The Schiewetz Foundation Inc.

The Schiewetz Foundation operates as a closed, invitation-only grantmaker — a critical factor every prospective grantee must understand before any engagement. Founded in 2001 and formally recognized as a 501(c)(3) private foundation in February 2002, the foundation honors the legacy of Richard Schiewetz, an entrepreneur who believed in hard work, opportunity, and community-based economic development in the Miami Valley Region of southwest Ohio. The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests; all grantees are preselected by foundation leadership.

This model means the path to funding runs through relationship, not paperwork. Organizations that receive grants from the Schiewetz Foundation typically have long, established ties to the Dayton-area civic community. Looking at the cumulative grantee record (78 grants totaling $18.48M), the foundation has supported institutions like Dayton History ($3.45M across 4 grants), Carillon Historical Park ($3.2M across 3 grants), and Dayton Performing Arts Alliance ($1.91M across 5 grants) — organizations that are central to the region's cultural identity and have maintained relationships with the foundation for many years. This pattern strongly suggests the foundation favors established institutions with deep local roots over emerging nonprofits.

The foundation's leadership structure is compact: President Richard W. Schwartz, Vice President Amy C. Kress, Secretary/Treasurer Jennifer L. Schmidt, and Director Jane E. Schwartz. All officers are reachable at schiewetz.foundation@gmail.com or (937) 425-7381. Given the small team and family-governance model, personal relationships and peer introductions carry outsized weight. The Schwartz family connection to the late Richard Schiewetz's legacy means organizations that frame their work around entrepreneurship, community uplift, and civic pride will resonate most deeply.

Grant awards are almost exclusively unrestricted — labeled 'General Fund' or 'General Funding' across the entire grantee list. This reflects the foundation's philosophy of investing in trusted institutions rather than specific programs, giving grantees maximum flexibility. Organizations best positioned for Schiewetz funding align with the six focus areas, serve the Miami Valley Region primarily, have institutional stability (most top grantees have been supported for 5+ years), and have leadership visible in Dayton's civic landscape.

The Schiewetz Foundation distributes approximately $3.9–$4.8M annually. Fiscal year 2023 reported $3,947,500 in grants paid across 15 grants; FY2022 reported $3,864,500 across a similar cohort. Over the five-year period FY2019–FY2023, annual grants paid have ranged from $3.32M (FY2021, likely COVID-related reduction) to $3.95M, demonstrating consistent and predictable giving. FY2024 disbursements were approximately $3.85M across 17 grants per the November 2025 990-PF filing.

Typical grant parameters: median $140,000, average $221,367, range $5,500 (smallest on record, to The Presidents Club) to $1,265,000 (largest on record). The foundation makes 15–17 grants annually, all classified as general fund or general funding with no restricted project grants or RFP processes. FY2024's largest confirmed awards include $500,000 to Dayton History and $475,000 to Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.

By sector, analyzing the cumulative grantee record, historical preservation is the clear top category: Dayton History ($3.45M, 4 grants) and Carillon Historical Park ($3.2M, 3 grants) together represent 36% of all recorded giving. Performing arts is second: Dayton Performing Arts Alliance ($1.91M), Victoria Theatre Association/Dayton Live ($506K+), and Dayton Art Institute ($18K) total approximately $2.4M. Leadership training and youth development is the third pillar: Boy Scouts Miami Valley ($1.33M, 5 grants) and YMCA Greater Dayton ($720K+) are prominent. Higher education includes Cedarville University ($500K), University of Cincinnati Foundation ($200K), Dayton Early College Academy ($500K+), and Teach For America ($300K). Entrepreneurship is reflected in Air Camp Inc. ($560K, 4 grants) and Young Americas Foundation ($875K, 3 grants — the primary out-of-state grantee, suggesting strong ideological alignment).

Geographically, 67 of 78 recorded grants (86%) went to Ohio organizations. The remaining 14% split between Virginia (Young Americas Foundation, 8 grants), Nevada (2 grants), and New York (1 grant). Assets grew from $77.8M (FY2019) to $88.5M (FY2024); the FY2024 revenue spike to $13.7M from realized investment gains may support larger or additional grants in FY2025-2026.

