The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations supporting activities including community services, the arts, health-related work, and education.
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation at a glance
In short: The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation gave $741K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $53K), mostly in Ohio. 38% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $740,500
- -78.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $52,893
- -78.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $9,472,792
- +13.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (55% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 358, Cincinnati, OH 45201
Phone: (513) 579-6360
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Horizon Community Church ($275K). Together the top 10 received $727K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 82 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 55% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 34% to recipients in the District of Columbia, 5% to Tennessee, 4% to Massachusetts, and 3% to Kentucky.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $85K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $26K repeat.
- 31% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 88% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 40% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $741K (2024) to $6.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $741K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon Community Church Cincinnati, OH | General Fund | $275,000 |
| John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Washington, DC | General Fund | $250,000 |
| United Way of Greater Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Artswave Cincinnati, OH | More Arts, More Kids Kickstarter | $25,000 |
| Christ Hospital Foundation Cincinnati, OH | Aim for wellbeing - drs steve and sandi amoils | $25,000 |
| Ensworth School Nashville, TN | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Pan-Massachusetts Challenge Trust Needham, MA | General Fund | $25,000 |
| Children's Home of Cincinnati Ohio Inc Cincinnati, OH | Fund the mission - in honor of tad lawrence | $20,000 |
| Life Learning Center Inc Covington, KY | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Taft Museum of Art Cincinnati, OH | A Race to the Taft | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Frances and Craig Lindner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,472,792 | $2,992,445 | $870,826 | $740,500 | 14 | $774,997 | $2,417,211 | $1,951,641 |
| 2023 | $8,351,184 | $3,135,690 | $3,485,381 | $3,389,000 | 14 | $3,407,484 | $2,141,779 | $1,782,714 |
| 2022 | $6,702,954 | $8,472,071 | $6,983,614 | $6,900,921 | 19 | $6,910,869 | $3,434,281 | $1,808,012 |
| 2021 | $7,537,614 | $10,542,257 | $6,519,135 | $6,405,380 | 21 | $6,414,757 | $6,523,966 | $1,499,046 |
| 2020 | $1,911,826 | $2,600,747 | $2,274,260 | $2,258,010 | 14 | — | $850,517 | $938,999 |
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 September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants include general-fund support for organizations such as Horizon Community Church, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, United Way of Greater Cincinnati, Ensworth School, and Pan-Massachusetts Challenge Trust, as well as grants for specific programs and events.
Some supported organizations describe their work in their own terms: United Way of Greater Cincinnati Foundation says it provides a flexible vehicle to support United Way of Greater Cincinnati, its initiatives, agencies, and the human services they provide. Life Learning Center says it prepares people for sustainable careers through education, training, and life coaching. The Store says it works to address hunger through a year-round free grocery store and partnerships on food security. Taft Museum of Art says it connects people with great art in a historic setting and in the community. The International Essential Tremor Foundation says it provides awareness, education, support, and research for the essential tremor community.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $740,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $275,000, with a median of $22,500. The largest grants were $275,000 to Horizon Community Church and $250,000 to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, both for general funds. Other grants included $50,000 to United Way of Greater Cincinnati, $25,000 to ArtsWave, and $25,000 to Christ Hospital Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists S. Craig Lindner as president, treasurer, and trustee, and Frances Lindner as vice president, secretary, and trustee.
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation is led by S. Craig Lindner, President, Treasurer & Trustee on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
S. Craig Lindner
President, Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frances Lindner
Vice President, Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation
How much does The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation give each year?
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation gave $741K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.4M across 14 grants.
What is The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation's typical grant size?
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $22,500, and its average grant was $52,893, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation give grants?
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (34%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (7 grants) and Nashville, TN (2 grants).
Does The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 43% of The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation's largest grantees?
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Horizon Community Church ($275,000), John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts ($250,000) and United Way of Greater Cincinnati ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation?
The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation reported $9.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $775K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (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 Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants include general-fund support for organizations such as Horizon Community Church, the John F. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation?
The foundation 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 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.
Does The Frances and Craig Lindner 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-frances-and-craig-lindner-foundation-morg_f74f295439b9415fbb1a1d3ba6824a5c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311420130_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Frances and Craig Lindner Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-frances-and-craig-lindner-foundation-morg_f74f295439b9415fbb1a1d3ba6824a5c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Frances and Craig Lindner 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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