The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation is a private foundation based in Beachwood, Ohio. It made 19 grants totaling $505,000 in 2025; the listed grants were designated for educational purposes and went to organizations in several states.
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation at a glance
In short: The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation gave $505K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), mostly in Ohio. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $505,000
- +1.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $26,579
- -4.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $11,205,975
- +28.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Ohio (80% 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 Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2025 filing says requests may be submitted in a letter describing the charitable organization and the purpose of the request. It identifies Michael J. O’Brien as the contact and says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Awards are limited to the extent the foundation has revenues beyond its needs and are intended for organizations described in the listed charitable categories under the Internal Revenue Code.
- Review Cycle
- None stated on the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- None stated on the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Michael J O'Brien
Mailing address: 25550 Chagrin Boulevard Suite 100, Beachwood, OH 44122
Phone: (216) 472-1500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was North Coast Community Homes ($100K). Together the top 10 received $430K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 46 grants of 64 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to Ohio recipients, 11% to North Carolina, 4% to Florida, and 2% each to South Carolina and New York. These figures describe the locations of recipients in that year.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation gives
- 95% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 51% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 $11K (2020) to $505K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $505K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Coast Community Homes Cleveland, OH | Educational | $100,000 |
| Cleveland Animal Protective League Cleveland, OH | Educational | $50,000 |
| Edwin's Foundation Cleveland, OH | Educational | $50,000 |
| Mooresville Arts Center Mooresville, NC | Educational | $50,000 |
| Thea Bowman Center Cleveland, OH | Educational | $50,000 |
| University Hospitals Cleveland, OH | Educational | $50,000 |
| Mayfield High School Alumni Association Mayfield Hts, OH | Educational | $25,000 |
| The Lyceum South Euclid, OH | Educational | $25,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities-Northeast Ohio Cleveland, OH | Educational | $15,000 |
| The Gathering Place Beachwood, OH | Educational | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Sylvia and Heath Oliver 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 | $11,205,975 | $3,071,085 | $587,919 | $505,000 | 19 | $505,000 | $843,631 | $512,831 |
| 2024 | $8,722,809 | $1,664 | $549,822 | $500,000 | 18 | $500,000 | $1,664 | $433,407 |
| 2023 | $9,044,565 | $101,366 | $449,546 | $397,500 | 14 | $397,500 | $1,366 | $33,893 |
| 2022 | $9,392,745 | $307,003 | $386,758 | $335,000 | 10 | $335,000 | $1,465 | $474,866 |
| 2021 | $9,465,260 | $9,501,772 | $41,027 | $15,500 | 3 | $15,500 | $1,772 | $425,465 |
| 2020 | $23,014 | $1,098 | $12,703 | $10,500 | 4 | — | $1,098 | $2,456 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation reported a distributable amount of $513K 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
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 filing lists the purposes of its grants as educational. Its recipients include organizations with varied missions: North Coast Community Homes says it develops and maintains affordable housing in Northeast Ohio for people with disabilities; Thea Bowman Center says it listens to and responds to the needs of people in Mt. Pleasant; and The Gathering Place says it supports, educates, and empowers people and families touched by cancer through free programs and services.
Other 2025 recipients include Edwin’s Foundation, which says it coordinates and oversees operations associated with EDWINS and related programs; The Lyceum, whose stated purpose is the formation of a liberally educated Catholic lady or gentleman; and Waldo’s Rescue Pen, which says it works with organizations to save and care for dogs that have been abandoned, abused, or left homeless.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $505,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median of $15,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $100,000 to North Coast Community Homes; $50,000 each to Cleveland Animal Protective League, Edwin’s Foundation, Mooresville Arts Center, Thea Bowman Center, and University Hospitals; and $25,000 each to Mayfield High School Alumni Association and The Lyceum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael J. O’Brien and James R. Pokorny as co-trustees.
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael J O'Brien
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James R Pokorny
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Daniel C Sussen (2020) — Co-Trustee
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 Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation
How much does The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation give each year?
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation gave $505K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $500K across 18 grants.
What is The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's typical grant size?
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $26,579, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation give grants?
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was North Carolina (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (7 grants) and Tampa, FL (2 grants).
Does The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (18 grants).
Who are The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's largest grantees?
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include North Coast Community Homes ($100,000), Cleveland Animal Protective League ($50,000) and Edwin's Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation?
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation reported $11.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $505K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $513K (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 Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 filing lists the purposes of its grants as educational. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation?
The foundation’s 2025 filing says requests may be submitted in a letter describing the charitable organization and the purpose of the request. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's EIN?
The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-6741642. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 June 18, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 21, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 3, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 31, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 3, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-sylvia-and-heath-oliver-foundation-morg_587ece363e3b4aa180f5897029f28706
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_276741642_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Sylvia and Heath Oliver Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-sylvia-and-heath-oliver-foundation-morg_587ece363e3b4aa180f5897029f28706},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Sylvia and Heath Oliver 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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