William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation Fund
The William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation was established by William O. Purdy, Jr. in 1988.
Mr. Purdy served as Senior Vice President of American Money Management Corporation, a subsidiary of American Financial Group until he retired in 1995. Upon his death in 1998, the Foundation was the beneficiary of virtually all of his assets.
An enthusiastic patron of the arts, Mr. Purdy served as a Trustee of the Hartford Ballet. The Advisors of the Fund have resolved to focus the charitable endeavors of the Fund on arts organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area, particularly the performing arts. The Fund continues the philanthropic activities set in motion by Mr. Purdy during his lifetime.
In 2010, the Trustees of the Purdy Foundation determined that a formal conversion to an advised fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation would be the best option for Mr. Purdy’s legacy.
Purpose of the Purdy Foundation Fund
The Fund supports small nonprofit organizations whose performing arts programs enrich the cultural environment of the Greater Cincinnati area. Generally, the Fund defines “small organizations” as those with annualized revenues under $1.5 million.
Policies & Restrictions
- Applicants must have an IRS determination as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
- While assuming the Greater Cincinnati area to include Hamilton, Butler, Clermont and Warren counties in Ohio and Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky, the Fund generally gives preference to organizations in Hamilton County, Ohio and Northern Kentucky.
- Grants will not be made to individuals or endowments, or for loans.
- The Fund usually prefers to participate along with other donors in the support of a specific program.
- In most cases, an organization must wait 24 months after final payment of a grant or decline of a request before it is eligible to reapply.
If you believe that your organization meets these qualifications, complete and submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) through our online system. New to our system? See our Applicant Tutorial section below for more information.
| LOI Deadline | Proposal Deadline | Notice of Decision |
| December 1 | February 1 | March 31 |
| June 15 | August 1 | November 30 |
Grant Evaluation
The Purdy Fund requires a follow-up evaluation report to be completed in our online grant system at the end of the grant period. Applicants will receive an e-mail reminder two weeks prior to the evaluation due date.