The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation

CINCINNATI, OH EIN: 31-1420130

The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1994 and based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The foundation focuses its philanthropic efforts on the arts, education, and health-related causes, with particular emphasis on cancer research and mental health treatment.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$9.5M

+13.4% YoY

Annual Giving

$741K

-78.1% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$53K

-78.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary giving interests include:

Arts – Supporting cultural and performing arts organizations
Education – Funding educational institutions and programs
Cancer Research and Treatment – Supporting cancer institutes and research centers
Mental Health – Contributing to mental health treatment facilities and programs

Grantmaking

The foundation operates on a preselected basis only and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds. The foundation indicates it makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations.

Grant Range

$23,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's giving extends to organizations in Ohio, Tennessee, and Massachusetts, with significant focus on Cincinnati-area institutions.

Grant Distribution by State

Ohio $17.3M (88%)

District of Columbia $1.7M (9%)

Massachusetts $298K (2%)

Florida $117K (1%)

Tennessee $115K (1%)

Connecticut $110K (1%)

Kentucky $75K (0%)

Hawaii $7K (0%)

+1 more states

States

Connecticut District of Columbia Florida Hawaii Kansas Kentucky Massachusetts Ohio Tennessee

Cities

BostonCincinnatiColumbusCovingtonHonoluluKey LargoLenexaMasonMilfordNantucketNashvilleNeedhamOxfordPalmetto BayWashingtonWestport

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Giving (as of most recent filings):

Total assets: $8.4 million to $9.5 million (varies by reporting source and year)
Total giving (2023): $3,388,500
Total revenues (2023): $3,135,690
Total expenses (2023): $3,485,381
Giving rate: Approximately 40.6% of assets

Staffing: The foundation operates with limited staffing, relying on board members with minimal paid staff.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$9,472,792	$8,351,184	$6,702,954
Revenue	$2,992,445	$3,135,690	$8,472,071
Expenses	$870,826	$3,485,381	$6,983,614
Qualifying Distributions	$774,997	$3,407,484	$6,910,869
Net Investment Income	$2,417,211	$2,141,779	$3,434,281
Distributable Amount	$1,951,641	$1,782,714	$1,808,012

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

82 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Horizon Community Church ($275,000), John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ($250,000), United Way of Greater Cincinnati ($50,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ARTSWAVE CINCINNATI, OH	MORE ARTS, MORE KIDS KICKSTARTER	$25,000
CHILDREN'S HOME OF CINCINNATI OHIO INC CINCINNATI, OH	FUND THE MISSION - IN HONOR OF TAD LAWRENCE	$20,000
CHRIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION CINCINNATI, OH	AIM FOR WELLBEING - DRS STEVE AND SANDI AMOILS	$25,000
CHRIST HOSPITAL FOUNDATION CINCINNATI, OH	MAYA'S WAY	$2,000
ENSWORTH SCHOOL NASHVILLE, TN	GENERAL FUND	$25,000
HORIZON COMMUNITY CHURCH CINCINNATI, OH	GENERAL FUND	$275,000
INTERNATIONAL ESSENTIAL TREMOR FOUNDATION LENEXA, KS	MEMORIAL GIFT - STEVE LESCHER	$1,000
JOHN F KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL FUND	$250,000
LIFE LEARNING CENTER INC COVINGTON, KY	GENERAL FUND	$20,000
NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES MASSACHUSETTS BAY COUNCIL BOSTON, MA	USS NANTUCKET COMMISSIONING COMMITTEE	$2,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

S. Craig Lindner – President, Treasurer, and Trustee (3 hours per week, no compensation)
Frances Lindner – Vice President, Secretary, and Trustee (3 hours per week, no compensation)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
S CRAIG LINDNER	PRESIDENT,TREASURER & TRUS	3	—
FRANCES LINDNER	VP, SECRETARY, TRUSTEE	3	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The Lindner family has made significant philanthropic commitments in recent years:

Lindner family gifts $10M to improve heart research at Christ Hospital -

The foundation contributed to the Lindner Center of Hope, which received commitments totaling $75 million from community leaders including Frances and S. Craig Lindner for mental health treatment facilities and services

The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation - Grantmakers.io

Major gifts to the University of Cincinnati Foundation supporting cancer research and treatment programs, including the Blood Cancer Healing Center and Cancer Center Chaplain Program

Lindner family gifts $10M to improve heart research at Christ Hospital -

Support for cultural institutions including Ford's Theatre

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary giving interests include: • **Arts** – Supporting cultural and performing arts organizations • **Education** – Funding educational institutions and programs • **Cancer Research and Treatment** – Supporting cancer institutes and research centers • **Mental Health** – Contributing to mental health treatment facilities and programs

How do I apply for a grant from The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • The foundation made 14 grants in its most recent fiscal year (2024) • Median grant size: $23,000 • Grant range: $1,000 to $275,000 • Total giving in 2023: $3,388,500 **Recent Notable Grants:** • $2,400,000 to The University of Cincinnati Foundation for the John C. Byrd, MD Blood Cancer Healing Center Fund • $600,000 to The University of Cincinnati Foundation for the Craig and Frances Lindner Cancer Center Chaplain Program Endowed Fund • $151,000 to Ford's Theatre **Applica…

Where does The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation make grants?

The foundation's giving extends to organizations in Ohio, Tennessee, and Massachusetts, with significant focus on Cincinnati-area institutions.

What size grants does The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation award?

In 2024, The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $741K — an average of about $53K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation's EIN?

The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1420130. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.