Defiance Area Foundation Inc
The Defiance Area Foundation is a community foundation serving Defiance County, Ohio. Established in 1979, it operates as a publicly supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropic institution dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents of Defiance County through community collaboration, impactful grant making, and financial stewardship.
Key facts about Defiance Area Foundation Inc
- EIN
- 34-1278087
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,200,431
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- Average grant
- $35,307
- Median grant
- $14,286
- Total assets
- $17,507,883
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Grant applications are accepted with a deadline of March 31.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Defiance Area Foundation Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Defiance Area Foundation Inc's 34 itemized 2025 grants were Ohio (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Defiance, OH (25 grants), Hicksville, OH (2 grants), Toledo, OH (2 grants) and Sherwood, OH (2 grants). 12% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (27 grants).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$17.5M
+6.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.2M
+54.3% YoY
Grant Count
34
+21.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$35K
+27.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Fund projects to better the Defiance County area.
The Foundation describes its purpose as providing "a vehicle to serve the philanthropic goals and heritage of the donors of Defiance County through community collaboration, impactful grant making, and financial stewardship."
Primary Focus Areas:
- Arts and culture
- Education and scholarships
- Physical and mental health
- Social services
- Natural resources
- Youth development
- Community development
Grantmaking
The Defiance Area Foundation manages over 150 individual funds composed of gifts, endowed funds, and bequests from individuals and corporations. Interest income from these investments is distributed as grants to charitable organizations.
Review Cycle
of March 31.
Grant Types
How to Apply
** Grant applications are accepted with a deadline of March 31.
Ready to take the next step with Defiance Area Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Defiance County, Ohio. The Foundation is based in Defiance, Ohio at 613 W 3rd Street, Defiance, OH 43512-2168.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 34 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $17.5 million (as of 2025)
Total Revenues: $2.1 million (2025)
Total Expenses: $1.7 million (2025)
Charitable Assets: More than $16 million composed of over 150 funds
Financial Management: Financial statements are prepared by Schultz Huber and Associates, Inc. without audit or assurance. Annual reports are available to the public.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $17,507,883 | $16,382,464 | $14,423,822 |
| Revenue | $2,105,961 | $2,562,283 | $1,855,304 |
| Expenses | $1,722,396 | $1,067,054 | $1,139,998 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $423,437 | $1,281,595 | $286,230 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Defiance Area Foundation Inc
Cletus Vetter Memorial Scholarship Fund Grant
DEFIANCE AREA FOUNDATION INC
Amount
US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Defiance Area Foundation Grant
DEFIANCE AREA FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Lisa Yoder Scholarship Fund Grant
DEFIANCE AREA FOUNDATION INC
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Defiance Area Ymca ($326,957), The Ohio State University Foundatio ($132,250), Defiance Development and Visitor's ($111,456).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| DEFIANCE AREA YMCA DEFIANCE, OH | OPERATING, SUPPORT | $326,957 |
| THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATIO DUBLIN, OH | SUPPORT | $132,250 |
| DEFIANCE DEVELOPMENT AND VISITOR'S DEFIANCE, OH | SUPPORT | $111,456 |
| LILY CREEK FARMS NAPOLEON, OH | SUPPORT | $101,300 |
| NORTHEASTERN LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT DEFIANCE, OH | SUPPORT | $51,000 |
| JOHNSON MEMORIAL LIBRARY FRIENDS HICKSVILLE, OH | OPERATING, SUPPORT | $43,500 |
| BLACK SWAMP AREA COUNCIL 449 FINDLAY, OH | DINING HALL | $39,040 |
| DEFIANCE COMMUNITY CULTURAL COUNCIL DEFIANCE, OH | SUPPORT | $39,000 |
| DEFIANCE CITY SCHOOLS DEFIANCE, OH | SUPPORT | $38,088 |
| DEFIANCE DREAM CENTER DEFIANCE, OH | SUPPORT | $26,388 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Principal Officer: Christine Yoder
The Foundation maintains a board composed of local leaders and employs a staff of 4 people.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHRISTINE YODER | EXEC. DIR. | 40 | $73,456 |
| ANNE MURRAY | PAST PRESIDE | 2 | — |
| DAN MICHEL | VICE PRESIDE | 2 | — |
| DENNIS GABLE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DON HANGE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DREW SHINDLER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JAKE OBERLIN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JIM WILLIAMS | PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| KATIE GROFF-HELD | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| TIM WHETSTONE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LAURIE MCCANN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MARC WARNCKE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MYRA ENGLISH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PAUL MALLETT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| STEVE GRUBE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| SUE STRAUSBAUGH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| TED PENNER | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| TERRY MELTON | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has been actively awarding grants across diverse community needs, including support for youth organizations, health initiatives, cultural programming, and community improvement projects. Recent grant announcements include funding for Ignite Academy, Mercy Health–Defiance's Pathways Hub, Operation Clean Duds, and Lily Creek Farms improvements.
Operation Clean Duds Awarded $1,000 Grant from Defiance Area Foundation -The Foundation continues to expand its community engagement through its Project 2030 initiative, which invites community participation in identifying and voting on major long-term infrastructure or amenity projects for Defiance County.
Operation Clean Duds Awarded $1,000 Grant from Defiance Area Foundation -Frequently Asked Questions
What does Defiance Area Foundation Inc fund?
**Mission:** Fund projects to better the Defiance County area. The Foundation describes its purpose as providing "a vehicle to serve the philanthropic goals and heritage of the donors of Defiance County through community collaboration, impactful grant making, and financial stewardship." **Primary Focus Areas:** • Arts and culture • Education and scholarships • Physical and mental health • Social services • Natural resources • Youth development • Community development
How do I apply for a grant from Defiance Area Foundation Inc?
The Defiance Area Foundation manages over 150 individual funds composed of gifts, endowed funds, and bequests from individuals and corporations. Interest income from these investments is distributed as grants to charitable organizations. **Grant Types Offered:** • Scholarship Funds • Donor Advised Funds (DAFs) • Designated Funds (benefiting specific nonprofits or causes) • Field of Interest Funds (supporting specific causes like youth, healthcare, or the arts) • Community Funds (pooling resourc…
Where does Defiance Area Foundation Inc make grants?
Defiance County, Ohio. The Foundation is based in Defiance, Ohio at 613 W 3rd Street, Defiance, OH 43512-2168.
What size grants does Defiance Area Foundation Inc award?
In 2025, Defiance Area Foundation Inc awarded 34 grants totaling $1.2M — an average of about $35K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Defiance Area Foundation Inc's EIN?
Defiance Area Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1278087. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Defiance Area Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.