | $1,482,846 | $1,728,775 | $262,127 | 10 | $9,451 |
| 2022 | $3,279,032 | $1,173,944 | $1,233,265 | $318,721 | 10 | $10,216 |
| 2021 | $3,849,072 | $1,114,281 | $925,797 | $318,721 | 10 | $7,259 |
| 2020 | $2,870,309 | $665,460 | $824,154 | $261,776 | 10 | $8,749 |
| 2019 | $2,973,336 | $803,250 | $921,467 | $373,967 | 10 | $10,203 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Culture Works’ mission is to “passionately inspire, support, and sustain arts and culture in the Dayton Region.” Its Campaign for the Arts raises funds through community partnerships and provides operating support through Community Arts Grants. The organization also describes arts awareness and advocacy work, arts education connections through its ArtsDEEP program, and partnerships involving creative placemaking.
The 2025 grants were all for operating support and went to arts and cultural organizations. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of work supported: the Dayton Art Institute says it creates meaningful experiences with art available to all; Muse Machine says its mission is to change young people’s lives through the arts; and Dayton Public Radio says it advances classical music and fine arts. Springfield Symphony Orchestra describes its work as presenting symphonic performances and education programs, while Dayton Contemporary Dance Company describes delivering contemporary dance through performances, touring, and education.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Culture Works reported 10 grants totaling $222,074. Grants ranged from $5,035 to $52,238, with a median of $20,895. The largest awards were $52,238 to Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, $41,161 to the Dayton Art Institute, $23,111 to Muse Machine, $21,953 to Dayton Public Radio, and $21,197 to Springfield Symphony Orchestra. Each was listed for operating support.
Culture Works’ website describes the Community Arts Grant as general operating support for arts organizations. For the 2025–2026 arts season, it says grants went to 10 organizations, the same organizations named in the 2025 filing. Applicants are reviewed by a community panel. The website describes application support workshops and a review process that includes application scoring and feedback.
The website lists two organizational grant tiers. General Operating Support is for eligible nonprofit arts and cultural organizations with annual budgets from $500,000 to $10 million; Community Arts Development is for eligible organizations with budgets from $100,000 to $499,999. Eligibility requirements include nonprofit status, an arts or cultural mission, and a record of active organizational support of Culture Works. Additional requirements vary by tier and include professional staffing and audited financial statements for General Operating Support, and audited or CPA-reviewed financial statements for Community Arts Development. Both tiers exclude organizations receiving United Way funding or funding from another united arts fund within the prior two years. Grants cannot be used for such purposes as regranting, capital improvements, debt reduction, fundraising activities, or programs not open to the general public.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lisa Hanson as president and Sarah Chapman as vice chair. It lists Jim Ahrns, Mary Bane, Brandy Bates, Deron Bell, John Curran, Greg Ewers, Diane Farrell, and Bryan Greene as trustees.
Culture Works is led by Lisa Hanson, President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); 1 of 32 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Hanson
President
President & CEO → Executive Director, 2023
Executive Director → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$88K (2019) → $111K (2025)
Stacey Lawson
Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian Nelson
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sally Struthers
Trustee
Immediate Past Chair → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bryan Greene
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Bane
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Curran
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Spain
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brandy Bates
Trustee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amanda Thompson
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deron Bell
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diane Farrell
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Thein
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Robertson
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Williams
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darlene Weaver
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dave Litteral
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Evelyn Ritzi
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Schmidt
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Ewers
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Ahrns
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin McCurdy
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rick Valentine
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sonia Hunt
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Thickel
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carol Loranger
Officer
Trustee → Officer, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Riley Patsiavos
Officer
Trustee → Officer, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael King
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Chapman
Vice Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Jenkins
Officer
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Scarr
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shaun Yu
Ex-Officio
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (24)
- Former: David Litteral (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Emily Broughton (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Gregory Ewers (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Matthew Scarr (2019–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Thomas Thickel (2019–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Jim Arhns (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Jessica Meyerhofer (2023–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Christopher Williams (2024) — Trustee
- Former: D. Lisa Hanson (2024) — President & CEO
- Former: Cheri Williams (2019–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Eileen Carr (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: Matt Dunn (2019–2023) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Richard Valentine (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Sheri Sword (2019–2023) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Johanna Hartley (2022–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Patrick Nugent (2022–2023) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Dave Stacy (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Steve Petitjean (2019–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Patricia McDonald (2020–2021) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Anita Adams-Jenkins (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Antoinette Geyer (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Jane Keiffer (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Paul Helfrich (2019–2020) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Shane Wilken (2019–2020) — Trustee
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 $111K, to Lisa Hanson (President).
Frequently asked questions about Culture Works
How much does Culture Works give each year?
Culture Works gave $222K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $196K across 8 grants.
What is Culture Works's typical grant size?
Culture Works's median grant in 2025 was $20,895, and its average grant was $22,207, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Culture Works that year got $21K on average.
Where does Culture Works give grants?
Culture Works gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Dayton, OH (9 grants).
Does Culture Works give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Culture Works's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Culture Works's largest grantees?
Culture Works's largest 2025 grantees include Dayton Performing Arts Alliance ($52,238), The Dayton Art Institute ($41,161) and The Muse Machine ($23,111), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Culture Works?
Culture Works reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.3M.
What does Culture Works fund?
Culture Works’ mission is to “passionately inspire, support, and sustain arts and culture in the Dayton Region.” Its Campaign for the Arts raises funds through community partnerships and provides operating support through Community Arts Grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Culture Works?
Consult the relevant grant program’s application requirements and participate in the review process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Culture Works's EIN?
Culture Works's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7412338. 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.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 12, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 17, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Culture Works funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Culture Works's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Culture Works funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/culture-works-morg_832775e1c09f41ad886de45877e1219b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237412338_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Culture Works funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/culture-works-morg_832775e1c09f41ad886de45877e1219b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Culture Works'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.
Culture Works down — hundreds of funders to go?