Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Nashville, Indiana. It supports charitable organizations, emphasizing lasting community impact, leadership, sustainability, and partnerships grounded in respectful relationships.
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc gave $102K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Indiana. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $101,700
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +15.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,780
- -8.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $1,106,619
- +3.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% 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 Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It describes an invitation-based process: an initial discussion about the organization or project may lead to an invitation to submit a letter of inquiry, followed in some cases by an invitation to submit a full proposal. The process may include an interview and board review. The foundation asks organizations to address their mission, leadership, sustainability, outcomes, community impact, project description, rationale, alignment with the foundation’s mission, and estimated costs.
- Review Cycle
- The foundation says it has no proposal deadline. It reviews opportunities as they arise, with most funding done in the fourth quarter.
- Deadline
- The foundation says it has no proposal deadline.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1684 Country Club Road, Nashville, IN 47448
Phone: (812) 988-0582
Website: https://meofoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Brown County Playhouse ($15K). Together the top 10 received $89K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 67 grants of 67 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies Central Indiana as its geographic focus. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 131% 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 $87K (2020) to $106K (2021). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $102K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brown County Playhouse Nashville, IN | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Hilltop Christian Camp Columbus, IN | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Reach Columbus Columbus, IN | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Reilly Children's Foundation Indianapolis, IN | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Shepherd Community Inc Indianapolis, IN | Charitable | $10,000 |
| St Peter's Lutheran Church School Columbus, IN | Charitable | $10,000 |
| First Christian Church Preschool Columbus, IN | Charitable | $8,800 |
| Area 10 Council on Aging Ellettsville, IN | Charitable | $7,500 |
| Love Chapel Ecumenical Assembly of Columbus, IN | Charitable | $4,000 |
| Ogilville Church Daycare Columbus, IN | Charitable | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc?
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 | $1,106,619 | $153,027 | $118,125 | $101,700 | 15 | $104,284 | $141,714 | $79,591 |
| 2024 | $1,071,717 | $102,147 | $114,495 | $95,900 | 13 | $101,783 | $90,424 | $77,164 |
| 2023 | $1,084,065 | $56,527 | $203,377 | $100,500 | 13 | $150,060 | $47,455 | $73,807 |
| 2022 | $1,230,915 | $9,976 | $195,704 | $95,000 | 12 | $174,821 | $33,692 | $84,100 |
| 2021 | $1,663,901 | $257,314 | $201,637 | $105,500 | 14 | $180,724 | $236,401 | $90,243 |
| 2020 | $1,608,224 | $38,038 | $180,458 | $86,500 | 13 | — | $19,271 | $90,797 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $80K 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 Mary E. Ober Foundation’s mission is to build partnerships with organizations that impact lives through loving and respectful relationships. It says it offers expertise, networks, and advocacy, and supports leadership and development to strengthen organizations’ sustainability, capacity, and social impact.
The foundation’s stated interests include faith-based, faith-friendly, and secular organizations working in areas such as education, health and emergency services, social justice, support for marginalized and disenfranchised people, homelessness, youth in crisis, character development, leadership and sustainability, organizational development, and family values.
Examples of the kinds of organizations it supports include Hilltop Christian Camp, whose mission describes Christian camping activities, primarily for youth; Shepherd Community, which says it works to cultivate healthier children, stronger families, and safer neighborhoods; and REACH Columbus, whose stated mission is to provide activities and experiences for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding, which received a 2025 grant, describes its work as equine-assisted therapy for people with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $101,700. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $15,000, with a median of $7,500. Its website says grants are generally $500 to $10,000, though some may fall outside that range.
Notable 2025 grants included $15,000 to Brown County Playhouse; $10,000 each to Hilltop Christian Camp, REACH Columbus, Reilly Children’s Foundation, Shepherd Community, and St. Peter’s Lutheran Church School; and $8,800 to First Christian Church Preschool.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mary Ann Wallace as president, Charles Wills as executive director, and Amy Leinart as secretary.
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc is led by Charles Wills, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles Wills
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$70K (2020) → $0 (2025)
Mary Ann Wallace
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Leinart
Secretary
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 2023 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $40K, to Charles Wills (Executive Direc).
Frequently asked questions about Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc
How much does Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc give each year?
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc gave $102K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $96K across 13 grants.
What is Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $6,780, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc give grants?
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, IN (6 grants), Indianapolis, IN (4 grants) and Nashville, IN (2 grants).
Does Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (15 grants).
Who are Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Brown County Playhouse ($15,000), Hilltop Christian Camp ($10,000) and Reach Columbus ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc?
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $104K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $80K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc fund?
The Mary E. Ober Foundation’s mission is to build partnerships with organizations that impact lives through loving and respectful relationships. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc's EIN?
Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-6418207. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc 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 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mary-elizabeth-ober-foundation-inc-morg_5f9f10f00ee14be38df937179feb8e15
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_356418207_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mary-elizabeth-ober-foundation-inc-morg_5f9f10f00ee14be38df937179feb8e15},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Mary Elizabeth Ober Foundation Inc'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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