Stranahan Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Stranahan Foundation funds US nonprofits, with programmes in early childhood education (improving teaching quality, workforce development and professional learning systems) and, through its Community Stewardship Program, in community organisations with capable, accountable leadership addressing current needs.
- Most grants fall between $30,000 and $125,000, with half at $35,000 or less and the Community Stewardship Program capped at $35,000; the one $500,000 grant went to an organisation it funds every year to regrant to others, so it is not a guide for a typical request.
- Apply to the Early Childhood Education Program with a letter of interest, followed by a full proposal and a site visit; the Community Stewardship Program generally invites new organisations twice a year and shares its deadlines with that invitation, making it more relationship-led than open to unsolicited approaches.
- Around half of its grant dollars go to organisations it has funded before, so building an ongoing relationship is likely to help.
- Religious organisations may apply to the Community Stewardship Program only if the funds are dedicated to a specific programme, not used to advance a particular religious persuasion, and available to all in need regardless of belief; this programme also excludes deficit reduction, endowment creation, and government-sponsored or controlled projects.
Overview
Stranahan Foundation is a US private foundation based in Perrysburg, OH.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation's grants support vital nonprofit programmes creating opportunities, lending helping hands and enhancing quality of life for individuals, families and communities across the country. Its Early Childhood Education Program seeks to increase access to high-quality early childhood teaching and learning by supporting programmes that improve education professionals' knowledge, skills or practice and/or expand and retain a thriving workforce. It supports innovation, proven professional development and providers seeking to improve professional learning systems or staff recruitment and retention. Eligible applicants for this programme include U.S.-based nonprofits, fiscally sponsored organisations, public school districts and higher education institutions that deliver early childhood education, provide workforce development or pursue systems-level improvements in workforce quality or access. Through its Community Stewardship Program, it builds relationships with nonprofit organisations whose capable, accountable leadership and programmes effectively address current community needs.
Themes
- Early childhood education
- Early educator workforce
- Early childhood professional development
Geographic Focus
U.S.
What They Don't Fund
- Community Stewardship Program only: Promotes a particular religion. Religious organizations with programming related to our focus areas may be considered if our funds are dedicated to a specific program, not used to advance a particular religious persuasion, and available to all in need, regardless of religious belief; the reduction or elimination of deficits; the creation of endowment funds; government-sponsored or controlled projects
How to apply
For the Early Childhood Education programme, applicants submit a letter of interest, followed by a full proposal and a site visit.
Deadlines: The Community Stewardship Program generally invites new organisations twice a year and shares application deadlines with the invitation.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 48% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 145 grants to organisations were $35,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It values a plan for addressing significant community needs.
- It favours innovative or unique approaches to solving community problems.
- It values a focus on addressing root causes of problems.
- It gives strong consideration to coordination, cooperation and sharing among nonprofits to strengthen service provision and avoid unnecessary duplication.
- It values support from community stakeholders, including potential funders, other nonprofits, community leaders and potential beneficiaries.
- It seeks nonprofit organisations with capable, accountable leadership and programmes that effectively address current community needs.
- It values a strong track record of working with early childhood education professionals to produce positive learning outcomes for young children.
- For earlier-stage models, it values a logic model and an evaluation plan aligned with the project's goals.
- It values leadership representative of the communities most affected by disparities in early childhood outcomes.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 23%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 20%
- The largest single recipient received 18% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 48% of grant dollars went to organisations Stranahan Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 23% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 76 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $35,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Third Sector New England · Support for the early educator investment collaborative (eeic).$500,0002023 tax year
- New Profit · Support efforts to implement, improve, and evaluate initiative level activities related to the ecso initiative.$175,0002023 tax year
- New Venture Fund · Support for trust for learning's efforts to expand its supports and resources for ideal learning head start network members.$159,3872023 tax year
- Edvance · Evidence-based reflective practice video enhancement project$150,0002023 tax year
- Savanna Institute · Support for education and outreach programs.$149,3042023 tax year
- Savanna Institute · Savanna institute's education and outreach program$149,0002023 tax year
- Avance · Avance quality child care matters innovation project$125,4502023 tax year
- Santa Fe Community College Foundation · Support for the development, piloting, and evaluation of a competency-based, early childhood teacher apprenticeship program.$100,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Breta Cooper — Executive Director
- Robert Stranahan — Trustee
- Ben Elrod — Trustee
- David Ward — Trustee
- James Pawlak — Trustee
- Trevor Foster — Trustee
- Stephanie Stranahan — Trustee
- Mark E Stranahan — Trustee
- Renee Goubeaux — Trustee, Treasurer As Of 9/2023
- Abbot Stranahan Ward — Secretary
- Robert Bayne — Vice President As Of 9/2023
- Patrick Stranahan — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $6,033,081 | $4,385,051 | $105,200,379 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $5,667,298 | $4,173,850 | $116,593,455 | Filing for 2023 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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