The foundation's asset-matched peers from the database are family foundations of similar scale ($88–89M) operating in different regions. The comparison below uses confirmed 990 data where available; estimated figures use typical private foundation 5% payout rates and are clearly marked.

Note: Peer giving figures marked 'Est.' are derived from the standard 5% minimum distribution rule for private foundations and have not been confirmed from individual public filings.

The Schiewetz Foundation is distinguished from its asset-matched peers by its hyper-local geographic concentration — virtually all giving stays within a single metro region — and its unusually lean portfolio of 15–17 grants annually at high individual amounts. Most comparable-sized foundations spread funding across more grantees at lower individual amounts. The Schiewetz model of large, repeat grants to a small circle of trusted institutions (median $140K, several grants exceeding $500K) reflects a concentrated, relationship-driven approach more typical of legacy family foundations than open-application grantmakers.

No major new program announcements, leadership transitions, or policy changes have been publicly disclosed for 2025 or 2026 as of April 2026. The foundation maintains a deliberately minimal public profile — no social media presence, no press releases, and no grantee announcement pages on its website.

The most recent notable publicly announced grant was the 2022 $1 million award to Cedarville University for the Scharnberg Business Center. This gift aligned directly with founder Richard Schiewetz's entrepreneurial legacy and demonstrated the foundation's willingness to fund large capital projects at educational institutions connected to business and leadership development.

Financially, FY2024 saw a significant revenue jump to $13.7M (up from $5.5M in FY2023), driven primarily by $10.2M in realized investment gains from asset sales and $2.9M in dividends. Total assets reached $88.5M at FY2024 year-end, up from $86.2M in FY2023. The foundation filed its FY2024 Form 990-PF on November 4, 2025, consistent with its pattern of fall filings. Charitable disbursements held steady at approximately $3.85M across 17 grants.

Leadership continuity has been strong across multiple filing periods: Richard W. Schwartz (President), Amy C. Kress (Vice President), Jennifer L. Schmidt (Secretary/Treasurer), and Jane E. Schwartz (Director) have all maintained their roles without publicly reported changes. No new officers or governance shifts have been announced for 2025-2026. The family-governance model and long officer tenures suggest institutional stability with no imminent strategic pivots.

The single most important fact about pursuing Schiewetz Foundation funding: there is no application to submit. The foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited grant requests, and all contributions go to preselected charitable organizations. The public contact email (schiewetz.foundation@gmail.com) and phone (937-425-7381) exist, but cold outreach to request funding is not the intended use and is unlikely to produce results.

The pathway to Schiewetz funding is entirely relational and long-term. Organizations that receive repeat, large grants — Dayton History (4 grants), Carillon Historical Park (3 grants), Boy Scouts Miami Valley (5 grants) — built these relationships through consistent civic presence, strong regional reputations, and direct ties to the Schwartz family and Dayton's leadership community.

Establish civic visibility first. Participate in Dayton-area business, civic, and cultural events where foundation officers circulate. Richard W. Schwartz is connected to the Miami Valley business community; appearing in those civic spaces over time matters far more than any written communication.

Use the foundation's language. When describing your work publicly, use the exact pillars the foundation articulates: economic development, entrepreneurship, higher education, leadership training, historical preservation, performing arts. Generic 'community benefit' framing does not resonate with this funder's identity.

Prioritize institutional longevity signals. Every top grantee has received multiple grants spanning 5+ years. Organizations under five years old, in financial difficulty, or lacking audited financials are poor candidates regardless of mission alignment.

Build capital project narratives. Several of the foundation's largest grants (Carillon $3.2M cumulative, Cedarville $1M, Victoria Theatre $506K) funded capital needs. Being able to articulate a credible capital plan tied to programmatic expansion may differentiate an organization during any informal conversations.

Timing: The foundation has no published grant cycles or deadlines. Decisions appear tied to an annual internal review, likely in fall given the November 990-PF filing pattern. Relationship outreach is appropriate year-round. There is no deadline to wait for.