The Raymond John Wean Foundation

What The Raymond John Wean Foundation does

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is a private, non-operating philanthropic foundation established in 1949 by industrialist Raymond John Wean, headquartered at 147 West Market Street in Warren, Ohio. The foundation's stated mission is equitable community building in the under-resourced communities of Warren and Youngstown in Ohio's Mahoning Valley, organized around four strategic priorities: community revitalization, economic opportunity, educational opportunity, and public and civic sector leadership. Since adopting a racial equity and inclusion (REI) framework as its guiding strategy in 2019, the foundation has reoriented grantmaking, capacity building, convening, and partnerships around organizations whose leadership reflects the racial demographics of the communities served — primarily Black and Hispanic/Latino-led nonprofits.

The foundation's core offerings are grant programs and ancillary capacity-building services rather than commercial products. Grantmaking spans two tiers: small grassroots Neighborhood SUCCESS and Resident Engagement Grants of $500–$5,000, and larger Community Investment Grants ranging from approximately $64,500 to $2.4 million per award. Capacity building includes sponsored Racial Equity Institute (REI) workshops (over 500 community participants since 2017), a 15-member Nonprofit Leadership Cohort with Gradient, a Black/Hispanic/Latino executive fellowship with Strategic Partners, and technical assistance. The technology stack is intentionally lightweight: Submittable (third-party SaaS) powers online grant applications and the WeanFolio introductory intake form, while the REI Journey Framework is a documentation tool codifying the foundation's equity methodology. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue; funding flows from its endowment under IRS private foundation rules, with no equity or debt instruments disclosed. Operating revenue is not publicly disclosed, but joint COVID-era grantmaking of $2.4M across 150 grants alongside the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and The Youngstown Foundation indicates an endowment scale consistent with a mid-sized regional foundation.

Name

The Raymond John Wean Foundation

Legal name

The Raymond John Wean Foundation

Website

https://weanfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is a private philanthropic foundation established in 1949, headquartered in Warren, Ohio, that provides grantmaking, capacity building, and convening services to support equitable community development for Black and Hispanic/Latino-led organizations and under-resourced residents in Warren and Youngstown, Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Philanthropy

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Community development grants
• Philanthropic foundation services
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Racial equity training
• Community revitalization grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Warren

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment/Grant Disbursements: The Raymond John Wean Foundation operates as a philanthropic foundation established in 1949. The foundation disburses grants from its endowment to support community building in under-resourced communities of Warren and Youngstown, Ohio. The foundation does not generate revenue through commercial activities but rather distributes funds through various grant programs focused on community revitalization, economic opportunity, educational opportunity, and public/civic sector leadership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation that distributes grants from its endowment to support community building in the under-resourced communities of Warren and Youngstown in Ohio's Mahoning Valley. It provides community investment grants (multi-year, ranging from tens of thousands to over $2 million), small grassroots Neighborhood SUCCESS and Resident Engagement grants ($500-$5,000), capacity building support including Racial Equity Institute (REI) training, and convening/partnership programs focused on community revitalization, economic opportunity, educational opportunity, and public/civic sector leadership.

Product overview

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is a philanthropic nonprofit organization, not a technology product company. It does not offer a software platform or technology products. Instead, it provides grantmaking programs, capacity building services, community convening, and partnerships focused on equitable community development in the Mahoning Valley region of Ohio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Investment Grants Multi-year grant funding (recent grants ranging from approximately $64,500 to $2.4 million) awarded to nonprofit organizations whose leadership reflects the racial demographics of the communities they serve, supporting community revitalization, economic opportunity, educational opportunity, and public and civic sector leadership in the Mahoning Valley.
• Neighborhood SUCCESS Grants Small grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 that fund resident-led grassroots community projects addressing neighborhood challenges, COVID response, and organizational capacity in the Mahoning Valley.
• Resident Engagement Grants Grants that support resident-led initiatives and community organizing projects in the Mahoning Valley, reviewed by a Resident Council drawn from Warren and Youngstown residents.
• Racial Equity Institute (REI) Workshops Multi-day Racial Equity Institute (REI) training workshops held in the Mahoning Valley and coordinated with ThirdSpace Action Lab, designed to build community capacity in racial equity and inclusion principles. Over 500 community members have participated since 2017.
• Nonprofit Leadership Cohort Program A 15-member cohort leadership development program for Warren and Youngstown nonprofit professionals, delivered in partnership with Gradient (human capital consulting) and Strategic Partners. Designed to strengthen nonprofit leadership and management capacity in the Mahoning Valley.
• Wean Foundation Space Rental

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.6 million invested in 525+ resident-led projects since 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.

