Bethany House Services (BHS) is the largest family homelessness service provider in Greater Cincinnati, serving 75% of the families with children in the city who receive services. Through mergers, they grew into a multi-site service provider until they consolidated all seven sites into one, where they house over 250 families and serve an additional 500+ families annually. Over the years, the average length of stay has increased from 30 nights to more than 50. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Creating Hope and Healing for Children Experiencing Homelessness.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati (BBBS) provides professionally supported mentoring services that have impacted the lives of tens of thousands of children in this region for more than 100 years. Program delivery and evaluation are based on The Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets® – the gold standard for contributing to the positive development of children and youth. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Igniting the Future through Site-Based Mentorship.
For over 30 years, Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (CYC) has consistently worked to provide close to 200,000 of the city’s most vulnerable youth with the tools to overcome barriers to educational success. CYC’s programs have long been regarded as the standard in mentoring, dropout prevention, and college and career preparation. A gift from Pfau Foundation will support the CYC Mentoring Program.
CityLink Center (CLC) is a comprehensive, collaborative organization that supports low-income, unemployed, and under-employed residents through partnerships with several area nonprofit service providers to help individuals and their families achieve self-sufficiency. CLC’s approach is based on co-locating (bringing services into one building) and integrating programs (creating a cohesive experience) while fueling that work with volunteers. These core competencies simultaneously increase efficacy while reducing costs. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Expansion of Every Mother’s Advocate (EMA).
For over 115 years, Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (Clovernook) has been providing unique and inclusive programming and employment opportunities in Greater Cincinnati and Memphis, Tennessee for those with visual impairments. Annually, approximately 1,000 individuals and their families benefit from the organization’s referral services, employment services, training, and youth programs. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Clovernook Center’s Pediatric Low Vision Clinic.
Crayons to Computers (C2C) aims to bridge the gap for schools and families who do not have the financial ability to provide school supplies to students. C2C has successfully operated its Teacher Resource Center since 1997. To date, C2C has successfully distributed over $187 million worth of school supplies to needy students in the Greater Cincinnati area. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Crayons for Kids Fund and the Crayons' Comprehensive Campaign.
Forever Kings supports over 300 boys and young men of color each year through their Boyz II Kings and Prince Program–flagship, community-based programs that offer a dynamic blend of academic enrichment, self-reflection, and self-visualization, all underpinned by the cultivation of a profound sense of brotherhood. These core programs ensure their members graduate on time, are proficient in reading and math to prevent drop out, and provide a safe, stable, and uplifting community and brotherhood to support their social, emotional, and mental health. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Boyz II Kings: Every King Succeeds.
Freestore Foodbank (FSFB) is the largest provider of emergency food and products in the Tri-State area, serving more than 560 partners in a 20-county service area. It is the third largest foodbank in Ohio. FSFB serves a critical role in the community’s safety net. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Power Pack program.
From Fatherless to Fearless’s mission is to empower and equip teen and young adult girls with strained or absent father relationships on their journey to healing and wholeness. The organization has impacted over 2,000 women through mental, financial, and spiritual (nonreligious) health services, life enrichment classes, and international award-winning books since 2016. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Capacity Building program.
La Soupe is a non-profit seeking to fulfill a dual purpose in the local food system – rescue useable produce from landfills and feed hungry families. Based east of Cincinnati proper, La Soupe works with partners in both Hamilton and Clermont counties. While there are many non-profits endeavoring to feed hungry families, no other is doing so by rescuing produce and turning it into healthy meals for those in need. A gift from Pfau Foundation will support the program, La Soupe: Rescue, Transform, Share.
The mission of the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati is to resolve serious legal problems of low-income people, to promote economic and family stability, and to reduce poverty through effective legal assistance. A gift from Pfau Foundation will support Education Advocacy: Supporting School Success.
The Ohio River Foundation (ORF) is an effective nonprofit with a 25-year track record of delivering hands-on education and conservation programs. ORF is the only citizen group dedicated to protection and restoration of the Ohio River and its 25-million-person watershed that covers 200,000 square miles. Its work is vital as more than a million people depend on the Ohio River as their primary source of drinking water. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the River Explorer and Mussels in the Classroom Access Fund.
