The James J and Joan a Gardner
Cincinnati, OH · EIN 31-1397164. Reported 322 grants totalling $30.4M to 158 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. The James J and Joan a Gardner 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 $25,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $62,500; the smallest was $500 and the largest $3,051,000. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Cincinnati Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $6,176,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center | Cincinnati, OH | $3,780,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Accelerate Great Schools | Cincinnati, OH | $3,477,975 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Zoological Society of Cincinnati (cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden) | Cincinnati, OH | $2,060,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Great Parks Forever | Cincinnati, OH | $1,500,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Mary Magdalen Foundation Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $1,400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $730,040 | 7 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cincinnati Museum Center | Cincinnati, OH | $545,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| St Xavier High School | Cincinnati, OH | $510,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Luke 5 Adventures | Mason, OH | $440,050 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Valley Hope Association Foundation | Norton, KS | $430,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Sisters of Notre Dame De Namur Ohio Province | Cincinnati, OH | $400,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cincinnati Works Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $352,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Inc | Washington, DC | $350,000 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| Catholic Leadership Institute (cli) | Malvern, PA | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Easter Seals Tristate (easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati) | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Freestore Foodbank Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Green Umbrella (crown Cincinnati) | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Xavier Jesuit Academy | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled Inc (ladd) | Cincinnati, OH | $230,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Pregnancy Resource Connection | Granby, CO | $225,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Prokids | Cincinnati, OH | $210,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Bethany House Services Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $200,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Santa Maria Community Services | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Orlando Health Foundation Inc | Orlando, FL | $199,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Museum Association (cincinnati Art Museum) | Cincinnati, OH | $196,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| La Soupe Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $170,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Kenzie's Closet | Cincinnati, OH | $165,000 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Our Lady of the Snow Parish | Granby, CO | $165,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Captains for Clean Water Inc | Fort Myers, FL | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cornerstone Renter Equity | Cincinnati, OH | $130,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| St Vincent De Paul Society - Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $127,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Springer School and Center | Cincinnati, OH | $125,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Tri-State Trails | Cincinnati, OH | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tri-State Trails (formerly Green Umbrella) | Cincinnati, OH | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Tender Mercies Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $120,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Focus Points Family Resource Center | Denver, CO | $117,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Reviv Family Support Foundation (formerly Vivian's Victory Inc) | Cincinnati, OH | $110,400 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Ursuline Academy of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Economics Center for Education and Research (economics Center) | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Ocean Reef Chapel Foundation Inc | Key Largo, FL | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Ohio River Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Whitefish Legacy Partners Inc | Whitefish, MT | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Charleston Waterkeeper | Charleston, SC | $99,700 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Last Mile Food Rescue Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $90,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Ispace Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $80,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cancer Family Care Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati (dba Queen City Book Bank) | Cincinnati, OH | $75,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Saint Paul's Outreach | Mendota Heights, MN | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $70,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Catholic Charities USA | Alexandria, VA | $70,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Boggy Creek Gang Inc (camp Boggy Creek) | Eustis, FL | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services | Cincinnati, OH | $65,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Lowcountry Land Trust Inc | Charleston, SC | $63,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Backcountry Hunters and Anglers | Missoula, MT | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Bdk Fund | Cincinnati, OH | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| God's Love We Deliver Inc | New York, NY | $55,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| 1N5 | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| American Red Cross | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Artworks | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Center for Addiction Treatment | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Columbine Community Foundation (dba Grand Foundation) | Winter Park, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Conservation Colorado Education Fund | Denver, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Coral Restoration Foundation | Tavernier, FL | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Jefferson County Library Foundation | Wheat Ridge, CO | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Make-a-Wish Foundation of Ohio Kentucky and Indiana | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Matthew 25 Ministries | Blue Ash, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Samaritan's Purse | Boone, NC | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Summit Country Day School | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| May We Help Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| School Board School | Cincinnati, OH | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| St Justin Martyr Catholic Church | Key Largo, FL | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Angelico Project | Lakeside Park, KY | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Three Valley Conservation Trust | Oxford, OH | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Friars Club Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $35,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Green Heart Project Inc | Charleston, SC | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Hp Blast Corp (hyde Park Blast) | Cincinnati, OH | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ocean Reef Catholic Community Inc | Key Largo, FL | $30,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Women Helping Women | Cincinnati, OH | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Porter-Gaud School (o'quinn School of Mount Pleasant) | Charleston, SC | $27,000 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation | Wynnewood, PA | $25,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Beech Acres Parenting Center | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Center for Employment Opportunities | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cincinnati Nature Center Association | Milford, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hearing Speech & Deaf Center of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Karen Wellington Foundation for Living With Breast Cancer | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lighthouse Youth Services Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rebuilding Together Seattle | Tukwila, WA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rotary Foundation of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sam Hubbard Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Angelico Project | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless (ace) | Long Island City, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Upper Colorado Watershed Environmental Team | Fraser, CO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Whitefish Lake Institute | Whitefish, MT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Craig and Frances Lindner Center of Hope (lindner Center of Hope) | Mason, OH | $22,500 | 2 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dave PARKER39 Foundation Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Helping and Lending Outreach Support (halos) | North Charleston, SC | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Josh's Benches for Awareness | Greenacres, FL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Paragon Service Dogs (formerly International Hearing Dog Inc) | Longmont, CO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross (holy Cross Sisters) | Merrill, WI | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| St Francis De Sales Parish | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The American Cancer Society | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Montessori School of Evergreen | Evergreen, CO | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Ocean Reef Medical Center Foundation | Key Largo, FL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tennyson Center for Children at Colorado Christian Home | Denver, CO | $17,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Ocean Reef Community Foundation Inc | Key Largo, FL | $17,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Cincinnati Ballet Company Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $15,010 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra | Cincinnnati, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cincinnati Youth Collaborative | Cincinnati, OH | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Give Like a Mother | Cincinnati, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Francis Seraph Ministries | Cincinnati, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Little Miami Conservancy | Loveland, OH | $14,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| BACK2BACK Ministries Inc | Mason, OH | $11,075 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Stepping Stones Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $11,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Addiction Services Council | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Adopt a Class Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Artsquest | Bethlehem, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Charleston Moves | Charleston, SC | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley Inc (second Harvest Food | Nazareth, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| First Step Home Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Gorman Heritage Farm Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Holy Cross - Immaculata Catholic Church (hci) | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| International Hearing Dog Inc | Henderson, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leadership Council for Nonprofits | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Placerville Volunteer Fire Department | Placerville, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Pregnancy Center East Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Refuge for Women | Lexington, KY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Scpa Fund | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Susanna Catholic Church | Mason, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Tada Theatre and Dance Alliance Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County | Boulder, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Dragonfly Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Long Walk Home Inc | Venice, FL | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Upspring | Cincinnati, OH | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International Southern and Central O | Cincinnati, OH | $8,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Portrait of a Soul | Wilder, KY | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City Harvest Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hermedicine | Cincinnati, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| St Mary Church Hyde Park | Cincinnati, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Bdk Fund (brighter Days 4 Kids) | Cincinnati, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Xavier University | Cincinnati, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Philanthropy Roundtable | Washington, DC | $4,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Anxiety & Depression Association of America (adaa) | Silver Spring, MD | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Facing History and Ourselves Inc | Boston, MA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ruah Woods | Cincinnati, OH | $1,750 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Marianist Province of the United States | Saint Louis, MO | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cancerfree Kids | Loveland, OH | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Colombiere Center | Clarkston, MI | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Neediest Kids of All | Cincinnati, OH | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children (cincinnatidayton) | Dayton, OH | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Keys Children's Foundation Inc | Key Largo, FL | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Piqua Education Foundation | Piqua, OH | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital | Memphis, TN | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
74 of 158 (47%) 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 56%, 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 the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- University of Cincinnati Foundation
EXEMPT PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 177 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 69 | $6,400,000 | $15,000 |
| 2022 | 81 | $7,800,000 | $25,000 |
| 2023 | 71 | $7,500,000 | $25,200 |
| 2024 | 101 | $8,700,000 | $25,000 |
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. 89% 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 $25,000. 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.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The James J and Joan a Gardner'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: 8044 Montgomery Road Suite 480, Cincinnati, OH, 45236. 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 31-1397164 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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