The Norton Foundation Inc
The Norton Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Louisville, Kentucky. Its grant program describes a commitment to education in Louisville, emphasizing hands-on learning, creative participation, and education’s contribution to the city’s future and quality of life.
The Norton Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Norton Foundation Inc gave $748K across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $25K), mostly in Kentucky. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $747,500
- -0.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- -18.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $24,917
- +23.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $17,500
- Total assets
- $10,030,967
- -3.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (2 of 30, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (94% 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 Norton Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing lists Meredith Erickson as the application contact. Applications must include a project outline, a budget covering all income and expenses, and a copy of the IRS determination letter verifying the organization’s exempt status. Applications are filed in triplicate and maintained by the foundation’s executive director. The grant program says eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) public charities in Louisville, Kentucky, and that organizations may apply once per calendar year. A grant recipient must complete a report the following year before reapplying. The foundation does not make grants to individuals or private foundations, and its grant program states that it may not designate funds for legislation or activities seeking to influence the legislative process, except as allowed by the Internal Revenue Code.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists quarterly deadlines.
- Deadline
- The filing lists quarterly deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Meredith Erickson
Mailing address: PO Box 6262, Louisville, KY 40206
Phone: (502) 893-9549
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Norton Foundation Inc
Who The Norton Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Waldorf School of Louisville ($70K). Together the top 10 received $465K.
Grant Size Distribution
174 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 174 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s filing says local charitable needs receive first priority. In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kentucky, 3% to Virginia, 3% to Michigan, and less than 1% to Georgia. The grant program identifies Louisville, Kentucky, 501(c)(3) public charities as eligible applicants.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Norton Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 30 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $33K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+8%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $693K (2021) to $750K (2023). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $748K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Waldorf School of Louisville Louisville, KY | Education | $70,000 |
| Berry Center Inc New Castle, KY | General Operations | $60,000 |
| Dare to Care Louisville, KY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm Louisville, KY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Parks Alliance of Louisville Inc Louisville, KY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| Portland Museum Inc Louisville, KY | General Operations | $50,000 |
| University of Louisville Foundation Inc Louisville, KY | Education | $50,000 |
| Wilderness Louisville Inc Fairdale, KY | Environmental Education | $35,000 |
| Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts Louisville, KY | Arts Education | $25,000 |
| Louisville Public Media Louisville, KY | General Operations | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Norton Foundation Inc?
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 | $10,030,967 | $735,890 | $1,067,735 | $747,500 | 30 | $871,945 | $585,573 | $744,300 |
| 2023 | $10,375,004 | $475,487 | $1,046,444 | $749,740 | 37 | $878,329 | $149,835 | $671,301 |
| 2022 | $11,071,166 | $877,114 | $1,028,524 | $745,990 | 35 | $807,958 | $739,993 | $740,895 |
| 2021 | $12,117,381 | $1,281,289 | $971,367 | $693,120 | 36 | $802,569 | $1,111,096 | $795,142 |
| 2020 | $11,841,718 | $1,068,063 | $1,008,976 | $718,810 | 36 | — | $961,150 | $690,994 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Norton Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $744K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s grant-program description emphasizes education, particularly hands-on learning and creative participation, and supporting education in Louisville. Its 2024 grants also went to organizations whose stated missions span areas such as food assistance, parks, arts and culture, environmental education, and services for children and families.
For example, the Waldorf School of Louisville says it provides Waldorf education and an integrated curriculum for children. Dare to Care says it works to provide pathways to end hunger in its community. Parks Alliance of Louisville describes its mission as driving equitable investment in public parks to improve community health and wellbeing. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $747,500 across 30 grants. Awards ranged from $2,500 to $70,000, with a median grant of $17,500. The grant program describes awards of $5,000 to $100,000.
Among the largest 2024 grants were $70,000 to Waldorf School of Louisville for education; $60,000 to the Berry Center for general operations; and $50,000 each to Dare to Care, Food Literacy Project at Oxmoor Farm, Parks Alliance of Louisville, Portland Museum, and the University of Louisville Foundation. Other notable grants included $35,000 to Wilderness Louisville for environmental education and $25,000 each to the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts for arts education, Louisville Public Media for general operations, Maryhurst for general operations, and the University of Virginia for general operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jane Newton as president, Meredith Erickson as executive director and secretary, Margaret Keith as vice president, and S Brandon Coan as director.
The Norton Foundation Inc is led by Meredith Erickson, Executive Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Meredith Erickson
Executive Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$78K (2020) → $77K (2024)
Jane Newton
President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
S. Brandon Coan
Director
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margaret Keith
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $77K, to Meredith Erickson (Executive Director/Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about The Norton Foundation Inc
How much does The Norton Foundation Inc give each year?
The Norton Foundation Inc gave $748K across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $750K across 37 grants.
What is The Norton Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Norton Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $17,500, and its average grant was $24,917, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Norton Foundation Inc that year got $33K on average.
Where does The Norton Foundation Inc give grants?
The Norton Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Louisville, KY (25 grants).
Does The Norton Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 70% of The Norton Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (5 grants) and "Arts Education" (3 grants).
Who are The Norton Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Norton Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Waldorf School of Louisville ($70,000), Berry Center Inc ($60,000) and Dare to Care ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Norton Foundation Inc?
The Norton Foundation Inc reported $10.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $872K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $744K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Norton Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s grant-program description emphasizes education, particularly hands-on learning and creative participation, and supporting education in Louisville. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Norton Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s filing lists Meredith Erickson as the application contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Norton Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Norton Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 61-6024040. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Norton Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-norton-foundation-inc-morg_1d38e0b708774647ba2237a764893799
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_616024040_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Norton Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-norton-foundation-inc-morg_1d38e0b708774647ba2237a764893799},
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 Norton Foundation Inc'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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