Open Foundations · Ohio

J William & Mary Helen Straker Charitable Foundation

Zanesville, Ohio · EIN 311396841. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $5.9M across 118 grants in 2025, a median of $10K each.

All Ohio foundations · All states

$5.9M
paid in 2025
118
grants paid
$10K
median grant
14%
to first-time recipients
$89.7M
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
SUSAN S HOLDREN
Address
925 MILITARY ROAD, ZANESVILLE, OH, 43702
Phone
7404532220
Email
Not stated in the filing
Form the request should take
NO SPECIFIC FORM REQUIRED
Submission deadline
NONE
Restrictions on awards
PRIMARILY MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO AREA

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2025, IRS filing object id 202611349349103066. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2025 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

communityeducationrecreation

Biggest grants in 2025

The 15 largest of the 118 grants paid in 2025, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1Muskingum County Library SystemOH$1,001,000LIBRARY RENOVATION; WATER COOLING STATION
2City of Zanesville Community DevelopmentOH$1,000,000SECREST AUDITORIUM PROJECT
3Muskingum Valley Educational Service CenterOH$500,000EDUCATION; FOOD TRUCK
4Habitat for Humanity of Southeast OhioOH$420,000COMMUNITY SUPPORT
5Muskingum Valley Park DistrictOH$338,372COMMUNITY SUPPORT
6Genesis Healthcare FoundationOH$306,250HOSPICE; SPONSOR
7Muskingum Behavior HealthOH$196,545GENERAL FUND
8Zanesville City SchoolsOH$193,769EDUCATION; ATHLETICS
9Grace United Methodist ChurchOH$167,880ORGAN
10Village of RosevilleOH$115,224ROSEVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT; FREE SWIM; GENERAL FUND
11Muskingum County Community FoundationOH$100,000VAN WYE SCHOLARSHIP
12Muskingum County Community FoundationOH$99,353MUSKINGUM COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL
13Harrison Township Muskingum CountyOH$72,471POOL
14Village of South ZanesvilleOH$68,422GENERAL FUND
15Eastside Community MinistriesOH$64,514CHAIR-ITY SPONSOR; SUMMER PROGRAMS; HARVEST FOR HOPE

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
202026$305K
202176$2.1M
2022112$4.4M
202397$4.6M
2024111$4.5M
2025 (partial year)118$5.9M

Where the money went

Share of 2025 grant dollars by recipient state
Ohio92%
Texas3%
Tennessee2%
Wyoming1%
Florida1%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

Anne PlosserDIRECTOR · 2025
Cleary Gray PlosserDIRECTOR · 2025
Jane StrakerDIRECTOR · 2025
John Straker JrDIRECTOR · 2025
Jordan ChandlerDIRECTOR · 2025
Laura BrewerDIRECTOR · 2025
Sam HendersonDIRECTOR · 2025
Susan Straker HoldrenPRESIDENT & TREASURER · 2025
William E StrakerDIRECTOR · 2025
William PlosserDIRECTOR · 2025

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

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