Marilyn & William Young Charitable
The Marilyn & William Young Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Owensboro, Kentucky. Established in 1998, it supports charitable programs and projects, with its grant guidelines focused on building capacity and advancing economic opportunity, well-being, and prosperity for the community.
Marilyn & William Young Charitable at a glance
In short: Marilyn & William Young Charitable gave $455K across 52 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Kentucky. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $455,265
- -17.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 52
- -1.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,755
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $11,257,215
- +2.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (18 of 50, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Marilyn & William Young Charitable
- How to Apply
-
Submit a Letter of Intent following the foundation’s guidelines; these are accepted throughout the year and reviewed by the Grants Committee within 30 days. If invited, an organization submits a full application; organizations seeking $10,000 or less are asked to use a modified application. Funded organizations must sign a grant agreement and submit a final or interim report within one year of receiving funds.
- Review Cycle
- Full applications are due March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31, for review at the May, August, November, or February Board meeting, respectively.
- Deadline
- Full applications are due March 31, June 30, September 30, or December 31, for review at the May, August, November, or…
- Contact
Application contact: Sara Hemingway
Mailing address: P O Box 825, Owensboro, KY 42302
Phone: (270) 926-1860
Website: https://mwyoungfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Marilyn & William Young Charitable
Who Marilyn & William Young Charitable funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Riverpark Center ($66K). Together the top 10 received $302K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($7,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
240 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 223 grants of 240 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s history describes its grantmaking as primarily for nonprofit organizations located in Owensboro, Kentucky. Its guidelines say programs and projects should affect citizens of Owensboro/Daviess County, and the 2024 filing states a Daviess County, Kentucky restriction on awards. In 2025, the reported distribution of grant dollars by recipient state was Kentucky 98%, Georgia 1%, New York 1%, and California 1%; these shares total 101% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Marilyn & William Young Charitable open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 18 of 50 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 77% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $452K (2020) to $671K (2021). In 2025 it made 52 grants totaling $455K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Riverpark Center Owensboro, KY | Arts & Hail Damage Support | $65,927 |
| Bluegrass Music Museum and Hall of Fame Owensboro, KY | ARTS | $62,000 |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY | Auditorium & Hail Damage Support | $60,000 |
| Alma Randolph Charitable Foundation Owensboro, KY | Back to School Shopping | $20,000 |
| Brescia University Owensboro, KY | Hail Damage Support | $20,000 |
| Owensboro Dance Theatre Owensboro, KY | Giordano Dance Residency | $20,000 |
| Owensboro Museum of Science and History Owensboro, KY | Education Salary Supplement, Worthington Estate Items, Director Discretionary | $16,500 |
| Wendell Foster Center Owensboro, KY | Family Support Systems | $15,000 |
| Kentucky Educational Television Lexington, KY | Children's Programming Support | $12,500 |
| Boulware Mission Owensboro, KY | Hail Damage Support | $10,000 |
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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 | $11,257,215 | $1,010,616 | $702,214 | $455,265 | 52 | $626,156 | $934,181 | $809,063 |
| 2024 | $10,948,835 | $813,181 | $776,369 | $550,885 | 53 | $704,842 | $741,654 | $763,450 |
| 2023 | $10,912,076 | $759,890 | $822,800 | $591,895 | 52 | $754,800 | $693,190 | $684,956 |
| 2022 | $10,976,319 | $-34,347 | $703,454 | $469,595 | 34 | $601,161 | $196,578 | $721,915 |
| 2021 | $11,712,363 | $1,542,281 | $881,160 | $670,675 | 49 | $793,588 | $1,450,691 | $791,013 |
| 2020 | $11,051,646 | $788,706 | $649,529 | $452,201 | 26 | — | $715,794 | $668,182 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marilyn & William Young Charitable reported a distributable amount of $809K 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
The foundation describes its mission as being 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. Its strategic focus areas are:
- Leadership development: Developing skilled public- and private-sector leaders who can navigate change, align stakeholders, and make decisions serving the area’s long-term interests.
- Accessible arts experiences: Supporting community strategies that strengthen the viability of arts and cultural experiences and their contribution to local life and tourism.
- Family support systems: Funding innovative ways for low-income, undereducated populations to access educational opportunities that can support livable wages, self-sufficiency, and family stability.
