The Ohnell Family Foundation
The Ohnell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Greenwich, Connecticut. Its 2025 filing lists grants for education, arts, and social purposes, including support for educational institutions, arts organizations, and youth-serving organizations.
The Ohnell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ohnell Family Foundation gave $1.9M across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $51K), top state Pennsylvania. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,946,500
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- -13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $51,224
- +5.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $6,822,527
- -11.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (2 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (42% 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 Ohnell Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 75 Khakum Wood Road, Greenwich, CT 06831
Phone: (914) 232-9221
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ohnell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Williamson College of the Trades ($800K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
210 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 159 grants of 210 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania (42%), New York (27%), Washington, DC (8%), Connecticut (8%), and Texas (5%). The listed grants also included recipients in New Hampshire and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ohnell Family Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 38 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $53K. How we count
Medians: $26K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 87% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 110% 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 $1.2M (2020) to $2.1M (2024). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Williamson College of the Trades Media, PA | Education | $800,000 |
| Manhattan Institute for Policy New York, NY | Education | $250,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh Newburgh, NY | Education | $155,000 |
| Cato Institute Washington, DC | Education | $150,000 |
| Mount Washington Observatory North Conway, NH | Education | $75,000 |
| The Small Things East Haven, CT | Education | $70,000 |
| Boca Raton Museum of Art Boca Raton, FL | ARTS | $50,000 |
| City House Plano, TX | SOCIAL | $50,000 |
| University of Austin Austin, TX | Education | $50,000 |
| VMTS Education Brooklyn, NY | Education | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ohnell Family 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 | $6,822,527 | $2,228,471 | $2,010,305 | $1,946,500 | 38 | $1,946,500 | $1,078,190 | $1,776,527 |
| 2024 | $7,743,273 | $3,436,129 | $2,170,829 | $2,141,000 | 44 | $2,141,000 | $2,010,681 | $1,943,184 |
| 2023 | $7,892,318 | $3,532,081 | $1,848,588 | $1,842,000 | 42 | $1,842,000 | $2,404,666 | $1,717,497 |
| 2022 | $7,324,958 | $1,214,846 | $1,675,486 | $1,638,500 | 42 | $1,638,500 | $288,441 | $1,563,577 |
| 2021 | $8,699,914 | $5,204,834 | $1,922,588 | $1,876,000 | 44 | $1,876,000 | $3,218,796 | $1,640,268 |
| 2020 | $7,363,976 | $4,720,186 | $1,254,604 | $1,214,000 | 35 | — | $2,978,020 | $1,168,459 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ohnell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. In 2025, the foundation’s largest listed grants were primarily reported for education, with grants also reported for arts and social purposes. The grantees describe a range of activities: Williamson College of the Trades says it prepares young men for leadership and productive lives; Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh says it helps young people realize their potential; and City House says it serves children and young adults experiencing abuse, neglect, or homelessness. Arts grantees include Boca Raton Museum of Art, Caramoor Center, and Storm King Art Center.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $1,946,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $800,000, with a median of $10,000.
The largest grants listed were $800,000 to Williamson College of the Trades for education, $250,000 to Manhattan Institute for Policy for education, $155,000 to Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh for education, and $150,000 to Cato Institute for education. Other notable grants included $75,000 to Mount Washington Observatory for education, $70,000 to The Small Things for education, and $50,000 each to Boca Raton Museum of Art for arts, City House for social purposes, University of Austin for education, and VMTS Education for education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ernst Ohnell as president and Patricia Ohnell as secretary.
The Ohnell Family Foundation is led by Ernst Ohnell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ernst Ohnell
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Ohnell
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Ohnell Family Foundation
How much does The Ohnell Family Foundation give each year?
The Ohnell Family Foundation gave $1.9M across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.1M across 44 grants.
What is The Ohnell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ohnell Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $51,224, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ohnell Family Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does The Ohnell Family Foundation give grants?
The Ohnell Family Foundation's top state is Pennsylvania, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (27%) and District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), Boca Raton, FL (3 grants), Greenwich, CT (3 grants) and Rye, NY (2 grants).
Does The Ohnell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on The Ohnell Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (13 grants), "Community" (7 grants) and "Medical" (5 grants).
Who are The Ohnell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ohnell Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Williamson College of the Trades ($800,000), Manhattan Institute for Policy ($250,000) and Boys and Girls Club of Newburgh ($155,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ohnell Family Foundation?
The Ohnell Family Foundation reported $6.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ohnell Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. In 2025, the foundation’s largest listed grants were primarily reported for education, with grants also reported for arts and social purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ohnell Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Ohnell Family Foundation's EIN?
The Ohnell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3219022. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Ohnell Family 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 4, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 4, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ohnell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ohnell-family-foundation-morg_5a6b8149ad674040b0380cb4e7e71413
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223219022_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ohnell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ohnell-family-foundation-morg_5a6b8149ad674040b0380cb4e7e71413},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Ohnell Family 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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