Waddell Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Cincinnati, OH EIN: 31-1534712

The Waddell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports 20 grants totaling $231,763 to organizations including educational, religious, arts, health, and community organizations.

Waddell Family Foundation at a glance

In short: Waddell Family Foundation gave $232K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Ohio. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$231,763
+26.2% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
20
+0.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$11,588
+26.2% vs 2024
Median grant
$5,000
Total assets
$3,709,232
+1.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
35% first-time grantees (7 of 20, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
Ohio (91% 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 Waddell Family Foundation

How to Apply

The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Gregory Waddell as the contact for applying. The filing refers to an attached line statement for the application form and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions; those details are not provided here.

Contact

Application contact: Gregory Waddell
Mailing address: PO Box 54284, Cincinnati, OH 45254
Phone: (513) 762-8877

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

Who Waddell Family Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

University of Cincinnati Foundation: $50KUniversity of CincinnatiFoundation$50KGuardian Angels Church: $33KGuardian Angels Church$33KCancer Family Care: $25KCancer Family Care$25KMay We Help: $20KMay We Help$20KUc Foundation: $20KUc Foundation$20KArtworks: $18KArtworks$18KBrown County Animal Shelter: $10KBrown County Animal Shelter$10KSt Xavier Church: $10KSt Xavier Church$10KCancer Free Kids: $8KCancer Free Kids$8KMadi's House: $5KMadi's House$5K

The largest 2025 recipient was University of Cincinnati Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $198K.

Grant Size Distribution

99 grants across all recorded years

95<$50K4$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 95 grants of 99 (96%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 5% to New York, 2% to Washington, D.C., 1% to Rhode Island, and less than 1% to Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

9states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.

Cities

CincinnatiWashingtonNew YorkArdmoreChicagoGeorgetownNew PaltzNitroBataviaBrooklynWest ChesterFairfieldFlorenceKeenesburgProvidenceShaker HeightsTipp City

Is Waddell Family Foundation open to new grantees?

35%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 7 of 20 grantees (35%) 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 $6K; repeat grants $14K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 45% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 88% 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

$0$100K$200K$300K12 grants2020 17 grants2021 23 grants2022 19 grants2023 20 grants2024 20 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $164K (2020) to $232K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $232K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
University of Cincinnati Foundation Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$50,000
Guardian Angels Church Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$32,500
Cancer Family Care Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$25,000
May We Help Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$20,200
Uc Foundation Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$20,000
Artworks Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$17,500
Brown County Animal Shelter Georgetown, OHGeneral Operating$10,000
St Xavier Church Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$10,000
Cancer Free Kids Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$7,500
Madi's House Cincinnati, OHGeneral Operating$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$3,709,232$336,476$267,550$231,76320$231,763$301,389$261,926
2024$3,640,306$206,592$245,359$183,66120$189,480$43,293$236,524
2023$3,679,073$1,771,948$245,119$210,99419$216,265$1,743,094$188,071
2022$2,152,258$176,042$256,819$222,60823$227,449$146,766$216,478
2021$2,233,030$95,823$205,582$169,66817—$66,760$226,573
2020$2,342,791$53,315$191,486$164,26812—$59,936$175,003

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Waddell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $262K 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 include support for organizations whose work spans several areas. Cancer Family Care says its mission is to strengthen the well-being and alleviate the suffering of people and families coping with cancer. Madis House says it provides a free, welcoming community for young adults facing mental health challenges or recovering from substance use disorder. Freestore Foodbank says it works to improve lives by eliminating hunger in partnership with its community. Life After Justice says it works to free wrongfully convicted people and support them after release.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $231,763. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the larger awards were $50,000 to the University of Cincinnati Foundation, $32,500 to Guardian Angels Church, $25,000 to Cancer Family Care, $20,200 to May We Help, and $20,000 to UC Foundation. Other reported grants included $17,500 to ArtWorks, $10,000 to Brown County Animal Shelter, and $10,000 to St. Xavier Church. Cancer Family Care received $25,000, Madis House received $5,000, Freestore Foodbank received $4,500, and Life After Justice received $1,000.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Jeffrey Waddell, Michelle Waddell, and Gregory Waddell as officers.

Waddell Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Gregory Waddell

    Officer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Michelle Waddell

    Officer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Jeffrey Waddell

    Officer

    On filings since 2023

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Jeffery Waddell (2020–2022) — Officer

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 Waddell Family Foundation

How much does Waddell Family Foundation give each year?

Waddell Family Foundation gave $232K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $184K across 20 grants.

What is Waddell Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Waddell Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $11,588, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Waddell Family Foundation that year got $6K on average.

Where does Waddell Family Foundation give grants?

Waddell Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (13 grants).

Does Waddell Family Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Waddell Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Waddell Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Waddell Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Cincinnati Foundation ($50,000), Guardian Angels Church ($32,500) and Cancer Family Care ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Waddell Family Foundation?

Waddell Family Foundation reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $232K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $262K (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 Waddell Family Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose work spans several areas. Cancer Family Care says its mission is to strengthen the well-being and alleviate the suffering of people and families coping with cancer. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Waddell Family Foundation?

The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Waddell Family Foundation's EIN?

Waddell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1534712. 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

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 29, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Waddell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/waddell-family-foundation-morg_3f817635f99740b08bb7fef1bf54278c

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311534712_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Waddell Family Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/waddell-family-foundation-morg_3f817635f99740b08bb7fef1bf54278c},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Waddell 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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