Knox County Foundation
Knox County Foundation is a community foundation based in Mount Vernon, Ohio, serving Knox County. Established in 2002, the organization operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity and has been recognized with national accreditation from the National Council on Foundations, receiving the National Standards Seal.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$116.2M
+12.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.4M
+59.5% YoY
Grant Count
43
-14.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$79K
+85.5% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To improve the quality of life in Knox County through planned charitable giving. To provide a vehicle for donors of varied interests to support charitable and community activities. To assess and respond to emerging and changing community needs in the fields of education, youth services, recreation, arts and culture, social services, and civic, economic and community development. To develop a permanent endowment for the community, and to serve as a catalyst for the initiation of vital projects.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Education
- Youth services
- Recreation
- Arts and culture
- Social services
- Civic, economic and community development
- Human services
- Philanthropy and grantmaking
Grantmaking
The foundation awards grants through multiple mechanisms:
Grant Range
** $6,200–$525,000
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Knox County, Ohio, with primary operations in Mount Vernon. The foundation also has some giving activity in Oregon and Nebraska.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $102.9–$103 million
- Total Liabilities: $18 million
- Total Revenue: $9.66 million
- Total Expenses: $5 million
- Total Giving: $5.3 million (2024 filing)
Growth: The foundation has experienced 190% growth in assets over the last 10 years, reaching over $100 million.
Staffing: 4 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $116,216,744 | $102,945,146 | $88,930,244 |
| Revenue | $11,658,750 | $9,655,268 | $5,789,310 |
| Expenses | $6,459,347 | $5,001,441 | $4,918,182 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $8,381,290 | $4,481,657 | $2,462,771 |
| 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
211 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
11 open opportunities from Knox County Foundation
American Legion Post #136 Scholarship
Knox County Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
October 19, 2026
Career and Technical Education Scholarships
Knox County Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Competitive Grants Program
Knox County Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Knox Development Partnership ($500,000), The Salvation Army ($392,542), Foundation for Knox Comm Hosp ($320,900).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Acacia Fraternity Foundation Carmel, IN | Donor Advised Support | $275,000 |
| Alcohol & Drug Freedom Mount Vernon, OH | Donor Designations | $37,100 |
| American Red Cross of Knox Co Mount Vernon, OH | Designated Fund/Donor Advised | $21,473 |
| Area Development Foundation Mount Vernon, OH | Downtown Exp Coord. | $36,575 |
| Bladensburg Comm Heritage Bladensburg, OH | Donor Advised Support | $50,000 |
| Central Ohio Tech College Newark, OH | Knox Promise - Tuition Support | $52,846 |
| City of Mount Vernon Mount Vernon, OH | MVPD K-9/Donor Desig | $21,100 |
| Doctors without Borders Hagerstown, MD | Donor advised grant | $21,830 |
| Faith Lutheran Church Mount Vernon, OH | Annual Desig. | $23,129 |
| First Congreg United Church Mount Vernon, OH | Annual & Donor Designations | $100,073 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Scott | Executive Dir. | 40 | $149,500 |
| Marc Odenweller | Finance Dir. | 40 | $111,000 |
| Marsha Rinehart | Chair | 10 | — |
| Ian Watson | Vice-Chair | 5 | — |
| Kurt Schisler | Treasurer | 5 | — |
| Kim Rose | Secretary | 5 | — |
| Tyler Griffith | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Libby Wright | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Wes Snyder | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Ora Smith | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Otho Eyster | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Sarah Wagner | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Vicki Sant | Trustee | 1 | — |
| Kathy Daniels | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation awarded a record $1.08 million in competitive grants in 2026
Knox County Foundation awards record $1.08M in competitive grantsThe foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants for the second consecutive year (as of 2019)
Knox County Foundation awards record $1.08M in competitive grantsKnox County Foundation launched the Knox Network of Nonprofits in partnership with the Public Library of Mount Vernon and Knox County, providing a regular meeting forum for nonprofit staff, board members, and individuals interested in the nonprofit sector
Knox County Foundation awards record $1.08M in competitive grantsIn 2023, the foundation supported Knox Development Partnership's acquisition of key buildings in the Downtown Mount Vernon economic corridor as part of community development initiatives
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Knox County Foundation fund?
**Mission:** To improve the quality of life in Knox County through planned charitable giving. To provide a vehicle for donors of varied interests to support charitable and community activities. To assess and respond to emerging and changing community needs in the fields of education, youth services, recreation, arts and culture, social services, and civic, economic and community development. To develop a permanent endowment for the community, and to serve as a catalyst for the initiation of vit…
How do I apply for a grant from Knox County Foundation?
The foundation awards grants through multiple mechanisms: **Grant Types:** • Grants to nonprofit organizations approved by the Foundation board or recommended/designated by donors • Donor-advised and donor-designated fund grants addressing charitable wishes of donors • Community impact and field of interest fund grants based on community needs determined by the board • Scholarship awards to Knox County students **Recent Activity:** • In 2023, the foundation awarded $7 million in nonprofit grants
Where does Knox County Foundation make grants?
Knox County, Ohio, with primary operations in Mount Vernon. The foundation also has some giving activity in Oregon and Nebraska.
What size grants does Knox County Foundation award?
In 2024, Knox County Foundation awarded 43 grants totaling $3.4M — an average of about $79K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Knox County Foundation's EIN?
Knox County Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1768219. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Knox County 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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