Ogle Foundation

What Ogle Foundation does

The Paul Ogle Foundation (legal entity: Paul Ogle Foundation, Inc.) is a private, non-operating philanthropic foundation established in late 1979 by Jeffersonville, Indiana entrepreneur Paul W. Ogle, funded primarily by his transfer of business assets from Silgas, a propane business he founded in 1934. The foundation became operational in 1980 and is governed by a six-member Board of Directors, with Kent W. Lanum serving as President & CEO (since 2012, with the foundation since 2007) and Donna White Eswine as Program Director and Office Manager. It operates with 3-5 full-time staff from its headquarters in the historic Jeffersonville Carnegie Library (moved in 2018) and runs a two-phase grant application process culminating in twice-yearly grant disbursements (June and December), with a policy of distributing a minimum of 5% of total assets annually. Grants are restricted to IRS-classified 501(c)(3) Type I or Type II nonprofits (and equivalent public agencies) with at least five years of operating history and minimum financial thresholds ($300,000 annual revenue or $600,000 total assets), serving Clark, Floyd, Scott, Switzerland, and Washington counties in Indiana, plus Jefferson County KY organizations that can demonstrate a minimum 20% Southern Indiana clientele. Over its 40+ year history the foundation has distributed nearly $100 million to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions in Southern Indiana, funding capital improvements, renovations, equipment, technology, programmatic expenditures, planning/management assistance, and one-time sponsorships across human services, arts and culture, education, community development, and historic preservation.

The foundation has no commercial revenue model; it is funded entirely by investment returns on an endowment derived from Paul Ogle's business assets and reinvested earnings. It does not develop or deploy any proprietary technology, software, or AI/ML capabilities, and its only digital surface is a static informational website and downloadable PDF application forms (Grant Application, Standards Manual). The board meets six times annually on fixed dates to consider grant applications submitted at least three weeks prior, with a mandatory pre-submission consultation requirement (instituted June 1, 2017) under which any unsolicited submission is automatically rejected. Marketing is limited to the website and word-of-mouth within the regional nonprofit community; the foundation does not run traditional campaigns and does not accept emergency grant requests.

Name

Ogle Foundation

Legal name

Paul Ogle Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://ogle-fdn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Paul Ogle Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1979 by entrepreneur Paul W. Ogle, headquartered in Jeffersonville, Indiana. It distributes a minimum of 5% of its endowment annually to IRS-classified 501(c)(3) nonprofits and public agencies serving Southern Indiana, having granted nearly $100 million over 40+ years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation / Grantmaking Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Community foundation grants
• Nonprofit grant funding
• Charitable endowment grants
• Private foundation support

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeffersonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment & Asset Returns: The foundation operates as a private philanthropic endowment established by Paul W. Ogle. The foundation distributes grants from its investment assets and does not generate revenue from commercial activities. Grant payouts are made twice yearly (June and December), representing a minimum of 5% of total asset value annually.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Ogle Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation that distributes grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and public governmental agencies serving Southern Indiana communities. Grants fund capital improvements, renovations, equipment, technology, programmatic expenditures, planning/management assistance, and one-time program sponsorships aligned with the foundation's mission of economic development, human services, regional cooperation, and preservation of artistic, historical, and cultural heritage. Grants are awarded twice yearly (June and December) following a structured two-phase application process reviewed by a six-member Board of Directors.

Product overview

The Ogle Foundation operates as a traditional grant-making foundation offering a structured two-phase grant application process to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The core product is the grant mechanism itself, which includes the initial letter of inquiry (Phase I), detailed grant application (Phase II), and the Conditions of Grant Agreement that governs funded projects. Supporting resources include the Standards Document and various downloadable forms. The foundation does not offer technology products, software platforms, or digital services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ogle Foundation Grant Program Grant funding program providing financial support to qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations (Type I or II) and public governmental agencies serving Southern Indiana. Eligible organizations must have 5+ years of active history and minimum $300,000 annual revenue or $600,000 total assets. Funds cover capital improvements, renovations, equipment, technology, programmatic expenditures, planning/management assistance, and special community projects. Distribution occurs twice yearly (June and December) at a minimum of 5% of total assets annually.
• Two-Phase Grant Application Process