PARACHUTE has advocated for abused and neglected children across Butler County’s urban and rural, wealthy and disadvantaged communities, including West Chester, Middletown, Oxford, Hamilton and others. The organization has4 fulltime staff members and 5060 volunteers who are active on an annual basis asCourt Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Be A Child's Voice program.
Prevent Blindness Ohio (PBO) is a statewide affiliate of Prevent Blindness America (PBA) and has been a national leader in public health vision screening since 1926. PBO is guided by a strategic plan (2020-2025) which promotes eye health and eye safety as essential elements of healthy living through consumer advocacy, public and professional education, and resource development. They focus on education, eye health and safety, early vision-loss prevention and screening for our community’s most at-risk members – preschool children, older adults and minority and low-income populations. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Vision Care Outreach Program, serving Southwest Ohio.
Formed over 180 years ago, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has a long-standing reputation for fulfilling the needs of the poor and has the support of community businesses, local corporations, and concerned citizens. Now in 150 countries, St. Vincent is the largest social service agency of its kind. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Sweet Dreams Bed Program.
Starfire was founded in 1993, by a group of volunteers and parents with the vision of providing a social outlet for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who were often left out of community life. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Inclusion Seekers: Social Connections for Children/Adults w/ Disabilities (Hamilton/Butler Counties).
In its first four years, Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank (SCDB) has provided over two million diapers to thousands of children in the Greater Cincinnati area. Founded in 2015 to address the great un-met need for diapers among low-income families, SCDB has become a solid, active partner, effectively addressing a critical need while strengthening connections to other social service agencies. A gift from Pfau Foundation will support the Diaper Distribution Program.
The doctors at The Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI) launched The Cincinnati Eye Institute Foundation (CEIF) to ensure any Cincinnatian in need could access high-quality vision care regardless of an ability to pay. CEI doctors and retirees volunteer their services at four clinics located in familiar anchor locations that are easily reached, such as St. Vincent de Paul in the West End, or the Good Samaritan Hospital Free Health Center in Price Hill. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Expansion of Free Vision Care for Children.
The Point was chartered in 1972 when three parent groups united to form an advocacy group to assist their loved ones diagnosed with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). It evolved into a full service agency whose primary focus is to provide real life experiences for the people it serves, giving them the opportunity to be accepted and contributing members of the community. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Vocation Assistance Program.
Tikkun Farm was founded in 2015 by Mary Laymon and Greg York, on a former dairy farm, with the vision of repairing their small corner of the world (Mt. Healthy, Hamilton County). Tikkun Farm’s growth strategy is informed by the evolving and growing needs of its Mt. Healthy community. Over the past seven years, the number of children, youth and adults served, and the range of programs implemented, have grown significantly. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Preparing low-income, emotionally disabled youth for job success.
UpSpring, formerly Faces Without Places and the Project Connect Homeless Children’s Fund, has served over 45,000 children since 1998. The organization provides unique services, meeting the basic educational needs of school age children, who are homeless, through summer field trips, tutoring, and school supplies. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the UpSpring Resource Collaborative.
Queen City Book Bank was created in 2021 through the merger of the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati and the Blue Manatee Literacy Project. The Queen City Book Bank tackles the major deficit of traditional book drives and donations where the quality and subject matter of donated books are determined by the book donors rather than by the needs and interests of the recipients. With volunteer technology experts, QCBB has created a digital resource portal that will enable teachers, parents and nonprofit staff to select books that are of interest to their children and are at an appropriate reading level. When fully operational, the digital resource portal will receive, sort and distribute 350,000 books to 35,000 Cincinnati area children annually. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Queen City Book Bank New Curated Book Distribution Program Growth in the 2025-2026 School Year.
