The Venner Family Foundation
The Venner Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wadsworth, Ohio. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2025 giving included Ohio-based arts, education, health, and social-service organizations, as well as organizations working in public policy and other fields.
The Venner Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Venner Family Foundation gave $348K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Ohio. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $348,000
- +8.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +8.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,158
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,972,350
- -1.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (61% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Venner Family 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: 507 Red Rock Drive, Wadsworth, OH 44281
Phone: (330) 336-8169
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Venner Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Piano Cleveland ($50K). Together the top 10 received $210K.
Grant Size Distribution
187 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 180 grants of 187 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio. Other leading recipient states were Washington, DC (12%), Virginia (8%), Kentucky (6%), and California (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Venner Family Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 37 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 122% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $301K (2020) to $348K (2025). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $348K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Piano Cleveland Cleveland, OH | Operating Fund | $50,000 |
| Wadsworth Square Foundation Wadsworth, OH | Capital Campaign | $50,000 |
| Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes, KY | Education | $20,000 |
| The Heritage Foundation Washington, DC | Operating Fund | $20,000 |
| Akron Childrens Hospital Foundatio Akron, OH | Building the Promise Campaign | $15,000 |
| St Vincent Depaul Society Akron, OH | Fund Operating Expenses | $15,000 |
| Akron Symphony Akron, OH | Fund Operating Expenses | $10,000 |
| Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH | Fund Operating Expenses | $10,000 |
| Cleveland Institute of Music Cleveland, OH | Fund Operating Expenses | $10,000 |
| Convention of States Foundation Houston, TX | Fund Operating Expenses | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Venner Family 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 | $5,972,350 | $239,839 | $358,279 | $348,000 | 38 | $348,000 | $229,560 | $285,978 |
| 2024 | $6,088,790 | $288,269 | $323,125 | $321,000 | 35 | $321,000 | $286,144 | $286,458 |
| 2023 | $6,123,646 | $262,238 | $338,624 | $336,000 | 38 | $336,000 | $254,614 | $113,467 |
| 2022 | $6,200,032 | $65,910 | $322,231 | $320,500 | 39 | $320,500 | $64,179 | $312,218 |
| 2021 | $6,456,353 | $48,726 | $340,680 | $339,000 | 37 | $339,000 | $47,046 | $329,599 |
| 2020 | $6,748,307 | $908,958 | $307,177 | $301,000 | 31 | — | $102,781 | $302,477 |
| 2019 | $6,146,526 | $151,925 | $326,789 | $322,500 | 37 | — | $147,636 | $305,583 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Venner Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $286K 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
No formal mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, the Cleveland Institute of Music describes its mission as empowering talented classical music students, while Alice Lloyd College says it educates mountain people for leadership and makes college accessible to qualified students regardless of their financial situation. The Heritage Foundation describes its mission as promoting conservative public policies, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Dayton says it works to improve lives in the Miami Valley by focusing on shelter, food, and clothing.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 38 grants totaling $348,000 in 2025. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $50,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Recent annual giving was $321,000 across 35 grants in 2024 and $336,000 across 38 grants in 2023.
Among its largest 2025 awards were $50,000 to Piano Cleveland for its operating fund and $50,000 to Wadsworth Square Foundation for a capital campaign. Other grants included $20,000 to Alice Lloyd College for education and $20,000 to The Heritage Foundation for its operating fund; $15,000 each to Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation for the Building the Promise campaign and St. Vincent de Paul Society for operating expenses; and $10,000 each to Akron Symphony, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Institute of Music, Convention of States Foundation, and Family Research Council for operating expenses.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James Venner and Linda Venner as trustees.
The Venner Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James Venner
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Linda Venner
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Venner Family Foundation
How much does The Venner Family Foundation give each year?
The Venner Family Foundation gave $348K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $321K across 35 grants.
What is The Venner Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Venner Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,158, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Venner Family Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does The Venner Family Foundation give grants?
The Venner Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (12%) and Virginia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Akron, OH (10 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), Cleveland, OH (4 grants) and Wadsworth, OH (3 grants).
Does The Venner Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 84% of The Venner Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Venner Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Venner Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Piano Cleveland ($50,000), Wadsworth Square Foundation ($50,000) and Alice Lloyd College ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Venner Family Foundation?
The Venner Family Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $348K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $286K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Venner Family Foundation fund?
No formal mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Venner Family 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 Venner Family Foundation's EIN?
The Venner Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-1272999. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Venner Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Venner Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Venner Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-venner-family-foundation-morg_12dca016ede64b229c61215e7d6f872c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_271272999_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Venner Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-venner-family-foundation-morg_12dca016ede64b229c61215e7d6f872c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Venner Family 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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