Ohio & Erie Canal Association
The Ohio & Erie Canalway Association is an Akron, Ohio-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit designated by Congress as the management entity for the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. It makes grants through its Strategic Initiatives Program for projects, plans, and programs within the heritage area, supporting resources connected to the canalway’s natural, recreational, cultural, and historical assets.
Key facts about Ohio & Erie Canal Association
In short: Ohio & Erie Canal Association gave $368K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), mostly in Ohio. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 34-1835341
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $368,236
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- Average grant
- $24,549
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (7 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $1,206,713
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The 2025 program required a Letter of Intent before full applications. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The 2025 Letter of Intent deadline was January 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$1.2M
+121.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$368K
+78.4% YoY
Grant Count
15
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$25K
+18.9% YoY
Is Ohio & Erie Canal Association open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 15 grantees (47%) 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 $21K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $28K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “To Preserve and support the Historic Ohio & Erie Canal.” Its program description is to stimulate public support and interest in preserving and developing resources along the historic canal corridor.
The association’s Strategic Initiatives Program supports projects focused on conservation and development of natural, recreational, cultural, and historical resources. Its website cites contributions to the Towpath Trail, Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, America’s Byway, visitor facilities, and community development featuring historic preservation or natural conservation.
The 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. The Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition describes its mission as promoting protection, preservation, development, and enhancement of canal-route resources. North Cuyahoga Valley Corridor Inc. says it works to preserve natural and cultural experiences and connect people to place. Other grantees’ stated missions include preserving Northeast Ohio collections and historic sites, as at Western Reserve Historical Society; preserving historic cemetery buildings, monuments, and gardens while providing educational outreach, as at Lake View Cemetery Foundation; and creating a free museum-quality exhibit on Akron history, as at Akron History Center. These are grantees’ missions, not the association’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the association reported 15 grants totaling $368,236. Grants ranged from $6,194 to $50,000, with a median of $20,000. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio.
Largest reported grants included $50,000 to the City of Akron, $41,370 to the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, $40,000 to Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, $35,387 to Canalway Partners, $35,000 to Northeast Ohio Areawide Development, and $31,072 to Summit Parks. The filing lists the grant purposes as community development, path development, or trail development.
The program’s eligibility rules include Ohio political subdivisions, nonprofit organizations, and other persons or projects within the boundaries of the Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area. Awards are capped at $50,000, require a minimum 2:1 match, and depend on the availability of federal funds. The association’s 2025 program used a Letter of Intent to assess fit and alignment before full applications; applicants submitting a Letter of Intent could be required to attend an orientation session.
Review Cycle
The 2025 Letter of Intent deadline was January 10, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. EST; the association’s website says the 2026 proposal deadline has passed.
How to Apply
The 2025 program required a Letter of Intent before full applications. Its stated deadline was January 10, 2025, and the 2026 proposal deadline has passed.
Ready to take the next step with Ohio & Erie Canal Association?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The program serves projects within the 110-mile Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area, covering Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark, and Tuscarawas counties and part of Wayne County. The 2025 filing reports that all grant dollars went to Ohio recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $191K (2023) to $702K (2021). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $368K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was City of Akron ($50K). Together the top 10 received $318K.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 56 (77%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Akron Akron, OH | comm devel | $50,000 |
| Ohio & Erie Canal Coalition Akron, OH | comm devel | $41,370 |
| Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR Peninsula, OH | path devel | $40,000 |
| Canalway Partners Cleveland, OH | comm devel | $35,387 |
| NE Ohio Areawide Devel Cleveland, OH | comm devel | $35,000 |
| Summit Parks Akron, OH | trail devel | $31,072 |
| City of Cle Cleveland, OH | comm devel | $25,000 |
| Western Reserve Historical Society Cleveland, OH | comm devel | $20,000 |
| St Clair Superior Devel Cleveland, OH | comm devel | $20,000 |
| Open doors Inc Cleveland, OH | comm devel | $20,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,206,713 | $740,760 | $732,274 | $368,236 across 15 grants |
| 2024 | $545,259 | $578,625 | $578,442 | $206,457 across 10 grants |
| 2023 | $422,289 | $542,369 | $542,107 | $191,207 across 8 grants |
The filing type is Form 990 (a public charity).
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,206,713 | $545,259 | $422,289 |
| Revenue | $740,760 | $578,625 | $542,369 |
| Expenses | $732,274 | $578,442 | $542,107 |
| Net Investment Income | $183 | $183 | $182 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS July 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 18, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nick Gattozi as Chair, Thomas Yablonsky as Vice Chair, Mike Hoffman as Secretary, and Michael Hudecek as Treasurer. It also lists Chris Burnham, John Vallillo, Mike Dostal, David Jurca, and Amy Whitacre as members.
Ohio & Erie Canal Association is led by Nick Gattozi, Chair since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nick Gattozi
Chair
Member → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chris Burnham
Member
Chair → Vice Chair, 2020
Vice Chair → Member, 2022
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Hoffman
Secretary
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Yablonsky
Vice Chair
Chair → Member, 2022
Member → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Jurca
Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Vallillo
Member
Member → Secretary, 2024
Secretary → Member, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mike Dostal
Member
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Whitacre
Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Hudecek
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: James Graham (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Michael Hardy (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: Patricia Piteo (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: Barbara Deeds (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: J Bret Treier (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Barbara Bennett (2021) — Member
- Former: Gary Klasen (2021) — Member
- Former: Jeffrey Herold (2021) — Member
- Former: Chris Ronayne (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: J Bret Treir (2020) — Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 47 W Exchange St, Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 374-5657
Website: https://ohioanderiecanalway.com
Frequently asked questions about Ohio & Erie Canal Association
How much does Ohio & Erie Canal Association give each year?
Ohio & Erie Canal Association gave $368K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $206K across 10 grants.
What is Ohio & Erie Canal Association's typical grant size?
Ohio & Erie Canal Association's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $24,549, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ohio & Erie Canal Association that year got $21K on average.
Where does Ohio & Erie Canal Association give grants?
Ohio & Erie Canal Association gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (7 grants) and Akron, OH (5 grants).
Does Ohio & Erie Canal Association give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Ohio & Erie Canal Association's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Comm Devel" (11 grants) and "Trail Devel" (3 grants).
Who are Ohio & Erie Canal Association's largest grantees?
Ohio & Erie Canal Association's largest 2025 grantees include City of Akron ($50,000), Ohio & Erie Canal Coalition ($41,370) and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic RR ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ohio & Erie Canal Association?
Ohio & Erie Canal Association reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $741K.
What does Ohio & Erie Canal Association fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “To Preserve and support the Historic Ohio & Erie Canal.” Its program description is to stimulate public support and interest in preserving and developing resources along the historic canal corridor. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ohio & Erie Canal Association?
The 2025 program required a Letter of Intent before full applications. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ohio & Erie Canal Association's EIN?
Ohio & Erie Canal Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1835341. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Here's the math on researching Ohio & Erie Canal Association by hand.
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