The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc logo

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Cincinnati, OH EIN: 31-1383678 Website

The Cincinnati International Wine is a Cincinnati, Ohio public charity that raises funds through wine-themed events and distributes grants to local nonprofits. Its stated mission is to promote the wine industry and raise funds for local charities.

Key facts about The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc

In short: The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc gave $288K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Ohio. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
31-1383678
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$288,050
Grants made (2025)
18
Average grant
$16,003
Median grant
$13,600
New grantees (estimate)
22% first-time grantees (4 of 18, 2025; small sample)
Total assets
$1,516,105
Primary geography
Ohio (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply
Submit an application and an IRS 501(c)(3) status letter. Full details ↓
Deadline
The 2026 application was due March 13, 2026; this deadline has passed.

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 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

$1.5M

+0.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$288K

+10.8% YoY

Grant Count

18

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$16K

+10.8% YoY

Is The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc open to new grantees?

22%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 18 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $18K. How we count

Medians: $8K first-time, $15K repeat.

  • 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 45% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The organization states that its mission is “to promote the wine industry & raise funds for local charities.” Its website says it distributes grants to arts, education, and health and human services nonprofits in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

The organizations it supported in 2025 include arts, social-service, and health-related grantees. For example, Linton Incorporated says it provides chamber music experiences in Greater Cincinnati, while Cincinnati Works says it provides free training and coaching to help people living in poverty advance toward self-sufficiency through employment. Cancer Family Care describes its mission as supporting children, adults, and families coping with cancer. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the funder’s.

Grantmaking

The 2025 filing lists 18 grants totaling $288,050. Grants ranged from $6,000 to $42,300, with a median of $13,600. Among the largest were Cincinnati Public Radio ($42,300), Cancer Family Care ($32,400), Freestore Foodbank ($25,050), Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Foundation ($22,400), and Cincinnati Works ($21,000). The listed grant purposes were “to support the mission.”

Separately, the organization’s community report says that its 2025 festival proceeds supported 35 nonprofits with $345,000. The organization’s filing describes an application and board-review process: applicants must submit an application and an IRS 501(c)(3) status letter; the board makes the final determination. The filing also says the organization has historically supported a consistent group of core beneficiaries, with additional beneficiaries depending on available fundraising proceeds, applications, and board or staff recommendations.

The website says applications are open to 501(c)(3) organizations active in Greater Cincinnati, and that the board reviews applications after the March festival. The listed 2026 application deadline, March 13, 2026, is past. The website listed award notifications after Memorial Day and awards in June 2026; those dates are also past.

Review Cycle

The 2026 application was due March 13, 2026; this deadline has passed.

How to Apply

Submit an application and an IRS 501(c)(3) status letter. The board makes the final beneficiary selections.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The website identifies Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky as the areas served. In the 2025 filing, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 11% to recipients in Kentucky.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.

States

Cities

CincinnatiCovingtonColumbusLiberty TWPMasonNewportFlorenceOxford

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K0 grants2020 7 grants2021 32 grants2022 15 grants2023 18 grants2024 18 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $59K (2021) to $522K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $288K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Cincinnati Public Radio: $42KCincinnati Public Radio$42KCancer Family Care: $32KCancer Family Care$32KFreestorefoodbank: $25KFreestorefoodbank$25KCincinnati State Technical and Community College Foundation: $22KCincinnati State Technical andCommunity College Foundation$22KCincinnati Works: $21KCincinnati Works$21KLinton Incorporated: $19KLinton Incorporated$19KChildren's Home of Northern Kentucky: $15KChildren's Home of NorthernKentucky$15KRonald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati: $15KRonald McDonald HouseCharities of Greater…$15KFernside: $14KFernside$14KCatholic Inner-City Schools Education: $13KCatholic Inner-City SchoolsEducation$13K

The largest 2025 recipient was Cincinnati Public Radio ($42K). Together the top 10 received $219K.

Grant Size Distribution

90 grants across all recorded years

89<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 90 (99%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Cincinnati Public Radio Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$42,300
Cancer Family Care Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$32,400
Freestorefoodbank Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$25,050
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Foundation Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$22,400
Cincinnati Works Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$21,000
Linton Incorporated Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$18,900
Children's Home of Northern Kentucky Covington, KYTo Support the Mission$15,200
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$15,000
Fernside Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$14,000
Catholic Inner-City Schools Education Cincinnati, OHTo Support the Mission$13,200

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $1,516,105 $858,188 $1,014,753 $288,050
2024 $1,514,568 $880,448 $935,860 $260,000
2023 $1,268,607 $903,083 $931,844 $195,300
Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$1,516,105$1,514,568$1,268,607
Revenue$858,188$880,448$903,083
Expenses$1,014,753$935,860$931,844
Net Investment Income$65,393$62,488$117,028

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 20, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
  5. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Mary Horn as president and Renee Muraca as treasurer. Trustees listed are John Mocker, Missy Duggan, Steven Tolbert, Mary Ann Bokenkotter, Jason Millburn, Carl D’Ambrose, Michael Miller, and Chuck Hong.

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc is led by Sarah Gagnon, Executive Director since 2024 (on filings since 2023); 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Sarah Gagnon

    Executive Director

    Executive Director - → Executive Director, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    45 hrs/week

    $55K (2023) → $79K (2025)

  • Mary Horn

    President

    Vice President → Vp-, 2024

    Vp- → President, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jason Millburn

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Mocker

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mary Ann Bokenkotter

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Miller

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Missy Duggan

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Carl D'ambrose

    Trustee

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Chuck Hong

    Trustee

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jayne Menke

    Trustee

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shane Coley

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Steven Tolbert

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Renee Muraca

    Treasurer

    Treasurer - → Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (10)
  • Former: Constance Wiles (2020–2024) — President -
  • Former: George Elliott (2020–2024) — Trustee -
  • Former: Marj Valvano (2020–2024) — Lifetime Trustee
  • Former: Stephen Tolbert (2023–2024) — Trustee
  • Former: Barry T. Oppelt (2020–2023) — Treasurer -
  • Former: Brad Huberman (2022–2023) — Executive Director -
  • Former: Kelly Weissman (2020–2022) — Executive Director -
  • Former: Daniel J. Temming (2020–2021) — Trustee
  • Former: Marilyn Harris (2020–2021) — Trustee
  • Former: Deborah Dent (2020) — Executive Director

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

Sarah Gagnon — Executive Director: $79KSarah GagnonExecutive Director$79K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $79K, to Sarah Gagnon (Executive Director).

Contact

Mailing address: 3716 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45207
Phone: (513) 241-3434
Website: https://winefestival.com

Frequently asked questions about The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc

How much does The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc give each year?

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc gave $288K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $260K across 18 grants.

What is The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc's typical grant size?

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc's median grant in 2025 was $13,600, and its average grant was $16,003, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc that year got $8K on average.

Where does The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc give grants?

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc gives mostly in Ohio: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kentucky (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (14 grants) and Covington, KY (2 grants).

Does The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Mission" (18 grants).

Who are The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc's largest grantees?

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Cincinnati Public Radio ($42,300), Cancer Family Care ($32,400) and Freestorefoodbank ($25,050), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc?

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $858K.

What does The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc fund?

The organization states that its mission is “to promote the wine industry & raise funds for local charities.” Its website says it distributes grants to arts, education, and health and human services nonprofits in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc?

Submit an application and an IRS 501(c)(3) status letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc's EIN?

The Cincinnati International Wine Festival Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1383678. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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