Sauerland Foundation
Milford, OH · EIN 34-1787952. Reported 145 grants totalling $4,802,000 to 74 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Sauerland Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $20,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $40,000; the smallest was $2,500 and the largest $250,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Museum of Art | Cleveland, OH | $600,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Breakthrough | Cleveland, OH | $580,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Friends of Intergenerational School | Cleveland, OH | $315,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cleveland Foodbank | Cleveland, OH | $210,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Greater Cleve Habitat for Humanity | Cleveland, OH | $175,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Shaker Schools Foundation | Shaker Heights, OH | $132,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Community Life Collaborative | Chagrin Falls, OH | $125,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Rid-All Foundation | Cleveland, OH | $105,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Trees for the Future | Silver Springs, MD | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Sonlight Power | Milford, OH | $90,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Western Reserve Land Conservancy | Moreland Hills, OH | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Edwins Foundation | Cleveland, OH | $85,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cleveland Museum of Natural History Office of Philanthropy | Cleveland, OH | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary | Naples, FL | $80,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Haven Home LLC | Cleveland, OH | $80,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Homeless Charity | Fairlawn, OH | $77,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation H&v | Cleveland, OH | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| University Hospitals Hhi | Cleveland, OH | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Grid Alternatives | Oakland, CA | $70,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| One Tree Planted | Shelburn, VT | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Cardinal Land Conservancy | Milford, OH | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Jewish Federation of Cleveland Mandel Building | Beachwood, OH | $64,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Clermont Co Senior Services | Batavia, OH | $62,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| First Step Home | Cincinnati, OH | $62,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Prospect House | Cincinnati, OH | $62,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Works | Cincinnati, OH | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fundamaya | San Diego, CA | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| People Working Cooperatively | Cincinnati, OH | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Leelanau Conservancy | Leland, MI | $58,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Wikimedia Foundation Inc | Washington, DC | $55,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| ACLU of Ohio Foundation | Cleveland, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Legal Aid Society of Greater Cin | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Humanist Association | Washington, DC | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Greater Milford Area Historical Society | Milford, OH | $40,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Medwish | Cleveland, OH | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Shelter House | Cincinnati, OH | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Open Doors Academy | Cleveland, OH | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Action Alliance International | Euless, TX | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Baker Hunt Art Center | Covington, KY | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Freestore Foodbank | Cincinnati, OH | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Lighthouse Youth Service | Cincinnati, OH | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Mountain Comprehensive Care Center | Prestonsburg, KY | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Plant With Purpose | San Diego, CA | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Fund | Cape Coral, FL | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Loss of Spouse Santuary | St Joseph, MO | $26,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Shelterhouse | Cincinnati, OH | $26,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cise | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cuyahoga Habitat for Humanity | Cleveland, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center | Montgomery, AL | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Clermont County Community Svcs | Batavia, OH | $22,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Future Institute | Schaumburg, IL | $22,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| ACLU Foundation | New York, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Changing Gears | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Learning Grove | Covington, KY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lydia's House | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Natun Guatemala | Laguna Beach, CA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| New Bremen Historical Assoc | New Bremen, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Seeds of Literacy | Cleveland, OH | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Women Helping Women | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cleveland Animal Protective League | Cleveland, OH | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ding Darling Wildlife Society | Sanibel, FL | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Grace House Inc | Akron, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Nature Center of Shaker Lakes | Shaker Heights, OH | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Peter Maurin Center | Hudson, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ding Darling Wildlife Soc | Sanibel, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mayan Families | Slatersville, RI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Miami Milford Ministries | Milford, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Union of Concerned Scientists | Cambridge, MA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| US Swimming Foundation | Colorado Springs, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Southside Elite Spartans C/O Malcolm Hills | Shaker Heights, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Uss Cleveland Legacy Found | Cleveland, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Firstfruits Farm Slo | San Luis Obispo, CA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| League of Women Voters Ed Fund | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sanibel Captive Audubon Society | Sanibel, FL | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
43 of 74 (58%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 71%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 85 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 23 | $442,000 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | 29 | $660,000 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 42 | $1,440,000 | $20,000 |
| 2024 | 51 | $2,260,000 | $30,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 82% of this one's giving went to organizations in Ohio. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $20,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Ohio.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Sauerland Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 985, Milford, OH, 45150. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 34-1787952 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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