Walter E & Caroline H Watson Trust
Pittsburgh, PA · EIN 34-6547726. Reported 163 grants totalling $1,922,877 to 79 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Walter E & Caroline H Watson Trust did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $10,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $12,500; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $75,288. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron Children's Hospital | Akron, OH | $211,884 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Mercy Health Fdn | Youngstown, OH | $211,884 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Community Corporation United Way Campaign | Youngstown, OH | $124,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Salvation Army | Youngstown, OH | $58,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Potential Development Program | Youngstown, OH | $56,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Akiva Academy | Youngstown, OH | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Youngstown Area Jewish Federation | Youngstown, OH | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Compass Family & Community Services | Youngstown, OH | $46,154 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Coleman Health Services | Kent, OH | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Youngstown Edison Incubator | Youngstown, OH | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley | Youngstown, OH | $40,588 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| United Way Worldwide | Alexandria, VA | $40,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Kool Boiz Foundation | Middletown, DE | $35,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Humility of Mary Housing | Cuyahoga Falls, OH | $32,584 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Youngstown Playhouse | Youngstown, OH | $32,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| YMCA of Youngstown | Youngstown, OH | $31,918 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Butler Institute of American Art | Youngstown, OH | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Heart Reach Neighborhood | Youngstown, OH | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ursuline Sisters Mission | Youngstown, OH | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Young Womens Christian Association | Youngstown, OH | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp | Youngstown, OH | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| American Red Cross Greater Akron | Akron, OH | $26,700 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Coleman Professional Svcs | Youngstown, OH | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Henry H Stambaugh Auditorium Association | Youngstown, OH | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Opera Western Reserve | Youngstown, OH | $23,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown | Youngstown, OH | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Catholic Charities | Youngstown, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Sight for All | Youngstown, OH | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Youngstown Area Goodwill Inc | Youngstown, OH | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber | Youngstown, OH | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Autism Society of Mahoning Valley | Canfield, OH | $19,060 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley Ohio | Girard, OH | $18,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Second Harvest Foodbank | Youngstown, OH | $16,418 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Beatitude House | Youngstown, OH | $16,154 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Make a Wish Foundation of Greater Ohio | Indepedendce, OH | $16,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Smarts Students Motivated By the Arts | Youngstown, OH | $15,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| National Society to Prevent Blindness | Chicago, IL | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Youngstown Neighborhood Developm | Youngstown, OH | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| All Children Learn Differently | Youngstown, OH | $14,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Inspiring Minds | Cleveland, OH | $13,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Inspiring Minds Youngstown | Warren, OH | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley | Warren, OH | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| United Returning Citizens Inc | Youngstown, OH | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Students Motivated By the Arts | Youngstown, OH | $10,381 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| 1ST Presbyterian Church | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Easter Seals Society of Mahoning Trumbull and Columbiana Counties | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Girl Scouts of North East | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Girls Scouts of Northeast Ohio | Macedonia, OH | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Golden String Inc | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ohio Living Holdings | Columbus, OH | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Ohio Urban Renaissance | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ronald Mcdonald House Charities | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sight for All United Inc | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Tech Belt Energy Innovation Center | Warren, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Trumbull and Easter Seals | Youngstown, OH | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Young Womens Christian Association | San Antonio, TX | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $9,950 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio | Columbus, OH | $9,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| American Red Cross | Youngstown, OH | $8,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Salvation Army Attention Lori Field | Lutz, FL | $8,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sister Jerome's Schools | Youngstown, OH | $8,080 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ohio Foundation of Participants | Columbus, OH | $6,600 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Family & Community Services | Kent, OH | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The United Way of Yomah Valley | Youngstown, OH | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Youngstown State University Foundation | Youngstown, OH | $6,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Trumbull Mobile Meals | Warren, OH | $5,552 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio | Youngstown, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| English Center | Youngstown, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Home for Aged Women Paisley House | Youngstown, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Junior Achievement of Mahoning V | Girard, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Operation Warm Inc | Glen Mills, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Prevent Blindness Ohio | Columbus, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Ursuline Center | Canfield, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colle | Columbus, OH | $3,300 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Youngstown Lifeguard Academy | Cincinnati, OH | $2,670 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Youngstown State University Foundation F | Youngstown, OH | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ysu Foundation | Youngstown, OH | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Salvation Army Attention Lori Field | Youngstown, OH | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
44 of 79 (56%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 49%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Salvation Army
EMERGENCY SOCIAL SERVICES - The Youngstown Edison Incubator
YBI YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP - American Red Cross Greater Akron
MAHONING VALLEY HOME FIRE - Humility of Mary Housing
EMMANUEL ROOF REPLACEMENT - Youngstown Playhouse
2024 YOUTH THEATRE PROGRAM - Butler Institute of American Art
BOILER REPLACEMENT PROJECT
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 73 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 33 | $367,236 | $9,418 |
| 2022 | 39 | $486,678 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 31 | $308,614 | $10,000 |
| 2024 | 28 | $353,860 | $10,000 |
| 2025 | 32 | $406,489 | $10,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
94% of its giving went to organizations in Ohio. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $10,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Ohio.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Walter E & Caroline H Watson Trust's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 500 First Ave P7-Pfsc-03-Z, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 34-6547726 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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