The Chester Family Foundation
The Chester Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2025, it reported making 20 grants totaling $100,500 to charitable organizations, including health, education, food-assistance, housing, and other organizations.
The Chester Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Chester Family Foundation gave $101K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Ohio. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $100,500
- +15.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +17.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,025
- -1.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,500
- Total assets
- $1,463,674
- +0.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (4 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (82% 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 The Chester Family 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 for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4902 Riverside Drive, Columbus, OH 43220
Phone: (614) 334-6133
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Chester Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation ($20K). Together the top 10 received $86K.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 81 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 10% to Indiana, 7% to Michigan, and 1% to Wyoming.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Chester Family Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 20 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 65% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% 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 $68K (2020) to $101K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $101K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation Columbus, OH | Medical Care of Children | $20,000 |
| Ohio Health Foundation Columbus, OH | Health Care, Cancer Research & Patient Support | $12,500 |
| Give Neurohealth Inc Columbus, OH | Improve Lives for Those Living with Neurological Conditions | $10,000 |
| Psi Upsilon Foundation Indianapolis, IN | Education | $10,000 |
| Friends of Drummond Island Fire Drummond Island, MI | Support First Responder Organization | $7,500 |
| Mid Ohio Food Collective Grove City, OH | Feeding the Poor and Homeless | $7,000 |
| Columbus Academy Gahanna, OH | Education | $5,000 |
| Columbus School for Girls Columbus, OH | Education | $5,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Columbus, OH | Reproductive Healthcare for Women | $5,000 |
| Families Flourish Columbus, OH | Affordable Housing Opportunity & Career Guidance | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Chester Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,463,674 | $160,545 | $150,374 | $100,500 | 20 | $100,500 | $110,671 | $106,972 |
| 2024 | $1,453,503 | $170,295 | $128,728 | $87,055 | 17 | $87,055 | $128,622 | $99,802 |
| 2023 | $1,411,936 | $143,118 | $121,109 | $84,350 | 16 | $84,350 | $5,839 | $85,691 |
| 2022 | $1,389,927 | $103,990 | $130,583 | $95,500 | 15 | $95,500 | — | $84,899 |
| 2021 | $1,416,520 | $238,789 | $112,200 | $77,333 | 13 | $77,333 | $103,244 | $95,433 |
| 2020 | $1,289,931 | $182,259 | $100,098 | $67,500 | 16 | — | $49,150 | $77,786 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Chester Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $107K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for medical care and cancer research, neurological health, education, food assistance, reproductive healthcare, housing and career guidance, and a first-responder organization.
The supported organizations describe their own work in varied ways. Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio says it promotes healthy and responsible decision-making about parenthood, relationships, and sexual health. Columbus School for Girls says it strives to embrace a diverse community, foster leadership and social and civic responsibility, and encourage lifelong service. Families Flourish says its three-year program supports low-wage working families and their children through life coaching, rent support, and programs focused on housing and economic stability, career advancement, and generational change.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $100,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $20,000, with a median of $3,500.
Among its largest reported grants were $20,000 to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation for medical care of children; $12,500 to Ohio Health Foundation for health care, cancer research, and patient support; $10,000 to Give Neurohealth Inc. to improve lives for people living with neurological conditions; and $10,000 to Psi Upsilon Foundation for education. Other notable grants included $7,500 to Friends of Drummond Island Fire to support a first-responder organization, $7,000 to Mid Ohio Food Collective to feed people experiencing poverty and homelessness, and $5,000 each to Columbus Academy and Columbus School for Girls for education. Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio received $5,000 for reproductive healthcare for women, and Families Flourish received $4,000 for affordable housing opportunity and career guidance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cecily C Alexander as vice-president, James J Chester as secretary, and John J Chester Jr as treasurer.
The Chester Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Cecily C. Alexander
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
James J. Chester
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
John J. Chester Jr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Chester Family Foundation
How much does The Chester Family Foundation give each year?
The Chester Family Foundation gave $101K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $87K across 17 grants.
What is The Chester Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Chester Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,500, and its average grant was $5,025, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Chester Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Chester Family Foundation give grants?
The Chester Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Indiana (10%) and Michigan (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, OH (12 grants) and Upper Arlington, OH (2 grants).
Does The Chester Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on The Chester Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (6 grants).
Who are The Chester Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Chester Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation ($20,000), Ohio Health Foundation ($12,500) and Give Neurohealth Inc ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Chester Family Foundation?
The Chester Family Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $101K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $107K (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 The Chester Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for medical care and cancer research, neurological health, education, food assistance, reproductive healthcare, housing and career guidance, and a first-responder organization. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Chester Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Chester Family Foundation's EIN?
The Chester Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5860910. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Chester Family 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 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 July 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Chester Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-chester-family-foundation-morg_64497c37fb5c409c9280254e8daebbee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205860910_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Chester Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-chester-family-foundation-morg_64497c37fb5c409c9280254e8daebbee},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 The Chester Family 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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