The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio is a public charity based in Jackson, Ohio. Its 2024 IRS filing is marked as the organization’s final return, indicating that it appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio at a glance
In short: The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio gave $435K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $40K), mostly in Ohio. 73% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $434,532
- +194.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +266.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $39,503
- -19.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,271
- New grantees (estimate)
- 73% first-time grantees (8 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (88% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 69, Jackson, OH 45640
Phone: (740) 286-2838
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Jackson County Economic Development Partnership ($127K). Together the top 10 received $427K.
Grant Size Distribution
29 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 15 grants of 29 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The stated mission names Jackson, Ross, Pike, and Scioto counties in Ohio. In 2024, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 12% to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio open to new grantees?
73%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 11 grantees (73%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $41K; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 9% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+1%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $147K (2023) to $585K (2020). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $435K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson County Economic Development Partnership Jackson, OH | Opportunity Fund Grant/Project Support | $126,812 |
| Southern Ohio Port Authority Portsmouth, OH | Opportunity Fund Grant/Business Park | $50,000 |
| Herr Foods Inc Nottingham, PA | OPP Fund Grant | $50,000 |
| Jackson County Board of Commissioners Jackson, OH | OPP Fund Grant | $50,000 |
| BME Contracting LLC Piketon, OH | OPP Fund Grant | $34,799 |
| City of Waverly Waverly, OH | Opportunity Fund Grant/Police Station | $30,271 |
| Paps Hilltop Distillery LLC Hillsboro, OH | OPP Fund Grant | $30,000 |
| Hostetler Metal & Truss Walhonding, OH | OPP Fund Grant/Bus Retenion/Expansion | $25,000 |
| Remy's Enterprises LLC Waverly, OH | OPP Fund Grant/Bus Retintion/Expansion | $20,000 |
| Edaso Chillicothe, OH | OPP Fund Grant/Economic Dev Capacity | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | $143,271 | $439,631 | $434,532 | 11 |
| 2023 | $296,360 | $392,000 | $166,618 | $147,363 | 3 |
| 2022 | $70,978 | $415,275 | $351,244 | $338,000 | 3 |
| 2021 | $6,947 | $427,000 | $438,679 | $428,715 | 5 |
| 2020 | $18,626 | $427,850 | $603,632 | $584,553 | 7 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is “to develop jobs & economic development for Jackson, Ross, Pike, and Scioto Counties in Ohio.” Its 2024 grants included support for economic development projects and capacity, a business park, public facilities, and business retention and expansion. These purposes describe the listed grants, not a broader funding policy.
Jackson County Economic Development Partnership, which received a grant, describes its own mission as developing jobs and economic development for the Jackson County, Ohio area.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the organization gave 11 grants totaling $434,532. Grant amounts ranged from $7,650 to $126,812, with a median of $30,271.
Notable grants included $126,812 to Jackson County Economic Development Partnership, $50,000 to Southern Ohio Port Authority, $50,000 to Herr Foods Inc., and $50,000 to Jackson County Board of Commissioners. Other grants included $34,799 to BME Contracting LLC and $30,271 to the City of Waverly.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jason Kester as president and Sam Brady as director/treasurer.
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio is led by Jason Kester, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jason Kester
President
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sam Brady
Director & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
10 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 Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio
How much does The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio give each year?
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio gave $435K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $147K across 3 grants.
What is The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio's typical grant size?
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio's median grant in 2024 was $30,271, and its average grant was $39,503, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio that year got $41K on average.
Where does The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio give grants?
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio gives mostly in Ohio: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Jackson, OH (2 grants), Waverly, OH (2 grants) and Piketon, OH (2 grants).
Does The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "OPP Fund Grant" (4 grants).
Who are The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio's largest grantees?
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio's largest 2024 grantees include Jackson County Economic Development Partnership ($126,812), Southern Ohio Port Authority ($50,000) and Herr Foods Inc ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
What does The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “to develop jobs & economic development for Jackson, Ross, Pike, and Scioto Counties in Ohio.” Its 2024 grants included support for economic development projects and capacity, a business park, public facilities, and business retention and expansion. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio?
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio's EIN?
The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-2335562. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 10, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-joint-economic-development-initiative-of-southern-ohio-morg_c12ddadf1f44454a966b2f2249faed2d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_822335562_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-joint-economic-development-initiative-of-southern-ohio-morg_c12ddadf1f44454a966b2f2249faed2d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Joint Economic Development Initiative of Southern Ohio'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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