The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation is a private foundation located in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in conservation, orphan care, mentoring, homelessness services, and disaster response.
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation gave $85K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), top state Connecticut. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $85,370
- -28.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,336
- -46.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,085
- Total assets
- $1,990,504
- -2.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Onward and Upward Charitable 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: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nantucket Conservation Foundation Inc ($10K). Together the top 10 received $75K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 51 grants of 51 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Connecticut (25%), Massachusetts (19%), Florida (13%), New York (12%), and Tennessee (12%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation gives
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 77% 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 (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 $20K (2020) to $119K (2024). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $85K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nantucket Conservation Foundation Inc Nantucket, MA | General & Unrestricted | $10,100 |
| Feeding the Orphans Loudon, TN | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Halfthestory West Hartford, CT | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Open Hearts for Orphans Inc Delray Beach, FL | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Baptist Health South Florida Foundation Inc Atlanta, GA | General & Unrestricted | $7,500 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area Oakland, CA | General & Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Nantucket Cottage Hospital Nantucket, MA | General & Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| American National Red Cross Greenwich, CT | General & Unrestricted | $5,170 |
| Blood Cancer United Inc New York, NY | Charitable Event | $5,000 |
| Docs International Health and Rescue Alliance Ltd Bronx, NY | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Onward and Upward Charitable 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 | $1,990,504 | $55,871 | $96,763 | $85,370 | 16 | $95,644 | $55,871 | $123,866 |
| 2024 | $2,031,396 | $73,278 | $129,966 | $119,100 | 12 | $128,973 | $73,279 | $116,756 |
| 2023 | $2,088,084 | $207,851 | $89,195 | $79,040 | 11 | $88,295 | $57,851 | $106,742 |
| 2022 | $1,969,428 | $646,059 | $86,660 | $78,500 | 8 | $86,660 | $19,399 | $82,275 |
| 2021 | $1,410,029 | $854,208 | $55,236 | $48,181 | 4 | $54,986 | $4,058 | $52,723 |
| 2020 | $611,057 | $304,585 | $25,890 | $19,500 | 3 | — | $4,435 | $20,193 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $124K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own missions include conserving Nantucket’s natural resources (Nantucket Conservation Foundation), providing for the needs of orphans (Open Hearts for Orphans and Feeding the Orphans), supporting youth through mentoring (Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area), guiding people experiencing homelessness toward housing stability (The Open Door Shelter), and serving communities affected by disasters and crises (Team Rubicon).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $85,370. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $10,100, with a median of $5,085.
Notable grants included $10,100 to Nantucket Conservation Foundation; $10,000 each to Feeding the Orphans, HalfTheStory, and Open Hearts for Orphans; $7,500 to Baptist Health South Florida Foundation; $6,000 each to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Bay Area and Nantucket Cottage Hospital; and $5,170 to the American National Red Cross.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Ken Clark as secretary, Kevin Clark as director and treasurer, and Katheryn Clark Fortunato as director and president.
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation is led by Katheryn A Clark Fortunato, Director & President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katheryn A Clark Fortunato
Director & President
Treasurer → Treasurer, Director & President, 2022
Treasurer, Director & President → Director & President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Clark
Director & Treasurer
President & Director → Director, President & Treasurer, 2022
Director, President & Treasurer → Director & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ken Clark
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 Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation
How much does The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation gave $85K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $119K across 12 grants.
What is The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,085, and its average grant was $5,336, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's top state is Connecticut, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (19%) and Florida (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Nantucket, MA (2 grants).
Does The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 94% of The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Nantucket Conservation Foundation Inc ($10,100), Feeding the Orphans ($10,000) and Halfthestory ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation?
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $96K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $124K (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 Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Onward and Upward Charitable 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 Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4940206. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Onward and Upward Charitable 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-onward-and-upward-charitable-foundation-morg_68e1803533094f72b698fac84482fd7c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_474940206_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Onward and Upward Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-onward-and-upward-charitable-foundation-morg_68e1803533094f72b698fac84482fd7c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Onward and Upward Charitable 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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