Bicknell Fund Grant

Bicknell Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Bicknell Fund
Last Updated: February 20, 2026

Summary

The Bicknell Fund Grant aims to enhance the well-being of mankind through charitable, educational, and scientific initiatives. Established in 1949 by Warren Bicknell and his family, the fund focuses primarily on Health and Human Services, aiding the homeless and disadvantaged in Cleveland, with additional support for education and the arts. Grants are available to local 501(c)(3) organizations, fostering a collaborative relationship with the community. The fund does not support individuals, multi-year pledges, or political advocacy.

Overview

The Bicknell Fund was formed for the purpose of promoting the well-being of mankind, and to that end to engage in such forms of charitable, benevolent, educational, scientific and research work as from time to time shall seem expedient to its trustees. Grant History and Areas of Interest Warren Bicknell, Jr., the eldest son of Warren and Anne Guthrie Bicknell, was born in September 1902 and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. He married Kate Hanna Bicknell in 1931 and raised their family both in Cleveland and Thomasville, Georgia. For a number of years, Mr. and Mrs. Bicknell had been regularly supporting several charitable and educational organizations. In the Fall of 1949, they established the Bicknell Fund to formalize and continue the philanthropic tradition of their families. Mr. Bicknell passed away in 1975 and Mrs. Bicknell passed away in 1993. Over the years, other funding interests have been added reflecting the priorities of the Trustees. Please note that a given grant may not be easily classified with these generic Support and Category types. However, we hope this information is useful. Support Type In recent years, grant types have been approximately: 2/3 for Annual Operating,1/4 for Program Support andthe rest for Special Projects (i.e., Capital). Most Annual Operating is for schools/organizations with an established relationship with the Bicknell Fund. Category Type The Bicknell Fund distributes roughly: 65% of their grants to Health and Human Services,20% to Secondary, Vocational and Special Education,10% to Arts/Humanities, andthe rest to Public Affairs and Social Services. Grant Guidelines Priorities In general, one-half to two-thirds of our grants are made for Health and Human Services to help the homeless and disadvantaged in the Cleveland area. Roughly one-quarter of our grants are for Education.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Only qualified non-profit organizations, which are classified by the Internal Revenue Code as tax-exempt 501(c)3 organizations, are eligible for funding consideration.The Fund supports only the local chapter of national institutions with broad public support.

Ineligibility

The Bicknell Fund does not provide grants to:

individuals, organizations located outside the Cleveland, OH area,
fund endowments, or
for political advocacy.
The Fund does not distribute multi-year pledges.