Harry T Wilks Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Covington, KY EIN: 27-3046060

The Harry T Wilks Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Covington, Kentucky. Its 2025 filing reports 48 grants totaling $3,385,465, with recipients including arts organizations, community foundations, and other charitable organizations.

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation at a glance

In short: Harry T Wilks Family Foundation gave $3.4M across 48 grants in 2025 (avg $71K), mostly in Ohio. 65% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$3,385,465
+10.7% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
48
+23.1% vs 2024
Average grant
$70,531
-10.1% vs 2024
Median grant
$15,000
Total assets
$21,521,772
+20.3% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
65% first-time grantees (31 of 48, 2025)
Primary geography
Ohio (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Harry T Wilks Family Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: 100 West Rivercenter Blvd Ph4A, Covington, KY 41011
Phone: (513) 324-4668

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Harry T Wilks Family Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park: $1.1MPyramid Hill Sculpture Park$1.1MCincinnati Symphony Orchestra: $1.0MCincinnati Symphony Orchestra$1.0MHamilton Community Foundation: $322KHamilton Community Foundation$322KUniversity of Cincinnati Foundation: $280KUniversity of CincinnatiFoundation$280KA Mindful Moment: $100KA Mindful Moment$100KBlue Hill Community Foundation: $60KBlue Hill Community Foundation$60KGreat Miami Rowing Center: $55KGreat Miami Rowing Center$55KTide Pool Inc: $50KTide Pool Inc$50KYWCA: $25KYWCA$25KArts Wave: $20KArts Wave$20K

The largest 2025 recipient was Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park ($1.1M). Together the top 10 received $3.0M.

Grant Size Distribution

188 grants across all recorded years

158<$50K5$50–100K9$100–250K8$250–500K2$500K–1M6$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 188 (84%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 filing reports that 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio. Other reported recipient-state shares were Nebraska (2%), Washington, D.C. (2%), Maine (1%), and Virginia (0%, as reported).

Grant Distribution by State

17states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 48 itemized grants.

Cities

HamiltonNew YorkCincinnatiPortlandWashingtonAugustaBrooklynPhiladelphiaArlingtonBaltimoreBellevueBlue HillEast AuroraIthacaLincolnvilleSan FranciscoWarrentonYarmouthCincinnatitColumbus

Is Harry T Wilks Family Foundation open to new grantees?

65%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 31 of 48 grantees (65%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $158K. How we count

Medians: $15K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 13% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 38% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M32 grants2019 37 grants2020 24 grants2021 39 grants2022 38 grants2023 39 grants2024 48 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.1M (2020) to $3.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 48 grants totaling $3.4M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park Hamilton, OHProgram Support$1,076,915
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Cincinnati, OHProgram Support$1,020,000
Hamilton Community Foundation Hamilton, OHProgram Support$321,750
University of Cincinnati Foundation Cincinnati, OHProgram Support$280,000
A Mindful Moment Cincinnati, OHProgram Support$100,000
Blue Hill Community Foundation Blue Hill, NEProgram Support$60,000
Great Miami Rowing Center Hamilton, OHProgram Support$55,000
Tide Pool Inc Hamilton, OHProgram Support$50,000
YWCA Washington, DCProgram Support$25,000
Arts Wave Cincinnati, OHProgram Support$20,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$21,521,772$7,085,115$3,519,403$3,385,46548$3,428,822$7,012,561$2,921,582
2024$17,884,951$2,969,958$3,187,321$3,059,58439$3,059,584$1,210,600$2,625,497
2023$18,102,314$2,422,778$2,561,590$2,427,75038$2,427,750$1,143,642$2,282,279
2022$18,241,126$2,321,698$2,561,251$2,454,07139$2,454,071$1,083,835$2,461,342
2021$18,480,679$2,383,380$2,453,950$2,339,50024$2,339,500$1,050,779$2,501,061
2020$18,551,249$1,845,334$2,171,545$2,105,75237—$988,665$1,913,168
2019$18,877,460$1,929,956$2,768,366$2,710,26032—$992,738$2,315,583

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harry T Wilks Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.9M 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

No formal mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, community foundations, a university foundation, and organizations addressing mental and emotional well-being.

Grantees describe their own missions in varied terms. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra says its mission is “to seek and share in inspiration.” The University of Cincinnati Foundation says it aims to inspire a community of UC and UC Health supporters through philanthropy. The Hamilton Community Foundation describes its work as enriching its community through grantmaking in areas including arts, education, housing, social services, community development, and recreation.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 48 grants totaling $3,385,465. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $1,076,915, with a median grant of $15,000.

The largest reported grants included $1,076,915 to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, $1,020,000 to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, $321,750 to the Hamilton Community Foundation, and $280,000 to the University of Cincinnati Foundation. Other grants included $100,000 to A Mindful Moment, $60,000 to Blue Hill Community Foundation, and $55,000 to Great Miami Rowing Center.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Barbara Wilks and Nanci Lanni as trustees.

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Barbara Wilks

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    5 hrs/week

    $20K (2021) → $20K (2025)

  • Nanci Lanni

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    5 hrs/week

    $20K (2021) → $20K (2025)

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

Barbara Wilks — Trustee: $20KBarbara WilksTrustee$20KNanci Lanni — Trustee: $20KNanci LanniTrustee$20K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $20K, to Barbara Wilks (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Harry T Wilks Family Foundation

How much does Harry T Wilks Family Foundation give each year?

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation gave $3.4M across 48 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.1M across 39 grants.

What is Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $70,531, across 48 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Harry T Wilks Family Foundation that year got $22K on average.

Where does Harry T Wilks Family Foundation give grants?

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hamilton, OH (17 grants), Cincinnati, OH (9 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants) and Augusta, ME (2 grants).

Does Harry T Wilks Family Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 48 grants with a stated purpose on Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (38 grants) and "Education" (10 grants).

Who are Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park ($1,076,915), Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra ($1,020,000) and Hamilton Community Foundation ($321,750), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Harry T Wilks Family Foundation?

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation reported $21.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Harry T Wilks Family Foundation fund?

No formal mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, community foundations, a university foundation, and organizations addressing mental and emotional well-being. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Harry T Wilks Family Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's EIN?

Harry T Wilks Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-3046060. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Harry T Wilks Family 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

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 1, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Harry T Wilks Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/harry-t-wilks-family-foundation-morg_4550107618d347e5a11b9a9947d49ca8

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_273046060_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Harry T Wilks Family Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/harry-t-wilks-family-foundation-morg_4550107618d347e5a11b9a9947d49ca8},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Harry T Wilks Family 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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