John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation
The John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2025, it awarded grants to organizations including a university, arts and cultural organizations, and organizations working with children and families; most grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio.
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation at a glance
In short: John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation gave $47.9M across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $1.1M), mostly in Ohio. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $47,874,000
- +44.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 43
- +19.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,113,349
- +20.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $400,000
- Total assets
- $176,610,296
- +1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (10 of 43, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (88% 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 John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 145496, Cincinnati, OH 45250-5496
Phone: (513) 870-2580
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Xavier University ($8.0M). Together the top 10 received $34.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
199 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 57 grants of 199 (29%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio. The remaining shares went to Massachusetts (5%), Michigan (2%), Virginia (2%), and Maryland (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
Cities
Is John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 43 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1.3M; repeat grants $1M. How we count
Medians: $813K first-time, $300K repeat.
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 129% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $17.1M (2021) to $49.1M (2020). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $47.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Xavier University Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $7,970,000 |
| Wesley Services Organization FKA Wesley Hall Inc Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $5,150,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $5,000,000 |
| Prokids Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $3,000,000 |
| Fotofocus Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $2,750,000 |
| Northern Cincinnati Foundation (USS Cincinnati Memorial Peace Pavilion) Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $2,500,000 |
| Cincinnati Museum Center Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $2,000,000 |
| Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $2,000,000 |
| Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra South Yarmouth, MA | General Support | $2,000,000 |
| The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | General Support | $2,000,000 |
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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 | $176,610,296 | $51,818,249 | $49,188,194 | $47,874,000 | 43 | $48,323,607 | $51,768,662 | $42,135,049 |
| 2024 | $173,980,241 | $33,105,207 | $34,158,361 | $33,230,050 | 36 | $33,555,611 | $33,062,457 | $33,435,547 |
| 2023 | $164,514,894 | $36,136,853 | $41,961,883 | $40,999,886 | 40 | $41,332,133 | $36,072,103 | $32,661,970 |
| 2022 | $174,815,588 | $21,178,946 | $21,470,244 | $20,875,639 | 41 | $21,197,884 | $21,126,586 | $38,326,656 |
| 2021 | $177,470,886 | $18,102,420 | $17,686,211 | $17,118,500 | 39 | — | $18,051,360 | $29,359,166 |
| 2020 | $180,733,511 | $18,837,638 | $49,502,824 | $49,145,500 | 41 | — | $18,822,348 | $30,488,106 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation reported a distributable amount of $42.1M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, arts and culture, health, and human services. For example, Xavier University describes its mission as educating students intellectually, morally, and spiritually; The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati says it educates and entertains through theatrical productions and arts education; and ProKids says it advocates for abused and neglected children in the juvenile court system. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 43 grants totaling $47,874,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $7,970,000, with a median grant of $400,000. The largest awards included $7,970,000 to Xavier University, $5,150,000 to Wesley Services Organization, $5,000,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati, $3,000,000 to ProKids, and $2,750,000 to FotoFocus. The listed grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John J Schiff Jr as chairman, Thomas R Schiff and Suzanne Reid as trustees, and Lauren Fernandez as president.
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation is led by Lauren Fernandez, President on the 2025 filing; all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lauren Fernandez
President
New on the 2025 filing
20 hrs/week
$52K (2025)
John J. Schiff Jr.
Chairman
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$50K (2021) → $35K (2025)
Suzanne Reid
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$50K (2021) → $35K (2025)
Thomas R. Schiff
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$50K (2021) → $35K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $52K, to Lauren Fernandez (President). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation
How much does John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation give each year?
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation gave $47.9M across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $33.2M across 36 grants.
What is John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation's typical grant size?
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $400,000, and its average grant was $1,113,349, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation that year got $1.3M on average.
Where does John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation give grants?
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (30 grants), Arlington, VA (2 grants) and Annapolis, MD (2 grants).
Does John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (43 of 43) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation's largest grantees?
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Xavier University ($7,970,000), Wesley Services Organization FKA Wesley Hall Inc ($5,150,000) and Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati ($5,000,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation?
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation reported $176.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $42.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in education, arts and culture, health, and human services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation?
The foundation 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 John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation's EIN?
John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1077222. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does John J & Mary R Schiff 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). John J & Mary R Schiff Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/john-j-and-mary-r-schiff-foundation-morg_0d3b66f1d77744e7a7db8386d805b926
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311077222_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{John J \& Mary R Schiff Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/john-j-and-mary-r-schiff-foundation-morg_0d3b66f1d77744e7a7db8386d805b926},
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 John J & Mary R Schiff 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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