The George Foundation
Columbus, OH · EIN 31-1030194. Reported 250 grants totalling $1,993,348 to 64 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 George 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 $145. Half of everything it gave fell between $100 and $300; the smallest was $25 and the largest $300,650. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Symphony Orchestra Columbus Symphony Orchestra | Columbus, OH | $1,400,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ballet Metropolitan Ballet Metropolitan | Columbus, OH | $200,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Wosu Stations Fund Wosu Stations Fund | Columbus, OH | $160,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Columbus Foundation the Columbus Foundation | Columbus, OH | $150,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Kalona Historical Society Kalona Historical Society | Kalona, IA | $25,200 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Pro Musica Pro Musica | Columbus, OH | $9,100 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Capital Area Humane Society Capital Area Humane Society | Hilliard, OH | $4,700 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Columbus Museum of Art Columbus Museum of Art | Columbus, OH | $4,075 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Sierra Club Foundation Sierra Club Foundation | San Francisco, CA | $4,050 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Capa Capa | Columbus, OH | $2,400 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Ohio State Univ Bucks for Charity Ohio State Univ Bucks for Charity | Columbus, OH | $2,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Nature Conservancy Nature Conservancy | Baltimore, MD | $1,850 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| National Audubon Society National Audubon Society | New York, NY | $1,650 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Audubon Center for Birds of Prey Audubon Center for Birds of Prey | Maitland, FL | $1,600 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colony Cats & Dogs Rescue Colony Cats & Dogs Rescue | Columbus, OH | $1,600 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Bat Conservation International Bat Conservation International | Austin, TX | $1,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| St Louis Art Museum St Louis Art Museum | St Louis, MO | $1,270 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cozy Cat Cottage Cozy Cat Cottage | Powell, OH | $1,200 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ohio Wildlife Center Ohio Wildlife Center | Worthington, OH | $1,050 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Botanical Garden | St Louis, MO | $1,025 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Columbus Chamber Music Society Columbus Chamber Music Society | Columbus, OH | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Louis Science Center St Louis Science Center | St Louis, MO | $917 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood | New York, NY | $900 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| World Wildlife Fund World Wildlife Fund | Washington, DC | $800 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| St Louis Zoo St Louis Zoo | St Louis, MO | $798 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Missouri Humane Society Missouri Humane Society | St Louis, MO | $750 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology | Ithica, NY | $700 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Raptor Resource Project Raptor Resource Project | Ridgeway, IA | $700 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Alley Cat Allies Alley Cat Allies | Washington, DC | $600 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Environmental Defense Environmental Defense | Hagerstown, MD | $600 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Upper Arlington Public Library Upper Arlington Public Library | Upper Arlington, OH | $600 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Center of Science & Industry Center of Science & Industry | Columbus, OH | $541 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| American Rivers American Rivers | Washington, DC | $500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| League of Women Voters League of Women Voters | Washington, DC | $500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Mid Ohio Food Bank Mid Ohio Food Bank | Columbus, OH | $500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| National Parks & Conservation Assoc National Parks & Conservation Assoc | Washington, DC | $500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Natural Resources Defense Council Natural Resources Defense Council | Merrifield, VA | $500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| United Way of Central Ohio United Way of Central Ohio | Columbus, OH | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Smithsonian Institution Smithsonian Institution | Boulder, CO | $475 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Columbus Zoo Columbus Zoo | Powell, OH | $450 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Early Music in Columbus Early Music in Columbus | Columbus, OH | $450 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Otterbein University Theatre Otterbein University Theatre | Westerville, OH | $450 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| ASPCA ASPCA | Washington, DC | $400 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Great Smokey Mtn History Society Great Smokey Mtn History Society | Gatlinburg, TN | $400 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| NAACP NAACP | Baltimore, MD | $400 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Ohio State Univ Costumes & Textiles Ohio State Univ Costumes & Textiles | Columbus, OH | $365 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Missouri Historical Society Missouri Historical Society | St Louis, MO | $325 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Ohio Environmental Council Ohio Environmental Council | Columbus, OH | $300 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Franklin Park Conservatory Franklin Park Conservatory | Columbus, OH | $292 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Archaological Institute of America Archaological Institute of America | Boston, MA | $265 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Archaeological Conservancy Archaeological Conservancy | Albuqueque, NM | $250 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ohio Div Natural Areas & Preserves Ohio Div Natural Areas & Preserves | Columbus, OH | $250 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Ohio Historical Society Ohio Historical Society | Columbus, OH | $250 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Sunday at Central Sunday at Central | Columbus, OH | $250 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland Museum of Art | Cleveland, OH | $175 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cahokia Mounds Museum Society Cahokia Mounds Museum Society | Collinsville, IL | $150 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Friends of Natural History Foundati Friends of Natural History Foundation | Research Triangle, NC | $150 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Chamber Music Columbus Chamber Music Columbus | Columbus, OH | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Colonial Williamsburg Foundation | Williamsburg, VA | $100 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Liszt Society Ohio Chapter Liszt Society Ohio Chapter | Columbus, OH | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo | Washington, DC | $100 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Upper Arlington Civic Assoc Upper Arlington Civic Assoc | Upper Arlington, OH | $100 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Wexner Center Wexner Center | Columbus, OH | $75 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Carp Diem String Quartet Carp Diem String Quartet | Powell, OH | $50 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
56 of 64 (88%) 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 85%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. 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 40 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 | 54 | $416,045 | $100 |
| 2022 | 53 | $407,115 | $150 |
| 2023 | 47 | $385,966 | $125 |
| 2024 | 46 | $388,058 | $150 |
| 2025 | 50 | $396,164 | $100 |
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 $145. 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.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from The George Foundation'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: 2627 Johnston Road, Columbus, OH, 43220. 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 31-1030194 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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