Meshewa Farm Foundation
Meshewa Farm Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2024 filing reports 31 grants totaling $729,400, supporting organizations working in areas that include land conservation, organic agriculture, food education, and hunger relief.
Meshewa Farm Foundation at a glance
In short: Meshewa Farm Foundation gave $729K across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $24K), top state Ohio. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $729,400
- -13.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- -3.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,529
- -10.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $10,471,711
- +0.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (3 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (31% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Meshewa Farm Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 201 E Fifth Street 900, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 361-0444
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Meshewa Farm Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Nature Conservancy ($100K). Together the top 10 received $510K.
Grant Size Distribution
192 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 192 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to organizations in Ohio (31%) and Kentucky (23%), followed by Massachusetts (13%), Hawaii (11%), and Vermont (10%). The foundation also made grants to organizations in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Meshewa Farm Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 31 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 77% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 46% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $729K (2024) to $1.4M (2021). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $729K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Nature Conservancy Lexington, KY | Unrestricted Contribution | $100,000 |
| Real Organic Project East Thetford, VT | Unrestricted Contribution | $75,000 |
| Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Inc Burlington, MA | Unrestricted Contribution | $70,000 |
| Association of Skateboarders in Hawaii Kailua, HI | Unrestricted Contribution | $60,000 |
| Aviatra Accelerators Covington, KY | Unrestricted Contribution | $50,000 |
| Crown Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | Unrestricted Contribution | $50,000 |
| Freestore Foodbank Cincinnati, OH | Unrestricted Contribution | $30,000 |
| Forest for Monarchs Dedham, MA | Unrestricted Contribution | $25,000 |
| Oeffa Educational Fund Worthington, OH | Unrestricted Contribution | $25,000 |
| Organic Eye La Farge, WI | Unrestricted Contribution | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Meshewa Farm Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $10,471,711 | $991,704 | $947,513 | $729,400 | 31 | $792,481 | $782,021 | $825,071 |
| 2023 | $10,414,340 | $404,557 | $1,056,872 | $840,450 | 32 | $906,985 | $243,920 | $782,243 |
| 2022 | $11,079,289 | $515,861 | $1,178,758 | $928,500 | 37 | $994,749 | $348,993 | $833,774 |
| 2021 | $11,734,144 | $1,456,540 | $1,571,348 | $1,355,000 | 45 | $1,417,972 | $1,282,274 | $917,684 |
| 2020 | $11,835,250 | $770,273 | $1,254,633 | $963,500 | 47 | — | $609,241 | $833,567 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Meshewa Farm Foundation reported a distributable amount of $825K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available sources. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work includes conservation, agriculture, food systems, and community services. For example, the Real Organic Project says it teaches farmers and consumers about healthy soil and biological farming. The Teaching Kitchen Collaborative says it supports a global network focused on improving lives through culinary and lifestyle education. Freestore Foodbank says it works to eliminate hunger in partnership with its community, while Cardinal Land Conservancy says it preserves natural lands and lands suited to food production and other public benefits.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $729,400. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $100,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest awards included $100,000 to The Nature Conservancy, $75,000 to Real Organic Project, $70,000 to Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, and $60,000 to Association of Skateboarders in Hawaii. Other notable grants included $50,000 each to Aviatra Accelerators and Crown Cincinnati, and $30,000 to Freestore Foodbank. The listed purposes for the largest grants were unrestricted contributions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Charles T Mitsui as trustee and Robert Gray Edmiston as president.
Meshewa Farm Foundation is led by Robert Gray Edmiston, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert Gray Edmiston
President
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles T. Mitsui
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Meshewa Farm Foundation
How much does Meshewa Farm Foundation give each year?
Meshewa Farm Foundation gave $729K across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $840K across 32 grants.
What is Meshewa Farm Foundation's typical grant size?
Meshewa Farm Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $23,529, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Meshewa Farm Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Meshewa Farm Foundation give grants?
Meshewa Farm Foundation's top state is Ohio, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Kentucky (23%) and Massachusetts (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (12 grants).
Does Meshewa Farm Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Meshewa Farm Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Meshewa Farm Foundation's largest grantees?
Meshewa Farm Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Nature Conservancy ($100,000), Real Organic Project ($75,000) and Teaching Kitchen Collaborative Inc ($70,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Meshewa Farm Foundation?
Meshewa Farm Foundation reported $10.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $792K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $825K (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 Meshewa Farm Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available sources. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose work includes conservation, agriculture, food systems, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Meshewa Farm Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Meshewa Farm Foundation's EIN?
Meshewa Farm Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7748707. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Meshewa Farm Foundation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Meshewa Farm Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/meshewa-farm-foundation-morg_b16d3e3db90c43509e4ee88858449034
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237748707_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Meshewa Farm Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/meshewa-farm-foundation-morg_b16d3e3db90c43509e4ee88858449034},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Meshewa Farm Foundation'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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