Leonard C & Mildred F Ferguson Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated purpose is youth betterment, and its grants have gone to schools, youth services, environmental education, food support and arts and cultural groups, so a youth-focused project in one of those fields is the best fit.
- Its priority areas are Maine, Florida, Menlo Park and Atherton, and the filing does not say that giving is limited to them, so a group elsewhere should not assume it is ruled out.
- About 8 in 10 of its 190 grants fall between $3,600 and $30,000, and half are $10,000 or less, so a request near $10,000 is a sensible starting point.
- Around 29% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had funded in earlier filings, which suggests returning grantees have a real share but new applicants are also funded, and its giving has risen each year.
- The filing does not say how to apply, so check the foundation's process before you send anything.
Overview
Leonard C & Mildred F Ferguson Foundation is a US private foundation administered by its trustee, Huntington National Bank, in Canton, OH.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 13 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The filing describes awards for youth betterment in Maine, Florida and the Menlo Park and Atherton areas of California. Its grants have gone to a varied mix of organisations, including schools and education programmes, environmental education and conservation groups, youth services, community health and family services, food-support organisations, and arts and cultural institutions. Supported activities include outdoor learning, conservation, mental health services, after-school programming, food pantries, and music and theatre programmes. The grant record also includes general support, capital projects and equipment costs, rather than only programme-specific work. The stated youth-betterment purpose and geographic limitations are the clearest description of the foundation’s intended giving; the filing provides no further general statement of priorities.
Themes
- Youth betterment
Geographic Focus
Priority: Maine; Florida; Menlo Park; Atherton. From its grants, not stated by the foundation: Ohio; California; Illinois.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 29% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 190 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: 5%
- The largest single recipient received 52% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 29% of grant dollars went to organisations Leonard C & Mildred F Ferguson Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 53% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 67 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Ferguson Foundation · Foundation Split$4,836,5622025 tax year
- Conservancy of Southwest Florida · General Funds$1,000,0002025 tax year
- Highland Community College · Concert Grand Piano and Fine Arts Program$317,5002025 tax year
- Wilderness Center · Grant to Help with Land Purchase, Conservation$118,0002025 tax year
- Project Drawdown · General Funds$100,0002025 tax year
- Maine Environmental Education Association · Grant to Make Small Grants to Schools for Supplies for Learning Outdoors$100,0002025 tax year
- GiveDirectly · LA Fire Relief for Poorest Families and Individuals$55,0002025 tax year
- Shelburne Farms · Martin Tierney Endowment Fund$50,0002025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Dana G Seeley Hayse — Trustee
- Lynne A Seeley — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $1,043,411 | $980,600 | $18,238,988 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,202,882 | $1,092,950 | $24,870,032 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $7,350,214 | $7,238,402 | $16,196,177 | Filing for 2025 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
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At a glance
Applying to Leonard C & Mildred F Ferguson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (330) 258-2362
- Canton, OH (office of its trustee, Huntington National Bank)
Applying to Leonard C & Mildred F Ferguson Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (330) 258-2362
- Canton, OH (office of its trustee, Huntington National Bank)