Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation

What Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation does

Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation (CSF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1918 and incorporated in Ohio in 1946, headquartered at 720 E. Pete Rose Way, Suite 120, Cincinnati. The organization administers over 140 need-based college scholarships for full-time, degree-seeking students from the Greater Cincinnati region, covering Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren counties in Ohio; Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn County in Indiana. Students submit a single universal application through the third-party GrantInterface portal and are matched to all eligible funds, with awards disbursed directly to accredited not-for-profit colleges and universities.

CSF's underlying technology is primarily administrative: a web-based scholarship management platform via GrantInterface for online applications, document uploads (transcripts, resumes, essays, FAFSA summaries, financial aid award letters), and award tracking, paired with email communications for renewals. The organization layers on a digital presence across its website, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, plus impact reports and success stories for marketing. CSF operates with a 1-10 employee team supported by a volunteer Board of Trustees composed of senior administrators from the University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, Miami University, and other regional institutions.

CSF's business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time and monthly via the CSF Student Allies program), corporate and foundation grants establishing annual scholarship funds (minimum $2,000/year) or endowment funds (minimum $50,000), and endowment investment returns. CSF charges a 15% operational fee based on scholarship type and does not pass through banking or investment fees to donors. The organization also accepts planned gifts including stocks and Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs, with annual application deadlines of April 30th and awards beginning each summer.

Name

Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation

Legal name

Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation

Website

https://cincinnatischolarshipfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1918

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1918 that administers over 140 need-based college scholarships for Greater Cincinnati students (eight counties across Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana) via a single universal application, funded by donations, corporate grants, and endowments with a 15% operational fee.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Scholarship Administration

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Scholarship administration
• Nonprofit education funding
• College scholarship programs
• Endowment fund management
• Student financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and monthly donations from individuals through CSF Student Allies program via PayPal, credit card, or check. Donors can designate gifts to specific scholarship funds.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Gifts from businesses, organizations, and foundations to establish annual scholarship funds (minimum $2,000/year) or endowment funds (minimum $50,000). CSF charges a 15% operational fee based on scholarship type.
3. Endowment Investment Returns: Endowment funds are held in investment accounts and pay out 5% of the fair market value annually without dipping into principal, providing sustainable revenue stream.
4. Planned Giving: CSF accepts stocks, Qualified Charitable Distributions from IRAs, and planned gifts to support long-term sustainability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation administers over 140 need-based college scholarships for full-time, degree-seeking students with financial need from the Greater Cincinnati tri-state region (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana). Students submit a single universal application through the GrantInterface portal and are matched to all eligible donor-funded scholarships. Scholarship funds are disbursed directly to the recipient's accredited, not-for-profit college or university. Donors can establish Annual Scholarship Funds (minimum $2,000/year) or Scholarship Endowments (minimum $50,000, paying 5% annually).

Product overview

Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation (CSF) offers a unified scholarship management service for Greater Cincinnati students. The core offering is a comprehensive scholarship program that administers over 140 need-based scholarships through two funding models: Annual Scholarship Funds (donors pay yearly with $2,000 minimum awards) and Scholarship Endowments (perpetual funds with $50,000 minimum establishing amounts). CSF provides an online application portal via GrantInterface where students submit one application to be considered for all scholarships. The organization also operates the CSF Student Allies monthly giving program for donors, and maintains a searchable List of Scholarships directory documenting all available funds with eligibility criteria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CSF Student Allies: A monthly donor program where compassionate donors make recurring gifts to support Greater Cincinnati area students.

Products and services

• Scholarship Management Program Centralized administration of 140+ need-based college scholarships for full-time, degree-seeking students with financial need from Greater Cincinnati. One universal application through the GrantInterface portal matches students to all eligible donor-funded scholarships, with awards disbursed directly to accredited not-for-profit colleges and universities.
• Annual Scholarship Funds Yearly scholarship funds where donors pay for scholarships annually with a minimum $2,000 award per student, including renewal students. Donors pay annually or elect to make a larger gift replenished as needed.
• Scholarship Endowments Perpetual scholarship funds established by donors with a minimum $50,000 contribution. Endowments are held in investment accounts and pay out 5% of fair market value annually without dipping into principal, providing sustainable funding in perpetuity.
• CSF Student Allies (Monthly Giving Program) Recurring monthly donation program allowing donors to give ongoing support in any amount through PayPal, credit card, or check. Donors can designate gifts to specific scholarship funds or general operations.
• List of Scholarships Searchable directory of all 140+ scholarship endowments and funds administered by CSF, including eligibility criteria, award amounts, and renewal requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 140+ scholarship opportunities administered through single application
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Greater Cincinnati High SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSF works with high schools throughout Greater Cincinnati to identify and recruit eligible scholarship applicants. Partnerships with school guidance counselors enable outreach to students with financial need. Specific scholarships target graduates of particular high schools (e.g., Withrow High School, Western Hills High School, Colerain High School).
• Greater Cincinnati Colleges and UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSF partners with colleges and universities to verify enrollment, disburse scholarship funds directly to institutions, and coordinate with financial aid offices. Students must attend accredited, not-for-profit institutions. Sample institutions include University of Cincinnati, Mount St. Joseph University, Xavier University, Miami University, and Northern Kentucky University.
• GRAD CincinnatiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGRAD Cincinnati is a college access organization that works with high schools to help students pursue higher education. CSF partners with GRAD Cincinnati through board member Brian Talbert who serves as a College Readiness Coordinator at Oyler High School.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis: Regional nonprofit scholarship foundation serving the St. Louis metro area, administering multiple scholarship funds through a centralized application process. Highly comparable in mission, structure, and operating model to CSF.
• Cleveland Foundation: Regional community foundation administering scholarship funds for Greater Cleveland students. Comparable as a regional grantmaking entity with embedded scholarship administration services and donor fund management.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: Regional community foundation offering donor-advised funds and scholarship administration for the Kansas City metro area. Directly comparable in scale, mission, and scholarship matching infrastructure.
• Central Indiana Community Foundation: Indianapolis-area community foundation that administers scholarship funds and grants for local students. Operates with a similar model of pooling donor funds and matching them to students through community partnerships.
• The Columbus Foundation: Central Ohio community foundation with extensive scholarship administration and grantmaking for local students. Comparable regional scale and donor fund management model.
• College Now Greater Cleveland: Cleveland-based college access and success nonprofit that helps students navigate postsecondary pathways including scholarship matching. Comparable mission of expanding college attainment for regional students with financial need.

Broad incumbents

• United Negro College Fund: National scholarship and financial aid administrator for students attending member historically Black colleges and universities. Broader scale and national scope but overlapping mission of administering pooled scholarship funds for students with financial need.
• QuestBridge: National nonprofit that connects high-achieving, low-income students with scholarship and admissions opportunities at partner colleges. Comparable function of matching students to scholarship funding pools, though at national scale and with a more selective target student profile.

Regional players

• Cincinnati Youth Collaborative: Cincinnati-based college and career readiness nonprofit serving local youth through mentoring and college access programs. Overlaps with CSF's student-facing outreach and college access mission in the same geographic market.

Emerging players

• Going Merry: Scholarship search and application platform that aggregates scholarships from multiple sources for students. Adjacent to CSF's grantinterface.com matching model, representing a more digital/scaled version of scholarship discovery and application.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CincinnatiScholarshipFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cincinnati-scholarship-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/cincinnati_sf
• Xx.com/CincinnatiSF

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation