The Frances R Luther Charitable Trust
Cincinnati, OH · EIN 31-6646985. Reported 205 grants totalling $14.7M to 101 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. 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 Frances R Luther Charitable Trust 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 $50,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $25,000 and $100,000; the smallest was $5,000 and the largest $500,000. 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. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Medical Center | Cincinnati, OH | $1,300,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Institute of Fine Arts | Cincinnati, OH | $850,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Taft Museum of Art | Cincinnati, OH | $840,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra | Cincinnati, OH | $800,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Museum Center | Cincinnati, OH | $775,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Ballet Company | Cincinnati, OH | $450,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber Fdtn | Cincinnati, OH | $450,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Christ Church Cathedral | Cincinnati, OH | $400,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Freestore Foodbank | Cincinnati, OH | $375,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden | Cincinnati, OH | $350,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Xavier University | Cincinnati, OH | $325,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Children's Theatre | Cincinnati, OH | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Artswave | Cincinnati, OH | $280,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Cincinnati Musical Festival Association | Cincinnati, OH | $260,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Children's Hospital | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cincinnati Memorial Hall Society | Cincinnati, OH | $250,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Arts Association | Cincinnati, OH | $240,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Public Radio Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $230,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Hospice of Cincinnati Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $225,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Art Opportunities Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $205,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| University of Cincinnati Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $200,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Nature Center | Milford, OH | $175,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $175,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Art Museum | Cincinnati, OH | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Episcopal Retirement Homes | Cincinnati, OH | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Seven Hills School | Cincinnati, OH | $150,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Stepping Stones Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $145,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $130,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $130,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Greater Cincinnati Educational Television | Cincinnati, OH | $125,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Green Umbrella | Cincinnati, OH | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Landmark Productions | Cincinnati, OH | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Joy Outdoor Education Center Foundation | Clarksville, OH | $110,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Cincinnati Opera Association | Cincinnati, OH | $105,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| American Legacy Theatre | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Nature Center Association | Milford, OH | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Clifton Cultural Arts Center | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Crayons to Computers | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Easter Seals Redwood | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Christ Hospital Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $100,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Cincinnati Therapeutic Riding & Horsemanship | Milford, OH | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Northern Kentucky Symphony Inc | Newport, KY | $95,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Kennedy Heights Art Center | Cincinnati, OH | $90,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Hillside Trust | Cincinnati, OH | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| La Soupe Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $85,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Keep Cincinnati Beautiful | Cincinnati, OH | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| YWCA of Greater Cincinnati Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $80,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (cabvi) | Cincinnati, OH | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Fernside Center | Cincinnati, OH | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ohio River Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Americas River Roots Experience | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cardinal Land Conservancy Inc | Milford, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Cincinnati Center City Development Corp | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cincinnati Museum Association | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Cincinnati Nature Center Assn | Milford, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cincinnati Shakespeare Company | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Council on Aging | Blue Ash, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Girl Scouts of Western Ohio | Blue Ash, OH | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Holocaust and Humanity Center | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Hyde Park Center for Older Adults | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hyde Park Multi-Service Center for Older Adults | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Interlochen Center for the Arts | Interlochen, MI | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Life Learning Center Inc | Covington, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Manifest Creative Research Gallery | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| National Society of Colonial Dames of America in the State of Ohio | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park | Hamilton, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Redwood Rehabilitation Center | Fort Mitchell, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Redwood School & Rehabilitation Center Inc | Fort Mitchell, KY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Salvation Army | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United Way of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wyoming Fine Arts Center | Wyoming, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| YMCA of Greater Cincinnati Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Art Academy of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Price Hill Will | Cincinnati, OH | $35,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Artworks | Cincinnati, OH | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County Inc | Hamilton, OH | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mutual Dance Theatre | Cincinnati, OH | $30,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Behringer-Crawford Museum | Covington, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Elementz | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fernside a Center for Grieving Children | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fernside Inc | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Fotofocus Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Gorman Heritage Farm Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Interlochen Center for the Arts Attn Advancement | Interlochen, MI | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Little Fork the Southwest Ohio Regional Family Advocacy | Batavia, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Mercantile Library | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Music Resource Center-Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern Kentucky Children's Law Center Inc | Covington, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Rothenberg Rooftop Garden | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Springer School and Center | Cincinnati, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Carnegie | Covington, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Save the Animals Foundation | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Young Mens Christian Association of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| A Mindful Moment | Cincinnati, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Romac | Cincinnati, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park | Cincinnati, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
50 of 101 (50%) received money in more than one year over the 5 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 48%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 147 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44 | $2,460,000 | $50,000 |
| 2022 | 42 | $2,920,000 | $50,000 |
| 2023 | 39 | $2,365,000 | $50,000 |
| 2024 | 33 | $3,050,000 | $50,000 |
| 2025 | 47 | $3,915,000 | $50,000 |
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
97% of its giving went to organizations in Ohio. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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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 a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $50,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- 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 Frances R Luther Charitable Trust's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 630858, Cincinnati, OH, 45263. 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 31-6646985 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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