Building on the tradition of the biennial Tall Stacks festivals of the past, The America's River Roots (ARR) Experience will be held from October 8-12, 2025, along the banks of the Ohio River, spanning both the Ohio and Kentucky sides. The event hopes to draw audiences from all eight counties of our region and beyond. They anticipate attracting upwards of one million attendees, representing a diverse range of ages, socio-economic statuses, abilities, ethnicities, and races. The primary purpose of the festival is to create and sustain interest in our region’s rich history on the river, including its role in the Black American experience. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Whistle Grove at National Steamboat Monument Update.
Founded in 2008 by Nancy Eigel-Miller in memory of her husband who died by suicide, 1N5 has grown into one of Greater Cincinnati's leading mental health education nonprofits, reaching more than 300 K–12 schools, six universities, and 150 community partners across Southwest Ohio. As Ohio's largest provider of the evidence-based Sources of Strength program, 1N5 works to reduce stigma, build resiliency, and prevent suicide through education and advocacy. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Building Resiliency in Youth.
Founded in 1973 in Northern Kentucky, BAWAC Community Rehabilitation Center has spent more than five decades providing employment, rehabilitation, and life skills training to individuals with physical, cognitive, developmental, and mental health disabilities across six counties. In FY2024, BAWAC served 420 individuals through programs including supported employment, community rehabilitation, job training, and transportation — averaging 225 riders per day. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Pathways to Independence: Youth Employment for Young Adults with Disabilities.
Founded in Cincinnati by licensed social workers Katie and Iloba Nzekwu, Found Village connects Hamilton County foster youth and young adults aging out of the child welfare system to a comprehensive suite of services — including coaching, tutoring, career readiness, and basic resource support — designed to prepare them for economic mobility in adulthood. The organization currently serves approximately 80 young people ages 13 to 25. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Path2Independence Expansion.
Founded in 2018, Give Like a Mother (GLAM) provides free, personalized clothing kits — spanning sizes from Preemie to 7XL — to children and teens from infancy through age 18 across Greater Cincinnati. In its first five years, GLAM distributed more than 250,000 clothing items and delivered over 17,000 customized PACK kits, representing more than $1.5 million in material relief for local families. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support The GLAMorous Goods Shop.
Founded in 2020 and rooted in a vocational art program originally launched in 2006, Inspiration Studios creates inclusive environments where individuals with disabilities can build skills, earn income through their art, and access wellness and transportation support. The organization now serves approximately 80 individuals each week across its three programs — InsideOut Studio, Inspired Transportation, and Inclusive Wellness. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Inspiration Studios Operating Support.
For over 22 years, MindPeace Cincinnati has served as a neutral backbone organization focused on connecting Greater Cincinnati youth to mental health solutions and driving systemic improvements in children's mental health access and quality. Through its network of school-based mental health partnerships, nearly 164,000 students now have access to critical brain health services — and 75% of youth referred to care during the 2023–2024 school year actually received treatment, compared to the national average of just 20%. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Advancing Youth Mental Health and Wellness through Systems Leadership & School Consultation.
For six decades, the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission (NKCAC) has helped more than 35,000 low-income individuals and families per year develop the knowledge, opportunities, and resources needed to achieve self-reliance. Spanning eight Northern Kentucky counties, NKCAC's services include affordable housing, early childhood education, job training, financial empowerment, and youth programming, delivered through a network of 149 employees and 468 volunteers. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Youth Services Program.
Founded in 1984 when a group of low-income mothers purchased their neighborhood school building to preserve it as an educational resource, Peaslee Neighborhood Center has served Over-the-Rhine families for 40 years through arts, music, and social justice education rooted in participatory learning. Today, thousands of residents use Peaslee annually as a community hub, with programs spanning piano instruction, summer camp, youth civic engagement, and women's writing circles. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Agents of Change Youth Enrichment and Employment Program Series.
Founded in 1995 in the South Bronx and operating in Greater Cincinnati since 2013, Per Scholas provides tuition-free, employer-aligned tech career training in IT support, cybersecurity, software engineering, and Salesforce administration to adults with low-to-moderate incomes. Locally, Per Scholas has enrolled more than 1,300 learners, with an 84% graduation rate and 81% job attainment rate, generating more than $28 million in new wages across the region. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Per Scholas Greater Cincinnati IT Skills Training.
