The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation
THE STEPHEN AND JOANNE KIRK is a private foundation based in Beachwood, Ohio. It reported 10 grants totaling $109,000 in 2024, including grants to organizations in education, community services, conservation, and other fields.
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation at a glance
In short: The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation gave $109K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $109,000
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,900
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,603,307
- +8.3% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Ohio (98% 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 Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2000 Auburn Drive Suite 400, Beachwood, OH 44122
Phone: (216) 831-4105
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cleveland State University ($51K across 2 grants). Together the top 9 received $109K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 51 grants of 52 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio and 2% to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $100K (2021) to $133K (2020). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $109K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH | Radiance Fund/ Tennis Fund | $31,000 |
| Vocational Guidance Services Cleveland, OH | Achieve Campaign | $25,000 |
| Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH | Annual Fund/Deans Fund | $20,000 |
| Cleveland Zoological Society Cleveland, OH | Operations | $10,000 |
| Boy Scouts of America Cleveland, OH | Annual Appeals | $5,000 |
| Bluecoats Inc Beachwood, OH | Education Fund | $5,000 |
| Friends of Breakthrough Cleveland, OH | Annual Fund | $5,000 |
| Coach Sams Scholars Beachwood, OH | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Stulberg International String Comp Kalamazoo, MI | Strings Competition | $2,000 |
| Western Reserve Land Conservancy Moreland Hills, OH | General Fund | $1,000 |
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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 | $1,603,307 | $135,187 | $157,336 | $109,000 | 10 | $109,200 | $88,653 | $95,950 |
| 2023 | $1,480,894 | $55,049 | $152,692 | $109,000 | 10 | $109,200 | $18,799 | $96,844 |
| 2022 | $1,575,287 | $41,433 | $156,782 | $114,500 | 12 | $114,700 | $8,717 | $105,115 |
| 2021 | $1,690,636 | $237,293 | $138,124 | $100,000 | 10 | $100,200 | $184,122 | $103,177 |
| 2020 | $1,591,467 | $104,591 | $170,278 | $132,500 | 10 | — | $74,981 | $91,897 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation reported a distributable amount of $96K 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 included support for Cleveland State University funds, Vocational Guidance Services, Cleveland Zoological Society, Boy Scouts of America, Bluecoats Inc, Friends of Breakthrough, Coach Sams Scholars, Stulberg International String Competition, and Western Reserve Land Conservancy.
Among those grantees, Vocational Guidance Services describes its mission as creating pathways for people with disabilities to engage in the community, achieve greater independence, and attain employment. Cleveland Zoological Society says it raises awareness of the zoo, secures private donations, and runs a membership program that provides operating and conservation funding. Western Reserve Land Conservancy describes its work as land conservation and restoration for public benefit. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 10 grants totaling $109,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $31,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest grants were $31,000 to Cleveland State University for the Radiance Fund/Tennis Fund, $25,000 to Vocational Guidance Services for its Achieve Campaign, and $20,000 to Cleveland State University for the Annual Fund/Dean’s Fund. Other grants included $10,000 to Cleveland Zoological Society and $5,000 each to Boy Scouts of America, Bluecoats Inc, Friends of Breakthrough, and Coach Sams Scholars.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stephen Kirk as president, Joanne Kirk as vice president, and Barbara Neff as director.
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation is led by Stephen Kirk, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stephen Kirk
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Neff
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joanne Kirk
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.5 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.
Frequently asked questions about The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation
How much does The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation give each year?
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation gave $109K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $109K across 10 grants.
What is The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation's typical grant size?
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,900, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation give grants?
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (6 grants) and Beachwood, OH (2 grants).
Does The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 40% of The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation's largest grantees?
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cleveland State University ($51,000 across 2 grants), Vocational Guidance Services ($25,000) and Cleveland Zoological Society ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation?
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $109K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $96K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation's EIN?
The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-2538930. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Stephen and Joanne Kirk 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 October 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 31, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-stephen-and-joanne-kirk-foundation-morg_31b37c5c3b524f2bb005c30894d3753b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_452538930_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Stephen and Joanne Kirk Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-stephen-and-joanne-kirk-foundation-morg_31b37c5c3b524f2bb005c30894d3753b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Stephen and Joanne Kirk 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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