Marilyn & William Young Charitable
The Marilyn & William Young Foundation is a private foundation established in 1998 in Owensboro, Kentucky. The foundation was created upon the passing of Marilyn Field Young to honor her late husband, Bill Jr., and their joint interest in philanthropy. It operates as a capacity-building resource serving the Owensboro and Daviess County community through strategic grant-making to not-for-profit organizations.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$10.9M
+0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$551K
-6.9% YoY
Grant Count
53
+1.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-8.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The foundation serves as a capacity-building resource: opening minds, supporting the development of new skills, and linking efforts to ensure economic opportunity, well-being, and prosperity for citizens.
Vision: A vibrant, progressive community where everyone belongs and everyone thrives.
Strategic Focus Areas (2024 forward):
Leadership Development – Elevating a new generation of skilled public and private sector leaders able to embrace and navigate change, energize and align diverse stakeholders, and make bold decisions serving the area's long-term interests.
Accessible Arts Experiences – Supporting community-level strategies to improve the long-term viability of arts and cultural experiences important to the quality of local life and vitality of the area's tourism economy.
Family Support Systems – Funding innovative ways to help low-income, undereducated populations take advantage of educational opportunities to elevate their prospects for livable wages, long-term self-sufficiency, and family stability.
Community Grants – A limited pool of resources available for one-time, immediate needs of organizations which benefit the community they serve.
Grantmaking
The foundation generally does not make grants to endowments, annual fund appeals, religious organizations, event sponsorships, individuals, or programs and projects that do not affect Owensboro/Daviess County citizens. Operating costs are not funded.
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Marilyn & William Young Charitable?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily serves Owensboro and Daviess County, Kentucky, though it is not limited to these areas.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,948,835 | $10,912,076 | $10,976,319 |
| Revenue | $813,181 | $759,890 | $-34,347 |
| Expenses | $776,369 | $822,800 | $703,454 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $704,842 | $754,800 | $601,161 |
| Net Investment Income | $741,654 | $693,190 | $196,578 |
| Distributable Amount | $763,450 | $684,956 | $721,915 |
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
209 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Marilyn & William Young Charitable
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Sara Hemingway – Executive Director Sara is an Owensboro native with more than twenty years of experience serving as Executive Director of the foundation. Her career has been rooted in philanthropy, the arts, and community leadership, with previous fundraising roles at the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville and the Cheekwood Museum of Art and Botanical Garden in Nashville. She holds a degree in Arts Administration from Indiana University and a certificate in Nonprofit Management. She is a graduate of Leadership Owensboro and Leadership Kentucky and participated in the Hull Fellowship Program in 2013. Sara serves on the Executive Committee of the Philanthropy Southeast Board and was a founding board member of Impact 100 Owensboro.
Melissa Ashby – Staff Melissa is a native of Cumberland County with over 20 years in Owensboro. She graduated from Western Kentucky University with degrees in English & Allied Language Arts and master's degrees in Secondary English Education and Library Media Education. She retired in 2021 from Apollo High School after 27 years in public education.
Board of Directors:
- Chad Benefield (Townsquare Media)
- Carol Bothwell (Community Volunteer)
- Kaitlyn Moore Cunningham (Moore Automotive Group)
- Jeffrey T. Ebelhar (Ebelhar Whitehead)
- Marianne Smith Edge (The AgriNutrition Edge)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAROL BOTHWELL | DIRECTOR CHAIR | 3 | — |
| DIANE M FORD | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| DAVID KIRK | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| KAITLYN CUNNINGHAM | DIRECTOR - TREASURER | 3 | — |
| SARA HEMINGWAY | DIRECTOR - SECRETARY | 40 | $102,960 |
| MADISON C SILVERT | DIRECTOR VICE-CHAIR | 3 | — |
| DAVID W TANDY | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
| CHAD BENEFIELD | DIRECTOR | 3 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation hosted a screening of the documentary "UnCharitable" in Owensboro on November 28th at the Bluegrass Music Museum
Bill and Susie Tyler were awarded the 2023 Bill Young Leadership Award
Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation launches student leadershipDaisy James received the 2022 Bill Young Community Leadership Award at the Chamber Annual Celebration on March 11th
Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation launches student leadershipThe foundation held a Succession Planning Seminar on December 8th at the Young Auditorium in the Wells Center at Kentucky Wesleyan College
Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation launches student leadershipThe foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary with a recognition of 22 local schools participating in the Student Leadership Grant Program
Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation launches student leadershipThe foundation granted funds to Kentucky Wesleyan College to name an auditorium at the Jack T. Wells '77 Activity Center
Kentucky Wesleyan College announces grant from Marilyn and William Young\Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
Mildred H Dunning Memorial Fund Trust
LEXINGTON, KY
Assets
$4.3M
Grants
3
Total Given
$209K
Pauline C Young Scholarship
LEXINGTON, KY
Assets
—
Grants
0
Total Given
—
Welcome House Inc
COVINGTON, KY
Assets
$15.7M
Grants
1
Total Given
$405K
Tw Hl & Ns Donovan Scholarship
LEXINGTON, KY
Assets
$673K
Grants
2
Total Given
$36K
Taking Back Our Neighborhood Together
GLENVIEW, KY
Assets
$21K
Grants
0
Total Given
—
John T Reis Private Foundation
COVINGTON, KY
Assets
$200K
Grants
11
Total Given
$341K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Marilyn & William Young Charitable on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities