Ward Family Foundation
The Ward Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Mason, Ohio. It supports charitable organizations through direct contributions and states that it gives only to preselected organizations.
Ward Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Ward Family Foundation gave $23K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Ohio. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $23,250
- -55.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,788
- -52.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,914,002
- +6.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (8 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- 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 October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ward 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: 7490 Easy Street, Mason, OH 45040
Phone: (513) 398-1379
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ward Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was YMCA Cincinnati ($5K). Together the top 10 received $22K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 34% to California, and 4% to Kentucky. The listed grants also included recipients in those states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ward Family Foundation open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 13 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
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 $8K (2023) to $53K (2024). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $23K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| YMCA Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | Programs and Operations | $5,000 |
| Aye Cincinnati, OH | Programs and Operations | $5,000 |
| Parks Conservancy San Francisco, CA | Program and Operations. | $2,500 |
| La Fire Fighters Los Angeles, CA | Programs and Operations | $2,500 |
| La Food Bank Los Angeles, CA | Programs and Operations | $2,500 |
| Carnegie Arts Education Covington, KY | Program and Operations | $1,000 |
| Retts Syndrome Foundation Cincinnati, OH | Program and Operations | $1,000 |
| Cincinnati Public Radio Cincinnati, OH | Programs and Operations | $1,000 |
| EWS Mason, OH | Programs and Operations | $750 |
| Jack London Park Glen Ellen, CA | Programs and Operations | $500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,914,002 | $261,990 | $152,981 | $23,250 | 13 | $23,250 | $232,518 |
| 2024 | $1,804,993 | $317,765 | $176,336 | $52,500 | 14 | $52,500 | $290,025 |
| 2023 | $1,663,464 | $189,905 | $144,593 | $8,000 | 6 | $8,000 | $166,859 |
| 2022 | $1,618,152 | $88,542 | $119,393 | $8,750 | 7 | $6,750 | $65,899 |
| 2021 | $1,649,921 | $238,489 | $106,843 | $8,700 | 8 | $8,700 | $215,823 |
| 2020 | $1,518,275 | $3,375 | $106,197 | $31,006 | 15 | — | $23,399 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as providing financial assistance to charitable organizations through direct contributions. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as community programs, arts education, food assistance, parks, public radio, and support for Rett syndrome.
Among its grantees, Cincinnati Public Radio describes its mission as being a trusted, independent source of journalism, music, and culture that empowers a vibrant, engaged, and informed community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $23,250. Grants ranged from $500 to $5,000, with a median of $1,000. Notable grants included $5,000 each to YMCA Cincinnati and AYE; $2,500 each to Parks Conservancy, LA Fire Fighters, and LA Food Bank; and $1,000 each to Carnegie Arts Education, Rett Syndrome Foundation, and Cincinnati Public Radio.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bill Ward as president and Sally Ward and Lucy Ward as vice presidents.
Ward Family Foundation is led by Bill Ward, President on every filing since 2020; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bill Ward
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $30K (2025)
Lucy Ward
Vice President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $30K (2025)
Sally Ward
Vice President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
$18K (2020) → $30K (2025)
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 $30K, to Bill Ward (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ward Family Foundation
How much does Ward Family Foundation give each year?
Ward Family Foundation gave $23K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $53K across 14 grants.
What is Ward Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Ward Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,788, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ward Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Ward Family Foundation give grants?
Ward 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 state was California (34%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cincinnati, OH (5 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does Ward Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Ward Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Programs and Operations" (9 grants) and "Program and Operations" (4 grants).
Who are Ward Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Ward Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include YMCA Cincinnati ($5,000), Aye ($5,000) and Parks Conservancy ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ward Family Foundation?
Ward Family Foundation reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $262K.
What does Ward Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as providing financial assistance to charitable organizations through direct contributions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ward 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 Ward Family Foundation's EIN?
Ward Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1039467. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Ward Family 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-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 June 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Ward 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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