Founded in 2007, Strategies to End Homelessness serves as the backbone organization coordinating Greater Cincinnati's homeless services system — overseeing HUD Continuum of Care funding across 16 partner agencies, operating a centralized intake helpline, and using data analytics to direct resources to the highest-impact programs. In 2024, the organization's work touched 11,030 people across the local homeless services system. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support The Central Access Point (CAP) Helpline.
Founded in 1973, Women Helping Women has grown from a UC student-run hotline into the largest provider of services for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in its five-county region. In 2024, the organization served nearly 8,500 survivors through 37,000 crisis intervention services and educated 4,250 youth through evidence-based prevention programs across 65 schools. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support WHW Youth Gender Based Violence Interventions.
4C for Children is the designated child care resource and referral agency for 15 counties across Southwest Ohio and the Miami Valley, serving as the region's largest provider of training and technical assistance for early childhood educators. Founded in 1972, 4C impacts the lives of more than 67,600 children annually by equipping educators and administrators with the professional development, credentials, and tools needed to deliver high-quality care. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Quality Child Care Access Project.
Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association is the world's leading health nonprofit focused on diabetes research, education, and advocacy, serving the 38 million Americans living with diabetes. Locally, the ADA operates Camp Korelitz, one of the nation's largest networks of camps for youth with type 1 diabetes, providing children with a safe and empowering environment to manage their health. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support ADA Camp Korelitz.
The Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky (ESNKY) opened in 2008 as a volunteer coalition and has grown into a year-round, 68-bed facility offering emergency shelter, transitional housing, a daytime navigation center, street outreach, and an onsite healthcare clinic serving nearly 1,500 patient visits annually. Operating on a low-barrier, harm-reduction model, ESNKY served more than 850 guests in FY2024, providing a dignified path from crisis to stability for adults experiencing homelessness in the region. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Navigation for Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness in Northern Kentucky.
Formed in 2020 through the merger of two legacy organizations each with over 40 years of experience, Learning Grove is the region's cradle-to-career education nonprofit, serving approximately 900 children in early learning centers, 1,100 students in before- and after-school programs, and 1,500+ high school students annually through college and career preparation. The Learning Grove Institute focuses specifically on professional development and retention of early childhood educators through coaching, training, and new hire support. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Learning Grove Institute: Retaining and Developing Teachers in Early Learning Programs.
Founded in 1997, the Ohio Justice & Policy Center (OJPC) is a Cincinnati-based nonprofit law firm offering free legal services to help people navigate the criminal justice system, reduce Ohio's prison population, and protect the rights of incarcerated individuals. Its Second Chance Project, launched in 2004, removes criminal record-based barriers to employment, housing, and education — with more than 300 people participating in its legal clinics in 2024 alone. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support the Second Chance Project.
Since 1963, Stepping Stones has worked to fill service gaps for individuals with disabilities, starting as Greater Cincinnati's first summer day camp for children with disabilities. Today, Stepping Stones provides year-round programs to more than 700 individuals ages 5 to 65+ with developmental disabilities across four campuses, offering safe, enriching programs that promote independence and respite for families — 85% of whom receive financial assistance. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Pathways to Technology for Stepping Stones.
Teach For America has operated in Ohio since 2012, recruiting and developing exceptional educators to teach in under-resourced schools and building a pipeline of committed leaders in the educational ecosystem. During the 2025–26 school year, nearly 350 TFA network members will be active in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area, including corps members, alumni teachers, school leaders, and systems-level changemakers. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Expanding Opportunity for Cincinnati Students.
Founded in 1982 by a coalition of Northern Kentucky churches, Welcome House has grown from an emergency assistance center into a comprehensive homelessness services organization with programs spanning 40 counties across Kentucky. Operating from a new facility in Covington, Welcome House offers emergency shelter, street outreach, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and 93 affordable housing units to help men, women, and children move from housing uncertainty to lasting stability. A gift from the Pfau Foundation will support Welcome House Shelter for Homeless Women, Children and Families.
