The John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Toledo, Ohio, established in 2012. Originally founded as the Dorothy Louise Kyler Foundation, it was renamed in 2022 following the death of founder John Henry Eldred Jr. in 2021. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to strengthening families and communities through strategic philanthropic investments.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+66.3% YoY
Grant Count
150
+13.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$14K
+46.4% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation invests in initiatives to strengthen families and the communities in which they live, work, and play. The foundation's core focus areas include:
- Housing Stability: Supporting nonprofits working to address housing insecurity and affordability
- Food Security: Funding organizations dedicated to ensuring access to nutritious food
- Youth Education: Supporting quality educational opportunities for young people
- Rural Libraries: Providing resources to rural public libraries across the United States
The foundation champions solutions that address root causes of community challenges rather than symptoms, and promotes partnerships that build shared power and accountability with long-term, proactive strategies.
Grantmaking
The foundation offers multiple grant categories:
Grant Range
$5,000 - $80,000, with a median grant size of $5,000.
Grant Types
How to Apply
- **Decision Timeline**: 6-8 weeks
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
- Primary Focus: Northwest Ohio (12 counties)
- Secondary Focus: Rural public libraries across 29 states nationwide
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
- Total Assets: $25.5 million (2023); $48.8 million (2024)
- Annual Giving: $2.4 million (2024)
- Total Revenue: $9.5 million (2023)
- Total Expenses: $1.47 million (2023)
- Total Liabilities: $0 (2023)
- Tax-Exempt Status: Since June 2012
- EIN: 45-3987947
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| 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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
233 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Cherry Street Mission Ministries ($30,000), Cocoon Shelter ($27,500), After-school All-stars Ohio ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ABEL J MORNEAULT MEMORIAL LIBRARY VAN BUREN, ME | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| ADVOCATING OPPORTUNITY TOLEDO, OH | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $10,000 |
| AFTER-SCHOOL ALL-STARS OHIO TOLEDO, OH | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
| AHIRA HALL MEMORIAL LIBRARY BROCTON, NY | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| ALDEN BALCH MEMORIAL LIBRARY LUNENBURG, VT | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| ALFRED BOX OF BOOKS LIBRARY ALFRED, NY | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY HOPE LODGE CLEVELAND, OH | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $2,500 |
| ANNIE PORTER AINSWORTH MEMORIAL LIBRARY SANDY CREEK, NY | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| APPALACHIAN REGIONAL LIBRARY BOONE, NC | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $5,000 |
| ARTS COMMISSION OF GREATER TOLEDO TOLEDO, OH | TO SUPPORT THE CHARITABLE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Kate Blake: President
- Margaret Eldred: Vice President
- Lee Wunschel: Treasurer
- Mary Jacobs: Secretary
- Mike Deetsch: Executive Director (appointed April 2024), bringing over 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience
- Board Members: Erica Messinger, Sue Bascuk, John Eldred III Jr., Michael Olah, Joyce Micochero
The foundation operates with limited paid staffing, relying primarily on board leadership.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KATE BLAKE | PRESIDENT | — | — |
| LEE WUNSCHEL | TREASURER | — | — |
| MARY JACOBS | SECRETARY | — | — |
| MARGARET ELDRED | VICE PRESIDENT | — | — |
| ERICA MESSINGER | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| SUE BASCUK | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| JOHN ELDRED III JR | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| MICHAEL OLAH | DIRECTOR | — | — |
| MICHAEL DEETSCH | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $95,725 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation received the Outstanding Foundation award at National Philanthropy Day in 2024, recognizing its significant impact on the Northwest Ohio region. The foundation's founder, John Henry Eldred Jr., was an entrepreneur who founded Midwest Tape, a media distribution company serving over 8,000 libraries, and hoopla Digital, reflecting his lifelong commitment to libraries and community betterment.
John Henry Eldred Jr. Foundation helping build strong foundations in NW OhioSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation fund?
The foundation invests in initiatives to strengthen families and the communities in which they live, work, and play. The foundation's core focus areas include: • **Housing Stability**: Supporting nonprofits working to address housing insecurity and affordability • **Food Security**: Funding organizations dedicated to ensuring access to nutritious food • **Youth Education**: Supporting quality educational opportunities for young people • **Rural Libraries**: Providing resources to rural public l…
How do I apply for a grant from John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation?
The foundation offers multiple grant categories: • **Operational Sustainability**: Multi-year grants by invitation to returning grantees with demonstrated impact, strong leadership, and measurable success • **Growth and Resilience**: One-year grants supporting program operations, expenses, and small capital purchases • **Capacity Building**: One-year grants for small and mid-size organizations to strengthen internal capacity in areas such as fundraising, marketing, technology, and evaluation Gr…
Where does John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation make grants?
• **Primary Focus**: Northwest Ohio (12 counties) • **Secondary Focus**: Rural public libraries across 29 states nationwide
What size grants does John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation award?
In 2024, John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation awarded 150 grants totaling $2.1M — an average of about $14K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation's EIN?
John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3987947. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in John Henry Eldred Jr Foundation'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.
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