Robert S Morrison Foundation
The Robert S. Morrison Foundation is a private foundation based in Ashtabula, Ohio, established in 1973. It says its contributions aim to improve the lives of people in the Ashtabula area, supporting community betterment in areas including education, transportation, animal welfare, recreation, and health.
Robert S Morrison Foundation at a glance
In short: Robert S Morrison Foundation gave $714K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), mostly in Ohio. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $713,736
- +23.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,843
- +10.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $12,553,848
- +6.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (13 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (99% 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 Robert S Morrison Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation says applications are available on its website, with application tracks for grants up to $5,000 and grants above $5,000. Its filing names Alec Raffa as the application contact and states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. The filing lists no deadlines and says awards are primarily within Ashtabula County, Ohio.
- Contact
Application contact: Alec Raffa
Mailing address: 355 Prospect Road Suite 110, Ashtabula, OH 44004
Phone: (440) 992-7674
Website: https://therobertsmorrisonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert S Morrison Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ashtabula Regional Medical Center Foundation ($150K). Together the top 10 received $478K.
Grant Size Distribution
182 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 169 grants of 182 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s filing states that awards are primarily within Ashtabula County, Ohio. In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 1% to recipients in Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Robert S Morrison Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 40 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $580K (2024) to $714K (2025). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $714K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ashtabula Regional Medical Center Foundation Ashtabula, OH | General Purpose | $150,000 |
| Ashtabula County Ne Ohio Regional Airport Authority Jefferson, OH | General Purpose | $49,736 |
| Ashcraft Industries Inc Ashtabula, OH | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| Jefferson Area Local School District Jefferson, OH | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| Saybrook Township Park Ashtabula, OH | General Purpose | $40,000 |
| After School Discovery Ashtabula, OH | General Purposegeneral Purpose | $37,500 |
| Ashtabula County Animal Protective Leauge Ashtabula, OH | General Purpose | $36,000 |
| Ashtabula Arts Center Ashtabula, OH | General Purpose | $30,000 |
| Ashtabula Dream Center Ashtabula, OH | General Purpose | $30,000 |
| Ashtabula County District Library Foundation Ashtabula, OH | General Purpose | $25,000 |
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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 | $12,553,848 | $1,652,658 | $960,563 | $713,736 | 40 | $855,741 | $1,584,132 | $963,425 |
| 2024 | $11,788,193 | $792,385 | $934,119 | $579,538 | 36 | $750,568 | $728,676 | $902,529 |
| 2023 | $11,827,038 | $761,382 | $1,768,300 | $705,488 | 36 | $873,211 | $703,742 | $799,740 |
| 2022 | $12,025,463 | $1,169,629 | $1,948,966 | $681,730 | 35 | $852,091 | $1,106,129 | $807,267 |
| 2021 | $11,832,335 | $2,450,301 | $748,969 | $611,217 | 35 | $809,031 | $2,384,618 | $880,291 |
| 2020 | $10,260,525 | $586,396 | $732,313 | $612,500 | 29 | — | $526,620 | $763,090 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert S Morrison Foundation reported a distributable amount of $963K 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 foundation’s stated vision is to improve the lives of people in the Ashtabula area. Its website identifies education, transportation, animal welfare, recreation, and health as areas of community betterment.
The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Ashcraft Industries says it provides state-mandated services to adults with developmental disabilities; After School Discovery says it supports children and families through learning and enrichment; and the Ashtabula Arts Center describes itself as a multi-arts facility offering performances, activities, classes, and programming. The Ashtabula Homeless Shelter says it provides emergency shelter, meals, case management, and assessment to people experiencing homelessness.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 40 grants totaling $713,736. Awards ranged from $500 to $150,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest listed grants included $150,000 to Ashtabula Regional Medical Center Foundation; $49,736 to Ashtabula County NE Ohio Regional Airport Authority; and $40,000 each to Ashcraft Industries, Jefferson Area Local School District, and Saybrook Township Park. Other listed recipients included After School Discovery ($37,500), Ashtabula County Animal Protective League ($36,000), Ashtabula Arts Center ($30,000), and Ashtabula Homeless Shelter ($22,000).
The foundation also reported awarding a $1 million grant to Ashtabula County Medical Center and the ACMC Foundation for a new patient care tower. In a separate example of project support, it contributed $30,000 toward Saybrook Township’s water-rescue boat.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Louise M. Raffa and Alec J. Raffa as co-presidents. Trustees listed are Thomas M. Raffa, Robert M. Raffa, Richard Rowley, and Richard G. Coblitz.
Robert S Morrison Foundation is led by Louise M. Raffa, Co-President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Louise M. Raffa
Co-President
President & Executive Director → President Executive Director, 2021
President Executive Director → Co-President, 2022
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$83K (2021) → $83K (2025)
Alec J. Raffa
Co-President
Trustee → Co-President, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Rowley
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert M. Raffa
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard G. Coblitz
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas M. Raffa
Trustee
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: G. Richard Coblitz (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: John C. Palo (2020–2021) — Trustee
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 $83K, to Louise M Raffa (Co-President).
Frequently asked questions about Robert S Morrison Foundation
How much does Robert S Morrison Foundation give each year?
Robert S Morrison Foundation gave $714K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $580K across 36 grants.
What is Robert S Morrison Foundation's typical grant size?
Robert S Morrison Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,843, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert S Morrison Foundation that year got $29K on average.
Where does Robert S Morrison Foundation give grants?
Robert S Morrison Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ashtabula, OH (22 grants), Jefferson, OH (6 grants) and Cleveland, OH (4 grants).
Does Robert S Morrison Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Robert S Morrison Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 40) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert S Morrison Foundation's largest grantees?
Robert S Morrison Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Ashtabula Regional Medical Center Foundation ($150,000), Ashtabula County Ne Ohio Regional Airport Authority ($49,736) and Ashcraft Industries Inc ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert S Morrison Foundation?
Robert S Morrison Foundation reported $12.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $856K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $963K (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 Robert S Morrison Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated vision is to improve the lives of people in the Ashtabula area. Its website identifies education, transportation, animal welfare, recreation, and health as areas of community betterment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert S Morrison Foundation?
The foundation says applications are available on its website, with application tracks for grants up to $5,000 and grants above $5,000. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Robert S Morrison Foundation's EIN?
Robert S Morrison Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7246162. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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). Robert S Morrison Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-s-morrison-foundation-morg_a1febe6882754c688723df318f3e35d4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237246162_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert S Morrison Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-s-morrison-foundation-morg_a1febe6882754c688723df318f3e35d4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Robert S Morrison 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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