The George Foundation
The George Foundation is a private foundation based in Columbus, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including arts organizations, a historical society, and wildlife and conservation organizations.
The George Foundation at a glance
In short: The George Foundation gave $396K across 50 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Ohio. 2% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $396,164
- +2.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 50
- +8.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,923
- -6.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100
- Total assets
- $4,054,777
- -0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 2% first-time grantees (1 of 50, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (97% 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 George Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Jack George by letter. The filing lists no required form or other materials, no deadlines, and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Jack George
Mailing address: 2627 Johnston Road, Columbus, OH 43220
Phone: (614) 451-5468
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The George Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Columbus Symphony Orchestra ($300K). Together the top 10 received $390K.
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 242 grants of 250 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 1% went to recipients in Iowa. Maryland, Missouri, and Washington, DC, each accounted for 0% as reported in the filing. These reported shares are rounded. The listed grants include recipients in Columbus and other Ohio locations, as well as organizations in Iowa, Maryland, and Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The George Foundation open to new grantees?
2%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 50 grantees (2%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $100; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $100 first-time, $100 repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $386K (2023) to $431K (2020). In 2025 it made 50 grants totaling $396K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Symphony Orchestra Columbus, OH | Charitable | $300,000 |
| Ballet Metropolitan Columbus, OH | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Wosu Stations Fund Columbus, OH | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Kalona Historical Society Kalona, IA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Capital Area Humane Society Hilliard, OH | Charitable | $1,100 |
| Nature Conservancy Baltimore, MD | Charitable | $1,100 |
| Columbus Museum of Art Columbus, OH | Charitable | $1,075 |
| Pro Musica Columbus, OH | Charitable | $1,000 |
| Ohio State Univ Bucks for Charity Columbus, OH | Charitable | $500 |
| Colony Cats & Dogs Rescue Columbus, OH | Charitable | $450 |
Ready to take the next step with The George 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 | $4,054,777 | $395,166 | $409,640 | $396,164 | 50 | $396,164 | $385,933 | $373,265 |
| 2024 | $4,077,542 | $307,239 | $400,551 | $388,058 | 46 | $388,058 | $299,511 | $352,435 |
| 2023 | $4,161,794 | $301,250 | $399,299 | $385,966 | 47 | $385,966 | $293,623 | $330,951 |
| 2022 | $4,266,903 | $324,179 | $419,500 | $407,115 | 53 | $407,115 | $320,456 | $351,546 |
| 2021 | $4,353,674 | $308,713 | $425,855 | $416,045 | 54 | $416,045 | $304,774 | $377,836 |
| 2020 | $4,470,816 | $320,158 | $448,936 | $431,120 | 58 | — | $340,381 | $352,965 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The George Foundation reported a distributable amount of $373K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, historical preservation, and wildlife and nature organizations. These are the grantees’ areas of work, not a stated foundation mission. For example, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as providing symphonic music and educational programs, while the Ohio Wildlife Center describes its work as wildlife rehabilitation, education, and wildlife health studies.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 50 grants totaling $396,164. Grant amounts ranged from $25 to $300,000, with a median of $100. Its largest grants were $300,000 to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, $40,000 to Ballet Metropolitan, and $40,000 to WOSU Stations Fund. Other listed grants included $5,000 to the Kalona Historical Society and $1,075 to the Columbus Museum of Art.
The grantees describe a range of work: Ballet Metropolitan says it engages the community through dance performances, instruction, and education; the Kalona Historical Society promotes local history and preservation; and the Columbus Museum of Art aims to provide “great experiences with great art for everyone.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jack George as president, Joan George as secretary/treasurer, and Carol George and Sarah George as trustees.
The George Foundation is led by Jack George, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jack George
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol George
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sarah George
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joan George
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
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 George Foundation
How much does The George Foundation give each year?
The George Foundation gave $396K across 50 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $388K across 46 grants.
What is The George Foundation's typical grant size?
The George Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $100, and its average grant was $7,923, across 50 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The George Foundation that year got $100 on average.
Where does The George Foundation give grants?
The George Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, OH (16 grants), St. Louis, MO (6 grants), Washington, DC (6 grants) and Baltimore, MD (2 grants).
Does The George Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 50 grants with a stated purpose on The George Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (50 grants).
Who are The George Foundation's largest grantees?
The George Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Columbus Symphony Orchestra ($300,000), Ballet Metropolitan ($40,000) and Wosu Stations Fund ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 96% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The George Foundation?
The George Foundation reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $396K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $373K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The George Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for arts and cultural organizations, historical preservation, and wildlife and nature organizations. These are the grantees’ areas of work, not a stated foundation mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The George Foundation?
Contact Jack George by letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The George Foundation's EIN?
The George Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1030194. 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 3, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The George Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The George Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-george-foundation-morg_773c1c73f9af47f7960504b037627bf0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311030194_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The George Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-george-foundation-morg_773c1c73f9af47f7960504b037627bf0},
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 The George 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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