Cafaro Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 31-1550874 · since 1998cafarocompany.com/about/cafaro-foundation·Ohio, Pennsylvania·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$1.4M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$200 to $10,000

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$500

Typical grant (median)

431 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The foundation invites applications from public charities across many fields, including schools, hospitals, community and social-service groups, food banks and arts or youth organisations, so a general-purpose request from a small nonprofit can be considered.
No geographic focus is stated, but the filings show most grants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, so an organisation elsewhere should weigh that before applying.
Most grants are small: about 8 in 10 of its 1,187 grants to organisations fall between $200 and $10,000, with a median of $500, so a modest request fits best, although its largest grant has been about $115,000.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and should give the organisation's name, address and brief history, a copy of its tax-exemption letter, its tax ID number, and the reason for the grant and the amount requested.
Repeat giving is significant, since 68% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in an earlier filing, so a first-time applicant should expect a more competitive route, though this does not mean a new organisation should be discouraged from applying.

Overview

Cafaro Foundation is a US private foundation based in Niles, OH.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The foundation describes its charitable causes as many and diverse, and invites grant applications from organisations. Its recorded grants are general-purpose awards to a broad range of public charities: schools, colleges and universities; churches and other religious bodies; hospitals and health organisations; community and social-service groups; food banks; and arts, cultural and youth organisations. The filings show grants across many states, with the largest share going to Ohio. The application information asks organisations to provide a brief history, tax-exemption documentation, a tax identification number and the reason and amount requested. No narrower general grantmaking theme or further eligibility criterion is stated in the sources reviewed.

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

How to apply

Applications should include the organisation's name, address and brief history, a copy of its tax-exemption letter, its tax ID number, and the reason for the grant and amount requested.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 68% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 1,187 grants to organisations were $500 or less.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Ohio76%

Pennsylvania8%

West Virginia4%

Michigan2%

Washington2%

District of Columbia1%

6 other states: 6%

The largest single recipient received 4% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 68% of grant dollars went to organisations Cafaro Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
6% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

431 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $500

How much do they typically give?

Share of 431 grants in tax year 2024 by size

Under $1k59%

$1k–$2.5k16%

$2.5k–$5k6%

$5k–$10k6%

$10k–$25k11%

$25k–$50k1%

$50k–$100k0%

$100k–$250k1%

Median $500 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Youngstownmahoning Valley United Way · General purpose
$100,0002024 tax year
Hiram College · General purpose
$100,0002024 tax year
Grace Fellowship Church · General purpose
$100,0002024 tax year
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association · General purpose
$25,0002024 tax year
National Italian American Foundation · General purpose
$25,0002024 tax year
Niles City Schools · General purpose
$25,0002024 tax year
Kennedy Catholic Family of Schools · General purpose
$25,0002024 tax year
Kearsarge Fire Department · General purpose
$25,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

William A Cafaro — Trustee
Capri S Cafaro — Trustee
Anthony M Cafaro — Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$2,008,655	$1,844,869	$32,046,881	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$1,803,466	$1,675,948	$35,060,254	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$1,560,549	$1,422,621	$35,328,425	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.