The Turtle Plastics Foundation

Grantmaker Lorain, OH EIN: 37-1863325

The Turtle Plastics Foundation is a private foundation based in Lorain, Ohio. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including recipients in Ohio and several other states.

The Turtle Plastics Foundation at a glance

In short: The Turtle Plastics Foundation gave $148K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Ohio. 65% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.

Annual giving (2024)
$147,705
+88.1% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
20
+185.7% vs 2023
Average grant
$7,385
-34.2% vs 2023
Median grant
$5,000
Total assets
$208,003
-25.0% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
65% first-time grantees (13 of 20, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Ohio (69% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990 filing, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to The Turtle Plastics 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: 7400 Industrial Parkway Dr, Lorain, OH 44053-2064
Phone: (440) 282-8008

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Turtle Plastics Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Ohio Progressive Collaborative Education Fund: $50KOhio Progressive CollaborativeEducation Fund$50KNational Fallen Firefighters Foundation: $13KNational Fallen FirefightersFoundation$13KRenee Jones Empowerment: $11KRenee Jones Empowerment$11KSignal Ohio: $10KSignal Ohio$10KMilitary Firefighter Heritage Foundation: $8KMilitary Firefighter HeritageFoundation$8KNational Clean Water Collective Inc: $8KNational Clean WaterCollective Inc$8KCleveland Blind Bowling League: $7KCleveland Blind Bowling League$7KCleveland Buckeye Blind Bowling League: $6KCleveland Buckeye BlindBowling League$6KHCCEF: $5KHCCEF$5KIL Fire Service Institute Univ of Illinois: $5KIL Fire Service Institute Univof Illinois$5K

The largest 2024 recipient was Ohio Progressive Collaborative Education Fund ($50K). Together the top 10 received $121K.

Grant Size Distribution

68 grants across all recorded years

65<$50K3$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 65 grants of 68 (96%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, Ohio recipients received 69% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient-state shares were Maryland (8%), Texas (5%), New York (5%), and Iowa (3%).

Grant Distribution by State

15states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.

Cities

ClevelandMaple HeightsColumbusShaker HeightsCroftonCuyahoga FallsWardellFlintSan AngeloSpringfield GardensAlsipApopkaArlingtonAventuraAvon LakeBratenahlBurbankChampaignChelseaChicopec

Is The Turtle Plastics Foundation open to new grantees?

65%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 13 of 20 grantees (65%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $7K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $8K repeat.

  • 20% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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

$0$50K$100K$150K$200K14 grants2020 12 grants2021 15 grants2022 7 grants2023 20 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $79K (2023) to $155K (2020). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $148K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Ohio Progressive Collaborative Education Fund Columbus, OHDonation$50,000
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Crofton, MDDonation$12,500
Renee Jones Empowerment Cleveland, OHDonation$11,300
Signal Ohio Columbus, OHDonation$10,000
Military Firefighter Heritage Foundation San Angelo, TXDonation$7,500
National Clean Water Collective Inc Springfield Gardens, NYDonation$7,500
Cleveland Blind Bowling League Maple Heights, OHInstructional Donation$7,005
Cleveland Buckeye Blind Bowling League Avon Lake, OHDonation$5,500
HCCEF Iowa Falls, IADonation$5,000
IL Fire Service Institute Univ of Illinois Champaign, ILDonation$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2024$208,003$89,346$163,538$147,70520$3,035
2023$277,312$6,068$88,799$78,5307$5,400
2022$357,573$237,279$109,630$95,30515$3,040
2021$226,884$289,810$147,603$144,46212—
2020$84,677$166,617$161,808$155,39414—

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 2024 grants included support for organizations whose stated missions range from advancing progressive policy and education in Ohio to honoring fallen firefighters and supporting their families, promoting children’s physical and emotional fitness, and assisting writers and readers. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $147,705. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $50,000 to Ohio Progressive Collaborative Education Fund, $12,500 to National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, $11,300 to Renee Jones Empowerment, $10,000 to Signal Ohio, and $5,000 to Literary Cleveland.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Thomas C Norton as president, Karen Bradley MD as vice president, and Dennis Hildebrandt as secretary.

The Turtle Plastics Foundation is led by Thomas C Norton, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Thomas C Norton

    President

    On filings since 2020

    6 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dennis Hildebrandt

    Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    6 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Karen Bradley MD

    Vice President

    On filings since 2020

    6 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 Turtle Plastics Foundation

How much does The Turtle Plastics Foundation give each year?

The Turtle Plastics Foundation gave $148K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $79K across 7 grants.

What is The Turtle Plastics Foundation's typical grant size?

The Turtle Plastics Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,385, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Turtle Plastics Foundation that year got $7K on average.

Where does The Turtle Plastics Foundation give grants?

The Turtle Plastics Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (8%) and Texas (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, OH (2 grants), Cleveland, OH (2 grants) and Maple Heights, OH (2 grants).

Does The Turtle Plastics Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on The Turtle Plastics Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (19 grants).

Who are The Turtle Plastics Foundation's largest grantees?

The Turtle Plastics Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Ohio Progressive Collaborative Education Fund ($50,000), National Fallen Firefighters Foundation ($12,500) and Renee Jones Empowerment ($11,300), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The Turtle Plastics Foundation?

The Turtle Plastics Foundation reported $208K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Its revenue that year was $89K.

What does The Turtle Plastics Foundation fund?

The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Turtle Plastics 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 Turtle Plastics Foundation's EIN?

The Turtle Plastics Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1863325. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does The Turtle Plastics 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 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Turtle Plastics Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-turtle-plastics-foundation-morg_7a34ecdc2b614ef0884a127a8f918de3

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_371863325_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Turtle Plastics Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-turtle-plastics-foundation-morg_7a34ecdc2b614ef0884a127a8f918de3},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Turtle Plastics 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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