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $100 million in grants distributed to Southern Indiana nonprofits over 30 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• River Heritage ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ogle Foundation is one of the founding organizations of the River Heritage Conservancy. The foundation moved its offices into the Jeffersonville Carnegie Library in 2018 partly due to the conservancy's expanding role and need for space. Foundation staff serve on the conservancy's board.
• Community Foundation of LouisvilleminorOthersListed as a related foundation link on the Ogle Foundation resources page, indicating collaborative relationship among regional foundations.
• Community Foundation of Southern IndianaminorOthersListed as a related foundation link on the Ogle Foundation resources page, indicating collaborative relationship among regional foundations.
• C.E. and S. FoundationminorOthersListed as a related foundation link on the Ogle Foundation resources page.
• Gheens Foundation, Inc.minorOthersListed as a related foundation link on the Ogle Foundation resources page.
• James Graham Brown FoundationminorOthersListed as a related foundation link on the Ogle Foundation resources page.
• Louisville Zoo FoundationminorOthersRegional organization supported by Ogle Foundation grants that accommodates Southern Indiana county residents.
• Dare to CareminorOthersRegional organization supported by Ogle Foundation grants that accommodates Southern Indiana county residents.
• Boys and Girls ClubminorOthersRegional organization supported by Ogle Foundation grants that accommodates Southern Indiana county residents.
• Actors TheatreminorOthersRegional organization supported by Ogle Foundation grants that accommodates Southern Indiana county residents.
• The Louisville WaterfrontminorOthersRegional organization supported by Ogle Foundation grants that accommodates Southern Indiana county residents.
• Family Scholar HouseminorOthersRegional organization supported by Ogle Foundation grants that accommodates Southern Indiana county residents.
• Endeavor LouisvilleminorOthersRegional organization supported by Ogle Foundation grants. Kent Lanum served as Founding Board Member/Secretary for Endeavor Midwest (2015-2021).
• IVY Tech Community CollegeminorOthersEducational institution in Southern Indiana. Video content about Paul W. Ogle was produced courtesy of IVY Tech Community College.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• C.E. and S. Foundation: Louisville-based private foundation referenced on Ogle's resources page; similar private-foundation structure serving Kentucky and Southern Indiana nonprofits.
• Community Foundation of Louisville: Louisville-based community foundation listed as an Ogle partner foundation; comparable regional grantmaking model with overlapping Jefferson County KY service area.
• Community Foundation of Southern Indiana: Regional community foundation serving Southern Indiana counties; explicitly linked by Ogle as a related foundation and shares the same geographic grantmaking territory and nonprofit support mission.
• James Graham Brown Foundation: Louisville-based private foundation linked on Ogle's resources page; similar size, private-foundation structure, and capital-grant focus on Kentucky/Southern Indiana region.
• Gheens Foundation: Louisville-area private foundation listed as a related Ogle partner; comparable mission funding education, health, and community development in the same geographic footprint.
• The Columbus Foundation: Major regional community foundation with a comparable single-region grantmaking model, donor-advised funds, and nonprofit capacity-building programs; a useful structural comparable.
• Blue River Community Foundation: Indiana-based community foundation serving Johnson and Shelby counties with a similar regional grantmaking and scholarship mission; analogous size and operating model to Ogle.

Broad incumbents

• Lilly Endowment: Massive Indiana-based private foundation with a much broader national and international grantmaking scope; provides a scaling benchmark for what an Indiana private foundation can become.

Regional players

• Greater Cincinnati Foundation: Large regional community foundation serving the Greater Cincinnati area, including parts of Northern Kentucky; comparable community-foundation model across the Ohio River from Ogle's footprint.
• Ball Brothers Foundation: Indiana-based private foundation with a similar Muncie-area regional focus; provides a comparable model of family-derived perpetual endowment grantmaking in Indiana.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paul-ogle-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ogle Foundation