Thomas R Schiff Foundation
The Thomas R Schiff Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports 52 grants totaling $1,000,805 to organizations including arts and cultural institutions, historic-preservation groups, and a disability-services organization.
Thomas R Schiff Foundation at a glance
In short: Thomas R Schiff Foundation gave $1.0M across 52 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Ohio. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,000,805
- +3.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 52
- +26.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,246
- -18.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,625
- Total assets
- $2,299,677
- +4.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (10 of 52, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Thomas R Schiff Foundation
- Contact
Application contact: Thomas Schiff
Mailing address: 4 Grandin Terrace, Cincinnati, OH 45208
Phone: (513) 721-4532
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thomas R Schiff Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fotofocus ($150K). Together the top 10 received $768K.
Grant Size Distribution
246 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 232 grants of 246 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 12% to New York, and 5% to Kentucky.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Thomas R Schiff Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 52 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 72% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $402K (2021) to $1.0M (2023). In 2025 it made 52 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fotofocus Cincinnati, OH | Sponsorship of big tent exhibition and support of pr program | $150,000 |
| Aperture Foundation New York City, NY | General Operations | $120,000 |
| Westcott House Foundation Springfield, OH | Sponsorship of Sarah Lewis Lecture, General Operations | $116,500 |
| Contemporary Arts Center Cincinnati, OH | Biennial Project Grant | $112,500 |
| Cincinnati Preservation Association Cincinnati, OH | General Operations | $100,000 |
| Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center Covington, KY | Fotofocus Event General Operating Support | $42,500 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati Cincinnatioh, OH | Biennial Project Grants | $34,150 |
| Wexner Center Foundation Columbus, OH | Biennial Project Grant | $32,500 |
| Cincinnati Museum Center Cincinnati, OH | General Operations | $31,500 |
| Lloyd Library and Museum Cincinnati, OH | General Operations | $28,250 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,299,677 | $2,872,731 | $1,078,220 | $1,000,805 | 52 | $1,068,296 | $1,036,737 | $1,484,718 |
| 2024 | $2,201,642 | $1,614,034 | $1,005,698 | $968,603 | 41 | $997,625 | $610,351 | $1,236,195 |
| 2023 | $2,147,846 | $1,558,682 | $1,113,094 | $1,043,752 | 50 | $1,064,019 | $508,298 | $991,674 |
| 2022 | $2,111,481 | $2,381,769 | $952,450 | $901,009 | 50 | $917,106 | $434,645 | $988,778 |
| 2021 | $1,938,471 | $1,651,446 | $414,166 | $402,275 | 53 | $410,163 | $410,603 | $915,230 |
| 2020 | $1,808,782 | $2,373,551 | $658,644 | $642,126 | 62 | — | $336,944 | $558,291 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thomas R Schiff Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Aperture Foundation describes its work as publishing books and magazines and maintaining an art gallery to promote appreciation of photography and visual arts. Cincinnati Preservation Association says it works to help people value and preserve Greater Cincinnati’s historic buildings, communities, landscapes, and stories. Independent Living Options says it empowers people with disabilities to live independently in the community.
Other 2025 recipients include the Westcott House Foundation, which says it restores, preserves, and shares the Westcott House; the Art Academy of Cincinnati, which says it operates an independent college of art and design; and Cincinnati Museum Center, which says it offers learning experiences in science and regional history.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 52 grants totaling $1,000,805. Awards ranged from $450 to $150,000, with a median of $5,625. The largest grants included $150,000 to FotoFocus for sponsorship of the Big Tent Exhibition and public-relations support; $120,000 to Aperture Foundation for general operations; $116,500 to Westcott House Foundation for a Sarah Lewis lecture sponsorship and general operations; $112,500 to Contemporary Arts Center for a biennial project grant; and $100,000 to Cincinnati Preservation Association for general operations.
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. How to apply: The filing lists Thomas Schiff as the contact and states that no form or materials are required and that there are no restrictions on awards. It lists no deadline.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas R Schiff as president and treasurer, Mary Ellen Goeke as secretary, and Lennell Myricks and Lauren Fernandez as directors.
Thomas R Schiff Foundation is led by Thomas R. Schiff, President & Treasurer since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas R. Schiff
President & Treasurer
President, Secretary & Treasurer → President & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lennell Myricks
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauren Fernandez
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Ellen Goeke
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$7K (2024) → $27K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Maureen France (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Nancy Glier (2021) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $27K, to Mary Ellen Goeke (Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Thomas R Schiff Foundation
How much does Thomas R Schiff Foundation give each year?
Thomas R Schiff Foundation gave $1.0M across 52 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $969K across 41 grants.
What is Thomas R Schiff Foundation's typical grant size?
Thomas R Schiff Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,625, and its average grant was $19,246, across 52 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thomas R Schiff Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Thomas R Schiff Foundation give grants?
Thomas R Schiff Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (12%) and Kentucky (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (28 grants), Dayton, OH (7 grants), Columbus, OH (4 grants) and Oxford, OH (3 grants).
Does Thomas R Schiff Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 12% of Thomas R Schiff Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 52) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Biennial Project Grant" (27 grants) and "Biennial Project Grants" (15 grants).
Who are Thomas R Schiff Foundation's largest grantees?
Thomas R Schiff Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fotofocus ($150,000), Aperture Foundation ($120,000) and Westcott House Foundation ($116,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thomas R Schiff Foundation?
Thomas R Schiff Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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 Thomas R Schiff Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Aperture Foundation describes its work as publishing books and magazines and maintaining an art gallery to promote appreciation of photography and visual arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thomas R Schiff Foundation?
Thomas R Schiff Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Thomas R Schiff Foundation's EIN?
Thomas R Schiff Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5678503. 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thomas R Schiff Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-r-schiff-foundation-morg_7d6d621370864db8b7e62e212747ce0f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205678503_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thomas R Schiff Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-r-schiff-foundation-morg_7d6d621370864db8b7e62e212747ce0f},
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 Thomas R Schiff 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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