Firman Fund
Firman Fund is a private foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including schools, museums, research organizations, health services, and disaster-relief efforts.
Firman Fund at a glance
In short: Firman Fund gave $502K across 53 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), top state Colorado. 15% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $501,833
- -3.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 53
- +1.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,469
- -5.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $8,390,472
- +23.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (8 of 52, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (40% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Firman Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5900 Landerbrook Drive 1100, Cleveland, OH 44124
Phone: (216) 367-0680
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Firman Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Maclay School ($43K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $258K.
Grant Size Distribution
256 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 253 grants of 256 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (40%) and Florida (35%). Other leading recipient states were Ohio (7%), Massachusetts (4%), and Iowa (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 53 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Firman Fund open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 52 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 85% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 116% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $467K (2021) to $518K (2023). In 2024 it made 53 grants totaling $502K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Children's Hospital Foundation Aurora, CO | Annual Fund | $40,000 |
| Maclay School Tallahassee, FL | Annual Fund | $35,000 |
| Tall Timbers Research Tallahassee, FL | Research Fund | $35,000 |
| Denver Museum of Science Denver, CO | Annual Fund | $33,333 |
| Colorado Academy Denver, CO | Annual Fund | $20,000 |
| Miss Hall's School Pittsfield, MA | Annual Fund | $20,000 |
| Boca Grande Disaster Fund Boca Grande, FL | Disaster Relief | $20,000 |
| Friends of the Boca Grande Community Center Boca Grande, FL | Annual Fund | $17,000 |
| Eating Disorder Foundation Denver, CO | Annual Fund | $15,000 |
| There with Care Boulder, CO | Annual Fund | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Firman Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $8,390,472 | $2,209,099 | $611,780 | $501,833 | 53 | $514,926 | $2,111,190 | $442,433 |
| 2023 | $6,793,153 | $406,658 | $617,950 | $518,333 | 52 | $528,795 | $279,358 | $444,747 |
| 2022 | $7,004,445 | $222,197 | $625,325 | $504,500 | 52 | $516,212 | $105,712 | $480,236 |
| 2021 | $7,858,654 | $985,728 | $570,479 | $466,500 | 51 | $477,967 | $862,143 | $508,256 |
| 2020 | $7,443,405 | $460,949 | $567,375 | $504,000 | 48 | — | $416,790 | $441,249 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Firman Fund reported a distributable amount of $442K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for annual funds, research, and disaster relief. The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported: Tall Timbers Research says it works on land stewardship through research, conservation, and education; There With Care says it serves families with critically ill children; and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History says it uses science and education to inspire care for nature and sustainable futures. Other recipients include schools, a health clinic, and a camp.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund reported 53 grants totaling $501,833. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $40,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest were $40,000 to The Children’s Hospital Foundation for its annual fund; $35,000 each to Maclay School for its annual fund and Tall Timbers Research for its research fund; and $33,333 to the Denver Museum of Science for its annual fund. Other notable grants included $20,000 each to Colorado Academy, Miss Hall’s School, and Boca Grande Disaster Fund.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stephanie Firman, Robert C Webster III, and Pamela W Murphy as trustees; Neil A Brown as secretary; and Jennifer Staton as treasurer.
Firman Fund's 2024 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Pamela W. Murphy
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert C. Webster III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie Firman
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Neil A. Brown
Secretary
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Staton
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Carole M. Nowak (2020–2021) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Firman Fund
How much does Firman Fund give each year?
Firman Fund gave $502K across 53 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $518K across 52 grants.
What is Firman Fund's typical grant size?
Firman Fund's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,469, across 53 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Firman Fund that year got $7K on average.
Where does Firman Fund give grants?
Firman Fund's top state is Colorado, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (35%) and Ohio (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (8 grants), Tallahassee, FL (6 grants), Boca Grande, FL (6 grants) and Aspen, CO (6 grants).
Does Firman Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 87% of Firman Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (46 of 53) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Firman Fund's largest grantees?
Firman Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Maclay School ($43,000 across 2 grants), The Children's Hospital Foundation ($40,000) and Tall Timbers Research ($35,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Firman Fund?
Firman Fund reported $8.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $515K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $442K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Firman Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for annual funds, research, and disaster relief. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Firman Fund?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Firman Fund's EIN?
Firman Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-6513655. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Firman Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Firman Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/firman-fund-morg_6a6c73dcef82455288e366e5e46f7e83
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_346513655_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Firman Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/firman-fund-morg_6a6c73dcef82455288e366e5e46f7e83},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Firman Fund'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.
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