Elisha-bolton Foundation

CLEVELAND, OH EIN: 34-1500135

The Elisha-Bolton Foundation is a private foundation established in 1986 and based in Cleveland, Ohio. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a focus on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.1M

-2.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$296K

+1.4% YoY

Grant Count

-8.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$13K

+10.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Elisha-bolton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $315K 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 emphasizes support for health, higher education, and Christian religious organizations. Additional funding priorities include disaster relief and wildfire relief efforts. The foundation also supports educational initiatives, including scholarship support for summer school programs and support for current operations at educational institutions.

Grantmaking

The foundation maintains modest grantmaking activity with typical award amounts ranging from $2,000 to $72,500. Recent grants have supported institutions including:

Review Cycle

is available in the provided sources.

How to Apply

es or grant deadlines is available in the provided sources.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking extends primarily to New York, Nevada, and California, with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $385K (28%)

Nevada $275K (20%)

California $239K (17%)

Virginia $160K (12%)

Massachusetts $95K (7%)

Georgia $62K (5%)

Ohio $60K (4%)

Connecticut $47K (3%)

+10 more states

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Texas Virginia

Cities

Amargosa ValleyAmericusAtlantaBlue DiamondBostonBryn MawrCentervilleCentral PointCharlestonCharlottesvilleClevelandDallasDeath ValleyGarrisonHonoluluJacksonvilleLas VegasLos AngelesMiamiMillbrook

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Most Recent Data (2023):

Total Assets: $4,188,800
Total Revenues: $171,787
Total Expenses: $378,311
Investment Income and Dividends: $133,729

Prior Year Data (2024):

Total Assets: $4,068,827
Total Giving: $296,000

The foundation operates with zero employees and generates income primarily through investment returns rather than contributions.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$4,068,827	$4,188,800	$4,410,311
Revenue	$347,121	$171,787	$271,507
Expenses	$379,127	$378,311	$349,359
Qualifying Distributions	$310,393	$305,749	$277,866
Net Investment Income	$278,387	$108,225	$204,713
Distributable Amount	$314,909	$284,453	$290,344

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

125 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Millbrook School ($65,000), North Bennet Street School ($25,000), Thomas Jefferson Foundation ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMARGOSA CONSERVANCY SHOSHONE, CA	CURRENT PROJECTS	$15,000
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF ATTINGHAM NEW YORK, NY	SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT FOR ANNUAL SUMMER SCHOOL	$5,000
ASH MEADOWS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE AMARGOSA VALLEY, NV	CURRENT PROJECTS	$15,000
BISHOP GADSDEN CHARLESTON, SC	IN MEMORY OF GILBERT P. SCHAFER JR.	$5,000
BRYN MAWR COLLEGE BRYN MAWR, PA	VARIOUS PROGRAM INITIATIVE ENDOWMENTS	$5,000
CLEVELAND CLINIC-COLE EYE INSTITUTE CLEVELAND, OH	MACULAR DEGENERATION RESEARCH	$5,000
DEATH VALLEY CONSERVANCY PASADENA, CA	CURRENT PROJECTS	$15,000
DEATH VALLEY NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION DEATH VALLEY, CA	CURRENT PROJECTS	$15,000
DUTCHESS LAND CONSERVANCY MILLBROOK, NY	CURRENT OPERATIONS	$5,000
FRIENDS OF RED ROCK CANYON LAS VEGAS, NV	CURRENT OPERATIONS	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
GILBERT P SCHAFER III	CO-PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE	1	—
JULIAN B SCHAFER	CO-PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE	1	—
KENNETH G HOCHMAN	TRUSTEE	1	—
STEVEN W FOSTER	SECRETARY/TREASURER	3	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Elisha-bolton Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Elisha-bolton Foundation?

The foundation maintains modest grantmaking activity with typical award amounts ranging from $2,000 to $72,500. Recent grants have supported institutions including: • Millbrook School ($72,500 for Annual Fund & Pulling House Project) • Thomas Jefferson Foundation ($25,000 for Current Operations) • North Bennet Street School ($20,000 for Carpentry Department) • Bryn Mawr College The foundation made 27 grants in its most recent reporting year. No information regarding formal application processes…

Where does Elisha-bolton Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking extends primarily to New York, Nevada, and California, with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.

What size grants does Elisha-bolton Foundation award?

In 2024, Elisha-bolton Foundation awarded 22 grants totaling $296K — an average of about $13K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Elisha-bolton Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Elisha-bolton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $315K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.