Farmer Family Foundation

The Farmer Family Foundation operates as a family-directed private foundation with a highly personalized grantmaking approach rooted in the values and business success of its founder, Richard T. ''Dick'' Farmer, Chairman Emeritus of Cintas Corporation. The foundation underwent a significant strategic pivot in 2006, shifting from its original focus on children''s education, healthcare, and disability services to four new priority areas: veterans support, education for at-risk populations, economic self-sufficiency, and healthcare research. This pivot reflected the family''s evolving philanthropic vision and desire for greater impact. The foundation is now led by Joyce E. Farmer (Trustee), Brynne F. Coletti (President and Co-Chairman), and Robert E. Coletti (Co-Chairman), maintaining family control over funding decisions. The foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, operating instead through relationship-based grantmaking with trusted institutional partners. Its largest commitments have been transformative gifts to higher education (particularly Miami University) and cutting-edge medical research at Cincinnati Children''s Hospital. The foundation''s website is currently in a ''Launching Soon'' state, suggesting a potential expansion of public-facing programming.

With $242 million in assets and approximately $49.6 million in annual giving (2024), the Farmer Family Foundation is one of the most generous private foundations in the Cincinnati region relative to its asset base—its payout ratio significantly exceeds the 5% minimum required of private foundations. The foundation made 159 grants in 2024, up from 95-107 in prior years, suggesting expanding grantmaking activity. Individual grants range dramatically from $500 to $15 million, with the average around $312,000. The foundation has made several landmark gifts: $40 million to Miami University''s Farmer School of Business (the largest in the university''s history at that time) and $11 million in cumulative grants to Cincinnati Children''s Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM). Healthcare research—particularly neuroscience and stem cell medicine—receives the largest single grants. Education grants span Catholic inner-city schools (supported since 1989) to major universities. Geographic distribution centers on Ohio, with significant giving also flowing to Florida and Michigan, plus occasional grants to organizations in California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, and Texas.

The Farmer Family Foundation stands out for its exceptionally high payout ratio—at roughly 20% of assets annually, it gives at four times the industry minimum. This suggests either a deliberate spend-down orientation or highly variable annual giving driven by large one-time gifts. Among Cincinnati-area foundations, it is the most significant family foundation after the Greater Cincinnati Foundation (which is a community foundation). Its $15 million maximum grant capacity puts it in a category capable of transformative capital gifts that few peer foundations can match.

The Farmer Family Foundation has substantially increased its grantmaking activity, growing from 95-107 annual grants in 2020-2022 to 159 awards totaling $49.6 million in 2024. This growth trajectory suggests an expanding philanthropic footprint. Richard T. Farmer passed away in recent years, but the foundation continues under the leadership of Joyce Farmer and the Coletti family. The foundation''s website (farmerfamilyfoundation.org) is currently displaying a ''Launching Soon'' page with an email signup, potentially signaling plans to establish a more public-facing presence with formal program descriptions and possibly a structured application process. Recent notable grants continue to emphasize healthcare research, with cumulative support to Cincinnati Children''s CuSTOM reaching $11 million. The foundation''s support for the Catholic Inner-City School Education Fund continues its longest-running partnership, now spanning over 35 years since 1989. The Cincinnati Museum Center lists the Farmer Family Foundation among its major supporters, reflecting continued arts and culture engagement alongside the primary programmatic pillars.

The Farmer Family Foundation does not currently maintain a public application process, making relationship-building the primary path to funding. Organizations seeking engagement should consider: (1) The foundation''s four strategic priorities established in 2006 are non-negotiable focus areas—veterans support, education for at-risk populations, economic self-sufficiency, and healthcare research. Proposals outside these areas are unlikely to gain traction. (2) Greater Cincinnati is the geographic center of gravity; organizations based in or serving this region have the strongest positioning, though Florida and Michigan organizations also receive support. (3) The foundation''s ''Launching Soon'' website includes an email signup and contact form—use these to establish initial contact and express interest. (4) Organizations with existing relationships to Cintas Corporation or the Farmer/Coletti family network may have natural pathways to introduction. (5) Healthcare research proposals should emphasize cutting-edge science—the foundation''s $11 million commitment to stem cell and organoid medicine at Cincinnati Children''s demonstrates appetite for frontier research. (6) Education proposals for at-risk populations should highlight measurable outcomes and long-term sustainability, consistent with the foundation''s economic self-sufficiency emphasis. (7) Veterans organizations should note that this priority was adopted in 2006 and remains central to the foundation''s identity. (8) The foundation office is located at 8044 Montgomery Road, Suite 480, Cincinnati, OH 45236.