- Community grants: A limited pool for one-time, immediate needs of organizations benefiting their communities.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate this range. RiverPark Center describes its mission as improving quality of life through diverse arts and civic events, with a focus on arts education. Owensboro Dance Theatre says it provides professional dance instruction and performances while expanding the community’s appreciation of dance. Kentucky Wesleyan College describes its mission as preparing students through a liberal arts education, while Kentucky Educational Television’s supporting foundation says it administers grants for the educational, charitable, and public purposes of the state educational television authority. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Applicants must be recognized by the IRS as 501(c)(3) organizations. The foundation says it generally does not fund endowments, annual fund appeals, religious organizations, event sponsorships, individuals, operating costs, or programs and projects that do not affect Owensboro/Daviess County residents. It does not support organizations that discriminate on the bases listed in its guidelines, including race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or other legally protected classifications.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 52 grants totaling $455,265. Individual grants ranged from $300 to $65,927, with a median of $3,000. Among the largest awards were $65,927 to RiverPark Center for arts and hail-damage support; $62,000 to Bluegrass Music Museum and Hall of Fame for arts; $60,000 to Kentucky Wesleyan College for auditorium and hail-damage support; and $20,000 each to Alma Randolph Charitable Foundation, Brescia University, and Owensboro Dance Theatre for back-to-school shopping, hail-damage support, and a dance residency, respectively.
Other 2025 awards included $15,000 to Wendell Foster Center for family support systems, $12,500 to Kentucky Educational Television for children’s programming, and $10,000 each to Boulware Mission, Crossroads, and Fresh Start for hail-damage support. The foundation’s 2025 filing also lists $10,000 to Kentucky Youth Advocates and $9,533 to an individual recipient Leadership Institute.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Madison C Silvert as director chair; Carol Bothwell as treasurer; Kaitlyn Cunningham as vice-chair; Sara Hemingway as director-secretary; Jeff Ebelhar as director vice-chair; and David Kirk, Marianne Smith Edge, and Chad Benefield as directors.
Marilyn & William Young Charitable is led by Madison C. Silvert, Director Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 8 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Madison C. Silvert
Director Chair
Director → Director Vice Chair, 2023
Director Vice Chair → Director Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sara Hemingway
Director - Secretary
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$99K (2020) → $106K (2025)
David Kirk
Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chad Benefield
Director
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marianne Smith Edge
Director
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Bothwell
Treasurer
Director -Vice Chair → Director Chair, 2023
Director Chair → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kaitlyn Cunningham
Vice Chair
Director - Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Ebelhar
Director Vice Chair
New on the 2025 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: David W. Tandy (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Diane M. Ford (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: E. Phillips Malone (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Jane Haase (2020–2022) — Director - Chair
- Former: Joe Overby (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Kaitlyn Moore (2020) — Director - Controller
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 $106K, to Sara Hemingway (Director - Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Marilyn & William Young Charitable
How much does Marilyn & William Young Charitable give each year?
Marilyn & William Young Charitable gave $455K across 52 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $551K across 53 grants.
What is Marilyn & William Young Charitable's typical grant size?
Marilyn & William Young Charitable's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $8,755, across 52 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Marilyn & William Young Charitable that year got $3K on average.
Where does Marilyn & William Young Charitable give grants?
Marilyn & William Young Charitable gives mostly in Kentucky: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Owensboro, KY (39 grants) and Lexington, KY (3 grants).
Does Marilyn & William Young Charitable give general operating support?
Yes: 15% of Marilyn & William Young Charitable's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 52) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Hail Damage Support" (8 grants), "Director Discretionary" (7 grants) and "Association Support" (3 grants).
Who are Marilyn & William Young Charitable's largest grantees?
Marilyn & William Young Charitable's largest 2025 grantees include Riverpark Center ($65,927), Bluegrass Music Museum and Hall of Fame ($62,000) and Kentucky Wesleyan College ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($7,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Marilyn & William Young Charitable?
Marilyn & William Young Charitable reported $11.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $626K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $809K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Marilyn & William Young Charitable fund?
The foundation describes its mission as being 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. Its strategic focus areas are: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Marilyn & William Young Charitable?
Submit a Letter of Intent following the foundation’s guidelines; these are accepted throughout the year and reviewed by the Grants Committee within 30 days. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Marilyn & William Young Charitable's EIN?
Marilyn & William Young Charitable's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-6175836. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Marilyn & William Young Charitable funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/marilyn-and-william-young-charitable-morg_93af94b069124c1491fb7e614b94f085
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_616175836_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Marilyn \& William Young Charitable funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/marilyn-and-william-young-charitable-morg_93af94b069124c1491fb7e614b94f085},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Marilyn & William Young Charitable'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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