Dbj Foundation

CLEVELAND, OH EIN: 34-1661482

DBJ Foundation is a private foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio, established in 1990. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and functions as an independent grantmaking entity focused on supporting tax-exempt organizations across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$19.9M

-5.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.0M

+49.4% YoY

Grant Count

-10.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$118K

+67.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dbj Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving priorities include:

Health organizations
Human services
Education
Philanthropy and voluntarism
Environmental education
Science education
Community and school gardens
Music

Grantmaking

The foundation makes contributions to tax-exempt organizations' general funds.

Grant Range

$10,000–$1,000,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Ohio
California
Indiana

Grant Distribution by State

Ohio $3.1M (46%)

Indiana $1.4M (22%)

New Mexico $1.1M (16%)

New York $500K (7%)

California $470K (7%)

Missouri $100K (1%)

Oklahoma $55K (1%)

States

California Indiana Missouri New Mexico New York Ohio Oklahoma

Cities

Aliso ViejoAtticaBloomingtonClevelandCleveland HeightsIndianapolisLakewoodLos AngelesNew YorkSan FranciscoSanduskySanta FeSouth EuclidSt LouisTulsaWest Hollywood

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets:

$21,081,775 (as of 2023)
$22,000,000 (alternative reporting)

Annual Revenues & Expenses (2023):

Total revenues: $693,380
Total expenses: $1,547,805
Investment income and dividends: $530,899

Staffing:

0 employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$19,942,539	$21,081,775	$21,936,200
Revenue	$1,048,739	$693,380	$651,877
Expenses	$2,187,975	$1,547,805	$1,198,548
Qualifying Distributions	$2,074,740	$1,466,672	$1,061,706
Net Investment Income	$948,648	$617,423	$574,695
Distributable Amount	$1,120,519	$1,029,273	$1,068,820

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

92 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Eiteljorg Museum ($1,000,000), North Point Educational Service Center ($500,000), Cleveland Rape Crisis Center ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
THE TREVOR PROJECT WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$10,000
VOCATIONAL GUIDANCE SERVICES CLEVELAND, OH	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$15,000
THE GATHERING PLACE TULSA, OK	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$15,000
THE CITY MISSIONLAURA'S HOME ALISO VIEJO, CA	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$15,000
ATTICA CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL CORPORATION ATTICA, IN	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$20,000
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF CLEVELAND CLEVELAND, OH	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$20,000
BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE ST LOUIS, MO	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$20,000
PROJECT OPEN HAND SAN FRANCISCO, CA	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$20,000
PROJECT ANGEL FOOD LOS ANGELES, CA	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$25,000
UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY OF GREATER CLEVELA CLEVELAND, OH	CONTRIBUTION TO TAX-EXEMPT ORG GENERAL FUND	$25,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Trustee:

David H Jacobs Jr (10 hours/week, no compensation listed)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
DAVID H JACOBS JR	TRUSTEE	10	—

Contact Information

Address: 600 Superior Avenue East, Suite 2430, Cleveland, OH 44114

Website: dbjfoundation.org

Phone: 310-829-7654

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Dbj Foundation fund?

The foundation's giving priorities include: • Health organizations • Human services • Education • Philanthropy and voluntarism • Environmental education • Science education • Community and school gardens • Music

How do I apply for a grant from Dbj Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving: $1,960,000 (most recent fiscal year) • Median grant: $20,000 • Grant range: $10,000–$1,000,000 • Number of grants: 12–19 grants annually **Recent Grantees (2023):** • The Santa Fe Opera: $250,000 • Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art: $150,000 • Cleveland Rape Crisis Center: $100,000 The foundation makes contributions to tax-exempt organizations' general funds.

Where does Dbj Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Ohio • California • Indiana

What size grants does Dbj Foundation award?

In 2024, Dbj Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $2.0M — an average of about $118K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Dbj Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Dbj Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.