Freeman Foundation
Freeman Foundation is a private foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports 30 grants totaling $465,000, with most grant dollars going to organizations in Ohio.
Freeman Foundation at a glance
In short: Freeman Foundation gave $465K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $465,000
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- -3.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $15,500
- +6.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $6,373,574
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Freeman Foundation
- 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. Its filing says individual applicants should submit a brief resume of academic qualifications, and organizations should send a letter stating the purpose for which funds will be used and showing their need. The filing lists Ellen Kraatz as the contact and states there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed.
- Deadline
- None listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Ellen Kraatz
Mailing address: 33499 Lions Gate, Avon, OH 44011
Phone: (216) 318-7197
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Freeman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rock It Out ($40K). Together the top 10 received $225K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 102 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio. The remaining shares were reported as 2% each for South Carolina, New York, Michigan, and Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
How Freeman Foundation gives
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 90% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $59K (2019) to $465K (2025). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $465K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rock It Out Lakewood, OH | General Support | $40,000 |
| Cleveland Metroparks Cleveland, OH | General Support | $25,000 |
| Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Cleveland, OH | General Support | $25,000 |
| Ideastream Clevealand, OH | General Support | $25,000 |
| Edwins Foundation Cleveland, OH | General Support | $20,000 |
| Legal Aid of Cleveland Cleveland, OH | General Support | $20,000 |
| Newbridge Cleveland Center for Arts and Technology Cleveland, OH | General Support | $20,000 |
| The Music Settlement Cleveland, OH | General Support | $20,000 |
| Animal Protection League Cleveland, OH | General Support | $15,000 |
| CCF LGPTQ Care Cleveland, OH | General Support | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,373,574 | $716,806 | $649,354 | $465,000 | 30 | $480,909 | $230,252 | $461,430 |
| 2024 | $6,300,798 | $613,594 | $622,476 | $450,000 | 31 | $554,680 | $507,791 | $426,063 |
| 2023 | $6,233,442 | $3,104,342 | $552,908 | $400,000 | 25 | $500,800 | $297,954 | $298,069 |
| 2022 | $3,682,008 | $1,092,008 | $275,337 | $245,000 | 16 | $245,000 | $157,671 | $213,954 |
| 2021 | $2,865,337 | $69,631 | $31,807 | — | — | — | $95,907 | $131,047 |
| 2020 | $2,509,792 | $109,253 | $5,968 | — | — | — | $102,945 | $191,835 |
| 2019 | $2,406,507 | $123,866 | $71,723 | $59,175 | 1 | — | $120,885 | $171,367 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Freeman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $461K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose own missions involve exercise for people with Parkinson’s disease, public broadcasting and journalism, education for adults, arts and theatre, and support for people and families affected by cancer, mental illness, trauma, or loss. For example, Rock It Out describes its mission as providing research-based exercise to people coping with Parkinson’s disease, while Seeds of Literacy says it provides personal education to empower adults to succeed in their communities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $465,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $40,000, with a median of $15,000. Examples include $40,000 to Rock It Out, $25,000 each to Cleveland Metroparks, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and IdeaStream, and $20,000 each to EDWINS Foundation, Legal Aid of Cleveland, NewBridge Cleveland Center for Arts and Technology, and The Music Settlement. The listed grant purposes were general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ellen Kraatz as president, Richard Freeman as vice-president, and Aino Wheeler, Rita Bigham, and Taff Kraatz as trustees.
Freeman Foundation is led by Ellen Freeman Kraatz, President since 2025 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen Freeman Kraatz
President
Trustee → Officer, 2022
Officer → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
$100K (2025)
Aino Wheeler
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Rita N. Bigham
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Taff B. Kraatz
Trustee
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Richard B. Freeman MD
Vice President
Managing Trustee → Officer, 2022
Officer → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
$100K (2024) → $0 (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gail Freeman (2019–2020) — Manager
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 $100K, to Ellen Kraatz (President).
Frequently asked questions about Freeman Foundation
How much does Freeman Foundation give each year?
Freeman Foundation gave $465K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $450K across 31 grants.
What is Freeman Foundation's typical grant size?
Freeman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $15,500, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Freeman Foundation give grants?
Freeman Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (19 grants).
Does Freeman Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Freeman Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Freeman Foundation's largest grantees?
Freeman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Rock It Out ($40,000), Cleveland Metroparks ($25,000) and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Freeman Foundation?
Freeman Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $481K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $461K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Freeman Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Freeman Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Freeman Foundation's EIN?
Freeman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-6572280. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Freeman Foundation 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 23, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Freeman Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Freeman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/freeman-foundation-morg_20fd0f569aa74d1a9d24069baaf4af3e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_346572280_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Freeman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/freeman-foundation-morg_20fd0f569aa74d1a9d24069baaf4af3e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Freeman Foundation'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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