The Payne Fund
The Payne Fund is a private foundation based in Cleveland, Ohio. Its stated mission is to encourage activities, programs, and organizations that improve the health, welfare, and education of youth. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and music organizations, nursing education, hospice care, and historic preservation.
The Payne Fund at a glance
In short: The Payne Fund gave $843K across 41 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in Ohio. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $843,000
- +15.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 41
- +17.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,561
- -1.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $3,321,061
- -5.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (75% 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 Payne Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3050 Prospect Avenue East, Cleveland, OH 44115
Phone: (216) 696-1621
Website: https://thepaynefoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Payne Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Musical Arts Association ($125K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $676K.
Grant Size Distribution
198 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 198 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 75% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 11% to North Carolina, 6% to Virginia, 4% to California, and 4% to Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Payne Fund open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 23 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $43K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 604% 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 $730K (2023) to $944K (2022). In 2024 it made 41 grants totaling $843K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Breakthrough Schools Cleveland, OH | General | $75,000 |
| Musical Arts Association Cleveland, OH | We Believe Campaign | $75,000 |
| Decorative Arts Center of Ohio Lancester, OH | Capital Endownment | $60,000 |
| Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Cleveland, OH | Manan K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy | $50,000 |
| Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH | African Byzantine Exhibit | $40,000 |
| Hospice of the Western Reserve Cleveland, OH | Support Its Western Reserve Quality of Life Campaign | $30,000 |
| Decorative Arts Center of Ohio Lancester, OH | Maintenance & Repair of Reese-Peters House | $28,000 |
| Brevard Music Center Brevard, NC | The thomas c bolton distinguished artist chair sponsored by thomas c. Bolton and the payne fund | $25,000 |
| Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH | Scholarships | $25,000 |
| Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing Cleveland, OH | Manan K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy | $25,000 |
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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 | $3,321,061 | $1,027,474 | $1,191,149 | $843,000 | 41 | $1,065,464 | $128,476 | $176,279 |
| 2023 | $3,521,106 | $817,397 | $1,109,168 | $730,000 | 35 | $969,139 | $79,797 | $167,202 |
| 2022 | $3,548,155 | $1,092,869 | $1,272,764 | $943,740 | 37 | $1,138,054 | $101,197 | $181,568 |
| 2021 | $4,130,473 | $1,180,140 | $1,224,044 | $869,300 | 40 | $1,082,531 | $312,062 | $206,905 |
| 2020 | $3,979,736 | $1,071,510 | $1,129,187 | $880,250 | 45 | — | $205,120 | $188,145 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Payne Fund reported a distributable amount of $176K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Payne Foundation describes its mission as supporting activities, programs, and organizations that improve young people’s health, welfare, and education. Its website also says it supports students pursuing educational goals through a scholarship program.
The 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Cleveland Institute of Music says its mission is to empower talented classical music students; Brevard Music Center says it teaches gifted young musicians to prepare and perform musical works. Hospice of the Western Reserve describes its work as providing palliative end-of-life care, caregiver support, and bereavement services. Lake View Cemetery Foundation says it works to preserve the cemetery’s historic buildings, monuments, and gardens and provide educational outreach.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the fund awarded 41 grants totaling $843,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $75,000, with a median grant of $20,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $75,000 to Friends of Breakthrough Schools for general support and $75,000 to the Musical Arts Association for the We Believe Campaign. Other grants included $60,000 to the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio for a capital endowment, $50,000 to the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing for the Manan K. Shaughnessy Nurse Leadership Academy, and $40,000 to the Cleveland Museum of Art for an African Byzantine exhibit. The fund also awarded $30,000 to Hospice of the Western Reserve for its Quality of Life Campaign and $25,000 to the Cleveland Institute of Music for scholarships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Barbara B. Gratry as president; Kenyon C. Bolton III, Oliver C. Gratry, Hugh B. Bolton, and Frances B. Wilmerding as vice presidents; William B. Bolton as treasurer; and Kim Scott as secretary.
The Payne Fund is led by Barbara B. Gratry, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Barbara B. Gratry
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hugh B. Bolton
Vice President
Rotating Director → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenyon C. Bolton III
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William B. Bolton
Treasurer
Vice President → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frances B. Wilmerding
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Oliver C. Gratry
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Scott
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Emily S. Bolton (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Charles H. Bolton (2020) — Secretary, Treasurer & Rotating Director
- Former: John B. Bolton (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Mary B. Hooper (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Philip P. Bolton (2020) — Vice President
- Former: Rachel A. Knowles (2020) — Rotating Director
- Former: Thomas C. Bolton (2020) — Vice President
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 Payne Fund
How much does The Payne Fund give each year?
The Payne Fund gave $843K across 41 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $730K across 35 grants.
What is The Payne Fund's typical grant size?
The Payne Fund's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $20,561, across 41 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Payne Fund that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Payne Fund give grants?
The Payne Fund gives mostly in Ohio: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (11%) and Virginia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (21 grants), Ashville, NC (4 grants), Brevard, NC (3 grants) and Point Reyes Station, CA (3 grants).
Does The Payne Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 20% of The Payne Fund's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Payne Fund's largest grantees?
The Payne Fund's largest 2024 grantees include Musical Arts Association ($125,000 across 3 grants), Friends of Breakthrough Schools ($100,000 across 2 grants) and Decorative Arts Center of Ohio ($88,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Payne Fund?
The Payne Fund reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $176K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Payne Fund fund?
The Payne Foundation describes its mission as supporting activities, programs, and organizations that improve young people’s health, welfare, and education. Its website also says it supports students pursuing educational goals through a scholarship program. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Payne Fund?
The foundation 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 Payne Fund's EIN?
The Payne Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-5563006. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Payne Fund 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Payne Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-payne-fund-morg_0ff443f1ebde4a5b9f0b1816e3f47624
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_135563006_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Payne Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-payne-fund-morg_0ff443f1ebde4a5b9f0b1816e3f47624},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Payne Fund'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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