Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn
The Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. In filing year 2025, it reported 12 grants totaling $131,000 to charitable organizations, with listed purposes including annual fund support, scholarships, and project or program support.
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn at a glance
In short: Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn gave $131K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state North Carolina. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $131,000
- +0.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,917
- -7.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,143,344
- +3.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (29% 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 Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 630858, Cincinnati, OH 45263-0858
Phone: (800) 400-0439
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Southern Environmental Law Center ($15K). Together the top 10 received $115K.
Grant Size Distribution
50 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 50 grants of 50 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina (29%), Virginia (19%), New Hampshire (15%), South Carolina (11%), and New York (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 8% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% 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 $125K (2023) to $150K (2022). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $131K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Environmental Law Center Charlottesville, VA | Annual Fund | $15,000 |
| University of South Carolina Educational Columbia, SC | Scholarship | $15,000 |
| Propublica New York, NY | Annual Fund | $13,000 |
| Southern Coalition for Social Justice Durham, NC | Annual Fund | $12,000 |
| Great Bay Stewards Inc Greenland, NH | Project/Program Support | $10,000 |
| New Hampshire Hunger Solutions Inc Concord, NH | Annual Fund | $10,000 |
| Healing Justice Arlington, VA | Project/Program Support | $10,000 |
| Charlotte Family Housing Inc Charlotte, NC | Project/Program Support | $10,000 |
| FWDUS Education Fund Inc Washington, DC | Project/Program Support | $10,000 |
| Winter Walk Inc Boston, MA | Project/Program Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn?
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 | $2,143,344 | $247,010 | $176,477 | $131,000 | 12 | $140,374 | $212,652 | $134,484 |
| 2024 | $2,073,039 | $123,126 | $174,789 | $130,000 | 11 | $140,536 | $89,396 | $129,530 |
| 2023 | $2,124,878 | $71,436 | $163,361 | $125,000 | 7 | $132,809 | $37,999 | $114,350 |
| 2022 | $2,216,939 | $57,536 | $190,251 | $150,000 | 10 | $156,023 | $28,526 | $119,183 |
| 2021 | $2,349,714 | $277,621 | $177,970 | $140,000 | 10 | $143,973 | $244,372 | $135,792 |
| 2020 | $2,250,286 | $144,423 | $168,525 | $135,000 | 11 | — | $115,676 | $116,285 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn reported a distributable amount of $134K 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 grantees included organizations working on environmental protection, voting and social justice, immigration and criminal justice policy, housing and homelessness, and food insecurity. These are grantee activities, not stated foundation focus areas.
For example, the Southern Environmental Law Center describes its mission as protecting clean air, clean water, and a livable climate, and preserving natural treasures and biodiversity. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice says it partners with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities to advance their rights, with work centered on voting rights, justice system reform, and environmental justice. FWD.us Education Fund says it educates the public about immigration and criminal justice policy and reform.
Charlotte Family Housing describes its work as helping working families experiencing homelessness achieve long-term self-sufficiency through shelter, housing, supportive services, and advocacy. New Hampshire Hunger Solutions says it advocates to end food insecurity and improve equitable access to nutritious food. Winter Walk says it raises awareness and funds toward ending homelessness and supports organizations serving people experiencing homelessness. Nourish Up describes its work as reducing hunger and malnutrition in Mecklenburg County through grocery distribution and daily meals.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $131,000 through 12 grants. Grants ranged from $8,000 to $15,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Among the largest grants were $15,000 to the Southern Environmental Law Center for its annual fund and $15,000 to the University of South Carolina Educational for a scholarship. Other grants included $13,000 to ProPublica for its annual fund; $12,000 to the Southern Coalition for Social Justice for its annual fund; and $10,000 each to Great Bay Stewards, New Hampshire Hunger Solutions, Healing Justice, Charlotte Family Housing, FWD.us Education Fund, and Winter Walk.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Fifth Third Bank N A, Charles Love, Lela Love, and Julian Love as trustees.
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Fifth Third Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$27K (2020) → $40K (2025)
Charles Love
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julian Love
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lela Love
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 $40K, to Fifth Third Bank N a (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn
How much does Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn give each year?
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn gave $131K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $130K across 11 grants.
What is Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's typical grant size?
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,917, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn that year got $9K on average.
Where does Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn give grants?
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's top state is North Carolina, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (19%) and New Hampshire (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (3 grants).
Does Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn give general operating support?
Yes: 33% of Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Project/Program Support" (7 grants).
Who are Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's largest grantees?
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's largest 2025 grantees include Southern Environmental Law Center ($15,000), University of South Carolina Educational ($15,000) and Propublica ($13,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn?
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $140K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $134K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees included organizations working on environmental protection, voting and social justice, immigration and criminal justice policy, housing and homelessness, and food insecurity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn?
The foundation states that it 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 Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's EIN?
Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6040789. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/martha-and-spencer-love-fdtn-morg_998bab722cf24ccb98b94171e8b6ecb1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566040789_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Martha \& Spencer Love Fdtn funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/martha-and-spencer-love-fdtn-morg_998bab722cf24ccb98b94171e8b6ecb1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Martha & Spencer Love Fdtn'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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