The Ports Foundation
The Ports Foundation is a private foundation based in Akron, Ohio. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations whose stated missions involve veteran and first-responder support, social services, and other community needs.
The Ports Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ports Foundation gave $87K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), top state Florida. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $87,000
- -4.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,909
- -21.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,658,313
- +1.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Florida (37% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Ports 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: 3015 Round Hill Drive, Akron, OH 44333
Phone: (216) 621-7860
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ports Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers ($25K). Together the top 10 received $85K.
Grant Size Distribution
33 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 33 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grants went to organizations in Florida, New York, Tennessee, Ohio, and North Carolina. The share of grant dollars by recipient state was Florida 37%, New York 29%, Tennessee 17%, Ohio 11%, and North Carolina 6%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Ports Foundation gives
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−17%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $78K (2020) to $105K (2021). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $87K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Staten Island, NY | Veteran Support | $25,000 |
| Avow Foundation Inc Naples, FL | Social Services | $10,000 |
| Gary Sinise Foundation Nashville, TN | Veteran Support | $10,000 |
| Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida Inc Fort Myers, FL | Social Services | $10,000 |
| Golden Paws Assistance Dogs Inc Naples, FL | Operational Support | $5,000 |
| Oneeighty Inc Wooster, OH | Operational Support | $5,000 |
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | To support the organizations ongoing operations towards their mission. | $5,000 |
| St Jude Childeren's Research Hospital Inc Memphis, TN | General Support | $5,000 |
| The Salvation Army - Summit County Area Services Akron, OH | Social Services | $5,000 |
| The Salvation Army Naples, FL | Social Services | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ports 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,658,313 | $117,450 | $88,355 | $87,000 | 11 | $87,777 | $116,872 | $77,109 |
| 2023 | $1,629,218 | $65,897 | $92,250 | $91,000 | 9 | $91,725 | $65,372 | $72,422 |
| 2022 | $1,655,571 | $90,341 | $85,201 | $80,000 | 9 | $80,633 | $89,909 | $81,143 |
| 2021 | $1,650,431 | $200,315 | $107,674 | $105,000 | 2 | $105,394 | $199,736 | $84,670 |
| 2020 | $1,557,790 | $102,141 | $79,549 | $77,500 | 2 | — | $101,619 | $75,338 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ports Foundation reported a distributable amount of $77K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation says it honors firefighter Stephen Siller, others who died on September 11, 2001, and military members and first responders who make sacrifices in service. Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs says it provides assistance-dog partnerships for combat-wounded veterans, first responders, and children. OneEighty describes its work as domestic-violence shelter and services, counseling, education, and addiction treatment and prevention. Taste the Impact says it helps disadvantaged youth in rural Collier County develop business and financial skills.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $87,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $25,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Notable grants included $25,000 to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation for veteran support; $10,000 each to Avow Foundation Inc. for social services, Gary Sinise Foundation for veteran support, and Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida Inc. for social services; and $5,000 each to Golden PAWS Assistance Dogs Inc. and OneEighty Inc. for operational support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Ports as director, president, and treasurer, and Lori Ports as director, vice president, and secretary.
The Ports Foundation is led by Michael Ports, Director, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Ports
Director, President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lori Ports
Director, V.p. & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Ports Foundation
How much does The Ports Foundation give each year?
The Ports Foundation gave $87K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $91K across 9 grants.
What is The Ports Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ports Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,909, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Ports Foundation give grants?
The Ports Foundation's top state is Florida, with 37% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (29%) and Tennessee (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Naples, FL (3 grants).
Does The Ports Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 36% of The Ports Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Social Services" (4 grants).
Who are The Ports Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ports Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers ($25,000), Avow Foundation Inc ($10,000) and Gary Sinise Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ports Foundation?
The Ports Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $88K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $77K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ports Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ports 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 Ports Foundation's EIN?
The Ports Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2405352. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Ports 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 16, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ports Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ports Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ports-foundation-morg_b6263eb8a31e4aaab07e48ed7186be24
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472405352_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ports Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ports-foundation-morg_b6263eb8a31e4aaab07e48ed7186be24},
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 Ports 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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