Optimist International Foundation
The Optimist International Foundation (OIF) is a St. Louis, Missouri-based public charity that supports the charitable, literary, and educational activities of Optimist International and its member clubs. Established in 1971, it seeks and manages funds and property to support youth and service programs.
Optimist International Foundation at a glance
In short: Optimist International Foundation gave $291K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), top state Florida. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $290,935
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +21.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,114
- -1.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $15,741,968
- +9.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (4 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (30% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Optimist International Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The posted 2026 Club Grant Program application is for Optimist clubs. It requires club dues to be paid by the application date, a new project, club approval, and a commitment to raise funds matching at least the OIF grant. The application says projects must be completed between April 2026 and March 2027. The 2026 Childhood Health & Wellness application is also for clubs; it requires a matching commitment, allows one matching-grant request per Optimist year, and says an ongoing project that has previously received a grant can be submitted only once.
- Review Cycle
- The Club Grant Program application lists March 20, 2026, a past deadline as of September 28, 2026.
- Deadline
- The Club Grant Program application lists March 20, 2026, a past deadline as of September 28, 2026.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4494 Lindell Boulevard, St Louis, MO 63108
Phone: (314) 371-6000
Website: https://oifoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Optimist International Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Optimist Club of Miami Beach North Shore FL ($80K). Together the top 10 received $234K.
Grant Size Distribution
67 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 67 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
OIF’s website describes work with Optimist clubs in the United States and the Caribbean. In filing year 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Florida (30%), Indiana (18%), Missouri (13%), Nevada (5%), and Kansas (5%). The listed grants also include recipients in Texas, Virginia, Georgia, California, and Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Optimist International Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 17 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $12K 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $114K (2020) to $312K (2019). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $291K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Optimist Club of Miami Beach North Shore FL Hollywood, FL | Football Program Intercity | $80,000 |
| Optimist Club of Terre Haute IN Terre Haute, IN | Clothe-a-Child; Jr. Golf | $34,040 |
| Platte County Optimist Club of Missouri Kansas City, MO | Freed northland kids, youth project, jr. Golf, special olympics | $25,000 |
| Optimist Club of Zionsville IN Zionsville, IN | 3RD Grade History Program, Bike Equipment | $19,750 |
| Optimist Club of Reno NV Reno, NV | Fyre robotics club and team h5480 joi club support | $14,250 |
| Optimist Club of Springfield-Westside MO Rogersville, MO | Youth Programs | $13,631 |
| Optimist Club of Olathe KS Olathe, KS | Youth Projects/Programs, Scholarships | $13,580 |
| Noon Optimist Club of Marshall Inc TX Marshall, TX | Young Texan Program | $12,000 |
| Optimist Club of Danville VA Danville, VA | Oratorical Contest | $12,000 |
| Sawnee Optimist Club of Cumming GA Cumming, GA | Backpacks, childhood cancer, teacher of the year, star student, scholarships, flags to education program | $10,100 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $15,741,968 | $2,791,867 | $1,816,761 | $290,935 | 17 | $930,253 |
| 2024 | $14,334,284 | $1,776,980 | $1,884,300 | $242,356 | 14 | $601,303 |
| 2023 | $11,982,405 | $1,778,246 | $1,644,415 | $185,651 | 13 | $447,101 |
| 2022 | $11,587,997 | $2,205,847 | $1,538,569 | $156,055 | 11 | $769,145 |
| 2021 | $14,028,554 | $1,571,942 | $1,592,363 | $127,828 | 12 | $448,117 |
| 2020 | $11,240,808 | $1,674,642 | $1,483,434 | $114,398 | 14 | $501,168 |
| 2019 | $10,030,315 | $1,717,844 | $1,612,224 | $312,463 | 24 | $581,688 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
OIF’s stated mission is to seek, receive, and manage funds and real and personal property for the benefit of Optimist International and its member clubs in their charitable, literary, and educational activities.
Its filing describes support for club grant programs, international initiatives, matching grants, member training, and contests and scholarships. The filing also describes an annual oratorical speech competition, essay contest, and communications contest for deaf and hard-of-hearing participants. The stated 2024 expenses for those scholarship programs were payments to individuals, rather than grants to outside applicants.
The Foundation’s 2026 club-grant application asks clubs to describe a new charitable project and how it assists children and fosters diversity. Its 2026 Childhood Health & Wellness application lists healthy lifestyles, chronic diseases, mental health, and disabilities as focus areas.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, OIF reported 17 grants totaling $290,935. Grant amounts ranged from $5,200 to $80,000, with a median of $12,000. Recipients included Optimist clubs carrying out local youth projects and programs.
The largest reported grants were $80,000 to the Optimist Club of Miami Beach North Shore in Florida for an intercity football program; $34,040 to the Optimist Club of Terre Haute in Indiana for Clo-the-a-Child and junior golf; and $25,000 to the Platte County Optimist Club of Missouri for youth projects and programs, junior golf, and Special Olympics. Other grants included $19,750 to the Optimist Club of Zionsville, Indiana, for a third-grade history program and bike equipment, and $14,250 to the Optimist Club of Reno, Nevada, for a robotics club and JOI club support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ben Deremer as president, Fatima Plater as president-elect, Deanna Morrow as treasurer, Ken Garner and Jennifer Kendo as directors, and Craig Boring as secretary and executive director.
Optimist International Foundation is led by Craig Boring, Secretary & Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Craig Boring
Secretary & Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$108K (2019) → $123K (2025)
Ben Deremer
President
Treasurer → President-Elect, 2024
President-Elect → President, 2025
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ken Garner
Director
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Kendo
Director
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Fatima Plater
President-Elect
Director → Treasurer, 2024
Treasurer → President-Elect, 2025
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deanna Morrow
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Teri Davis (2021–2024) — President
- Former: Jim Kondrasuk (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Debra Merritt (2022–2023) — President
- Former: Marc Katz (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Jan Oord Graves (2019–2021) — President
- Former: T. G. Thomas (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Bill Meyers (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Don Sievers (2019) — Director
- Former: Melvin Bannister (2019) — President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $123K, to Craig Boring (Secretary/ Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Optimist International Foundation
How much does Optimist International Foundation give each year?
Optimist International Foundation gave $291K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $242K across 14 grants.
What is Optimist International Foundation's typical grant size?
Optimist International Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,000, and its average grant was $17,114, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Optimist International Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Optimist International Foundation give grants?
Optimist International Foundation's top state is Florida, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Indiana (18%) and Missouri (13%).
Does Optimist International Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Optimist International Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Optimist International Foundation's largest grantees?
Optimist International Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Optimist Club of Miami Beach North Shore FL ($80,000), Optimist Club of Terre Haute IN ($34,040) and Platte County Optimist Club of Missouri ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Optimist International Foundation?
Optimist International Foundation reported $15.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.8M.
What does Optimist International Foundation fund?
OIF’s stated mission is to seek, receive, and manage funds and real and personal property for the benefit of Optimist International and its member clubs in their charitable, literary, and educational activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Optimist International Foundation?
The posted 2026 Club Grant Program application is for Optimist clubs. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Optimist International Foundation's EIN?
Optimist International Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7102928. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 25, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 24, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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