Sauerland Foundation
The Sauerland Foundation is a private foundation based in Milford, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports 48 grants totaling $2,418,000, including support for organizations in Ohio and other states. Recipients included arts and cultural institutions, food banks, housing and human-services organizations, and civic-engagement groups.
Sauerland Foundation at a glance
In short: Sauerland Foundation gave $2.4M across 48 grants in 2025 (avg $50K), mostly in Ohio. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,418,000
- +7.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 48
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $50,375
- +13.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $27,144,420
- -5.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (8 of 48, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (80% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sauerland Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing lists the contact as Sauerland Foundation and the form and materials as “PCP.” It states that there are no deadlines and that the only award restriction is that an applicant must be a qualified charity. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Sauerland Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 30335, Cincinnati, OH 45230
Phone: (440) 247-2881
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sauerland Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Friends of Breakthrough ($260K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
193 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 149 grants of 193 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 10% to recipients in Washington, DC, 3% to Kentucky, 2% to Florida, and 1% to Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 48 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sauerland Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 48 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $29K; repeat grants $55K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 266% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $261K (2020) to $2.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 48 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Breakthrough Cleveland, OH | Donation | $260,000 |
| Cleveland Foodbank Cleveland, OH | Donation | $250,000 |
| Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH | Donation | $250,000 |
| Friends of Intergenerational School Cleveland, OH | Donation | $120,000 |
| Greater Cleve Habitat for Humanity Cleveland, OH | Donation | $100,000 |
| The Homeless Charity Fairlawn, OH | Donation | $90,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation H&V Cleveland, OH | Donation | $75,000 |
| Cleveland Museum of Natural History Cleveland, OH | Donation | $75,000 |
| University Hospitals HHI Cleveland, OH | Donations | $75,000 |
| ACLU of Ohio Foundation Cleveland, OH | Donation | $60,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sauerland Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $27,144,420 | $780,988 | $2,419,640 | $2,418,000 | 48 | $2,418,200 | $780,988 | $2,283,878 |
| 2024 | $28,789,296 | $11,372,595 | $2,301,993 | $2,260,000 | 51 | $2,260,589 | $447,452 | $1,829,643 |
| 2023 | $19,720,854 | $12,778,606 | $1,441,449 | $1,440,000 | 42 | $1,440,200 | $154,917 | $1,004,700 |
| 2022 | $8,384,157 | $5,275,924 | $661,456 | $660,000 | 29 | $660,200 | $132,239 | $506,362 |
| 2021 | $3,771,579 | $417,617 | $443,456 | $442,000 | 23 | $442,200 | $135,873 | $365,756 |
| 2020 | $3,798,858 | $111,769 | $262,400 | $261,000 | 18 | — | $102,922 | $292,696 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sauerland Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Cleveland Museum of Art describes its own role as both a comprehensive art museum and a civic and cultural institution, and says it seeks to bring the pleasure and meaning of art to a broad audience; it received $250,000. The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, which received $75,000, says its mission is to inspire a passion for nature and protect natural diversity through science and education.
Other 2025 recipients include Common Cause Education Fund, which received $60,000 and says it works to increase public understanding of democracy and promote citizen engagement; The Haven Home, which received $50,000 and says it provides transitional housing and services for pregnant and parenting women with young children; and Cincinnati Works, which received $40,000 and says it provides free training and coaching to help people living in poverty advance toward self-sufficiency through employment.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 48 grants totaling $2,418,000. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $260,000, with a median of $30,000. Its largest grants included $260,000 to Friends of Breakthrough, $250,000 each to Cleveland Foodbank and Cleveland Museum of Art, and $120,000 to Friends of Intergenerational School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Sauerland, Paul Sauerland, and Robert Sauerland as trustees.
Sauerland Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Sauerland
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Sauerland
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Sauerland
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Elizabeth Sauerland (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Franz Sauerland (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Sauerland Foundation
How much does Sauerland Foundation give each year?
Sauerland Foundation gave $2.4M across 48 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.3M across 51 grants.
What is Sauerland Foundation's typical grant size?
Sauerland Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $50,375, across 48 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sauerland Foundation that year got $29K on average.
Where does Sauerland Foundation give grants?
Sauerland Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (15 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), Cincinnati, OH (5 grants) and Sanibel, FL (3 grants).
Does Sauerland Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 48 grants with a stated purpose on Sauerland Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donation" (47 grants).
Who are Sauerland Foundation's largest grantees?
Sauerland Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Friends of Breakthrough ($260,000), Cleveland Foodbank ($250,000) and Cleveland Museum of Art ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sauerland Foundation?
Sauerland Foundation reported $27.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sauerland Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sauerland Foundation?
The 2025 filing lists the contact as Sauerland Foundation and the form and materials as “PCP.” It states that there are no deadlines and that the only award restriction is that an applicant must be a qualified charity. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sauerland Foundation's EIN?
Sauerland Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1787952. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sauerland Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sauerland Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sauerland-foundation-morg_40070d7441f34110a50dd849f7be5719
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341787952_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sauerland Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sauerland-foundation-morg_40070d7441f34110a50dd849f7be5719},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Sauerland Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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