• Thrive Mahoning ValleyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Event partnership for neighborhood bike tours and Night Market events. Provides electric bikes and helmets for tour participants.
• YoGo BikeShareminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Provides electric bikes and helmets for neighborhood bike tour events showcasing revitalization efforts.
• Cities of Warren, Youngstown, and GirardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Collaboration on neighborhood revitalization events including bike tours and Night Market at Avon Oaks Ballroom.
• Strategic PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2025Consulting partner for nonprofit leadership development. Collaborated on Nonprofit Leadership Cohort program and Emerging Leaders program. Created leadership fellowship for Black and Hispanic/Latino nonprofit executives.
• Greater Ohio Policy CentermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2025Commissioned to create current conditions reports for Warren and Youngstown with data disaggregated by race/ethnicity. Reports highlight bright spots in housing and entrepreneurship in the Mahoning Valley.
• Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2025Major grantee partner receiving $600,000 in 2025 for home repairs and down payment assistance, $2.4 million total in recent grants. Black-led organization implementing neighborhood revitalization and housing development programs.
• GradientmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 December 2024Human capital consulting firm specializing in leadership development. Partnered on the 15-member Nonprofit Leadership Cohort program for Warren and Youngstown nonprofit professionals.
• ThirdSpace Action LabmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 September 2024Cleveland-based organization coordinating Racial Equity Institute workshops in the Mahoning Valley. Conducts equity footprint assessments and supports REI implementation.
• Glenmede TrustminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership to expand knowledge and capabilities of the Wean Foundation and other clients in aligning investments with racial equity values.
• JAC Management GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 February 2021Manages Wean Park in Youngstown. Partnership for community engagement initiatives including Little Free Library installation, programming, and park operations.
• Youngstown RotaryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2021Partnered with Little Free Library Foundation to provide Little Free Library at Wean Park. Library features books selected by Youngstown Library focusing on racial equity and inclusion themes.
• Community Foundation of the Mahoning ValleycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Collaborative partnership for joint COVID-19 Crisis Relief and Stabilization grants. The two foundations, along with The Youngstown Foundation, created a shared application process allowing organizations to apply to all three foundations simultaneously. Joint investment of over $2.4 million through 150 grants during pandemic response.
• The Youngstown FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Three foundations collaborated on COVID-19 grant application, leveraging grant dollars and connecting grant seekers directly with all three foundations for quick funding decisions.
• Youngstown State University Center for Nonprofit LeadershipmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2020Grant recipient and strategic partner providing professional development. Received $86,000 for Summer Nonprofit Leadership Internship Program placing 10 students at regional nonprofits.
• Eastgate Regional Council of GovernmentscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2020Partnership to create the Mahoning Valley Food Pantry Map using GIS mapping technology. Eastgate provided technical expertise and mapping tools to coordinate food access information across the region during COVID-19 crisis.
• Communities of ExcellenceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019National learning collaborative focused on community transformation. The foundation, along with CFMV and Eastgate, participated in CoE framework for aligning and strengthening community effectiveness.
• Racial Equity Institute (REI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Long-standing partnership for Racial Equity and Inclusion training workshops. Foundation has sponsored multiple training sessions since 2017, with over 500 community members participating. Workshops held in Mahoning Valley, coordinated by ThirdSpace Action Lab.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: National foundation with major programs in racial equity, economic opportunity, and democratic governance. Wean's racial equity framework and BIPOC-led grantee focus align with Ford's approach, though at vastly different scale.
• Heinz Endowments: Pittsburgh-based foundation with strong focus on racial equity, economic opportunity, and community development. Comparable in emphasis on equity-centered regional grantmaking, though with a larger endowment and broader portfolio.
• The Cleveland Foundation: Largest community foundation in Ohio with a broad Cleveland/Northeast Ohio focus. Comparably positioned as a place-based community foundation but operates at materially larger scale and broader thematic scope.

Direct peers

• Marguerite Casey Foundation: National foundation focused on equity, racial justice, and community-led change. Comparable in mission emphasis on supporting BIPOC-led organizations and resident-driven community power-building.
• Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley: Mahoning Valley community foundation and the third partner in the joint COVID-19 grant application process with Wean and The Youngstown Foundation. Directly comparable in geography, asset scale, and focus on local grantmaking.
• The Youngstown Foundation: Community foundation serving the Youngstown/Mahoning Valley area. Wean Foundation co-coordinated COVID-19 Crisis Relief grants with this foundation, deploying $2.4M+ through 150 grants via a shared application. Most direct peer by geography and grantmaking scope.

Regional players

• Saint Luke's Foundation: Cleveland-based foundation focused on health equity and community building in under-resourced neighborhoods. Comparable in commitment to place-based equity grantmaking in Northeast Ohio, though with a different thematic focus (health).
• Foundation for Appalachian Ohio: Regional foundation serving 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. Comparable in place-based grantmaking and community development focus, though with a broader geographic scope than Wean's Warren/Youngstown concentration.
• Greater Akron Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving Summit County, Ohio. Comparable as a community foundation operating in a post-industrial Ohio region, though with broader geographic and thematic scope.

Emerging players

• Borealis Philanthropy: Philanthropic intermediary specifically focused on resourcing racial equity movements and BIPOC-led organizations. Comparable in mission focus on Black/Hispanic/Latinx-led grantee development and disaggregated data practices.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8x6vvHUSzvzMWhRW9t8HtA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheRaymondJohnWeanFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-raymond-john-wean-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments10 records

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Frequently asked questions about The Raymond John Wean Foundation