The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Akron, OH EIN: 42-1537453

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation is a private foundation based in Akron, Ohio. Its 2025 grants supported Ohio organizations working in areas including scholarships, cultural arts, education, social services, and community programs.

Key facts about The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation

In short: The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation gave $78K across 43 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Ohio. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
42-1537453
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$78,398
Grants made (2025)
43
Average grant
$1,823
Median grant
$1,500
New grantees (estimate)
23% first-time grantees (10 of 43, 2025)
Total assets
$1,362,682
Primary geography
Ohio (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply
Call or email James D Kraus, Trustee, to request a grant application form. Full details ↓
Deadline
Apply by April 1 or December 1.

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 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-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.4M

+2.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$78K

+2.8% YoY

Grant Count

43

-10.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

+14.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $97K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation open to new grantees?

23%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 10 of 43 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.

  • 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 82% 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.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grant list shows support for scholarships and education, cultural arts, historical organizations, social services, and other community programs. For example, grants included support for cultural arts programming, school scholarships, residential programs, and crisis services.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation gave $78,398 through 43 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $9,000, with a median grant of $1,500. Its largest listed grant was $9,000 to Kent City Schools for the Christenson Scholarship Fund at Kent Roosevelt High School. Other notable grants included $5,000 to Standing Rock Cultural Arts Center for cultural arts programming and $3,000 each to Revere Local School District and Akron Springfield High School 50 Plus for scholarship funds. Haven of Rest Ministries received $3,000 for residential programs, and Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center received $3,000 for battered women’s and rape crisis services.

Review Cycle

Apply by April 1 or December 1. Trustees meet to determine grants in April and December.

How to Apply

Call or email James D Kraus, Trustee, to request a grant application form. The foundation’s filing states that awards are restricted to charities in Portage and Summit counties, Ohio.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio. The foundation’s stated award restriction is support for charities in Portage and Summit counties, Ohio.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.

States

Cities

AkronKentRavennaClevelandCantonCuyahoga FallsMantuaNorth CantonRichfieldStowMacedoniaPeninsulaBarbertonDeerfieldLodiNorton

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$25K$50K$75K$100K45 grants2020 42 grants2021 50 grants2022 52 grants2023 48 grants2024 43 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $76K (2023) to $94K (2022). In 2025 it made 43 grants totaling $78K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

3) Kent City Schools: $9K3) Kent City Schools$9K17) Standing Rock Cultural Arts Center: $5K17) Standing Rock CulturalArts Center$5K6) Revere Local School District: $3K6) Revere Local SchoolDistrict$3K7) Haven of Rest Ministries Inc: $3K7) Haven of Rest MinistriesInc$3K24) Akron Springfield High School 50 Plus: $3K24) Akron Springfield HighSchool 50 Plus$3K38)Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center: $3K38)Hope & Healing SurvivorResource Center$3K36) Kent Historical Society: $3K36) Kent Historical Society$3K2) Kent United Church of Christ: $3K2) Kent United Church ofChrist$3K4) Western Reserve Historical Society: $3K4) Western Reserve HistoricalSociety$3K5) Invent Now: $3K5) Invent Now$3K

The largest 2025 recipient was 3) Kent City Schools ($9K). Together the top 10 received $36K.

Grant Size Distribution

235 grants across all recorded years

235<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 235 grants of 235 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
3) Kent City Schools Kent, OHChristenson Scholarship Fund, Kent Roosevelt High School$9,000
17) Standing Rock Cultural Arts Center Kent, OHCultural arts programming$5,000
6) Revere Local School District Richfield, OHScholarship fund$3,000
7) Haven of Rest Ministries Inc Akron, OHSupport for residential programs$3,000
24) Akron Springfield High School 50 Plus Akron, OHScholarship fund$3,000
38)Hope & Healing Survivor Resource Center Akron, OHBattered Womens ($2000) & Rape Crisis ($1000)$3,000
36) Kent Historical Society Kent, OHReplace computer, external hard drives,software$2,890
2) Kent United Church of Christ Kent, OHGeneral Support$2,500
4) Western Reserve Historical Society Cleveland, OHHale Farm & Village education programs$2,500
5) Invent Now North Canton, OHCamp Invention program$2,500

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grants awarded Number of grants
2025 $78,398 43
2024 $76,250 48
2023 $76,200 52
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$50K$100K$150K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$1,362,682$1,334,497$1,318,753
Revenue$126,882$109,524$33,166
Expenses$97,579$94,642$93,593
Qualifying Distributions$79,340$77,676$78,036
Net Investment Income$111,827$95,261$34,869
Distributable Amount$96,948$91,574$84,257

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 9, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
  6. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists James D Kraus, Richard Tinker, and Howard T Boyle II Co as trustees.

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • James D. Kraus

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Richard Tinker

    Trustee

    On filings since 2024

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Howard T. Boyle Ii Co

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (2)
  • Former: Howard T. Boyle Ii Co Home (2020–2024) — Trustee
  • Former: Bruce H. Moore (2020–2023) — Trustee

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.

Contact

Application contact: James D Kraus Trustee
Mailing address: 3800 Embassy Parkway Suite 300, Akron, OH 44333
Phone: (330) 258-6483

Frequently asked questions about The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation

How much does The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation give each year?

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation gave $78K across 43 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $76K across 48 grants.

What is The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's typical grant size?

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $1,823, across 43 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation that year got $1K on average.

Where does The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation give grants?

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Akron, OH (21 grants), Kent, OH (6 grants), Ravenna, OH (4 grants) and Cleveland, OH (3 grants).

Does The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 33% of The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 43) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Generaloperating expenses" (3 grants).

Who are The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's largest grantees?

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include 3) Kent City Schools ($9,000), 17) Standing Rock Cultural Arts Center ($5,000) and 6) Revere Local School District ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation?

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $79K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $97K (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 Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation fund?

No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grant list shows support for scholarships and education, cultural arts, historical organizations, social services, and other community programs. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation?

Call or email James D Kraus, Trustee, to request a grant application form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's EIN?

The Henry V and Frances W Christenson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1537453. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

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

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