Profile: The Raymond John Wean Foundation

The Raymond John Wean Foundation
147 W. Market St., Warren, Ohio 44481
www.weanfoundation.org
in**@************on.org
Jennifer Roller, President

Founded in 1949, The Raymond John Wean Foundation has long been part of the Mahoning Valley’s civic fabric. What’s changing is not its commitment to the region, but how that commitment shows up: through clearer data, deeper partnerships and a belief that lasting economic vitality depends on equity, inclusion and shared leadership.

Ten years ago, leaders at the Wean Foundation took part in a half-day workshop that would fundamentally reshape its work. Hosted by the Racial Equity Institute of Greensboro, N.C., the session challenged participants to examine how historic and systemic racism continues to shape economic and social outcomes—nationally and here in the Mahoning Valley.

The session raised a hard question: Could long-standing challenges like poverty, housing instability and educational gaps be solved with the same assumptions that had guided past efforts?

The answer, the Wean Foundation concluded, was an emphatic no.

This experience set the Wean Foundation on a decade-long journey to rethink how it defines success, deploys resources and partners with the community. The result is a philanthropic approach grounded in data, accountability and—most importantly—resident leadership.

In 2019, the Wean Foundation adopted a five-year strategic direction that made racial equity and inclusion central to all aspects of its work. Success was defined clearly and boldly: a future in which a person’s race identity has no influence on how they fare in society. To move from aspiration to action, the Wean Foundation adopted racial equity metrics and began disaggregating outcomes by race, including the number of grantees that have both a staff and board composition of more than 50% who identify as Black, Hispanic or Latinx, as well as the total dollar amount awarded to those organizations. Through this, the Wean Foundation gained sharper insight into where its dollars were going—and where they needed to go.

In 2025, this commitment to transparency took another step forward with the launch of a public, online dashboard that tracks progress over time and holds the Wean Foundation accountable to its goals.

The Wean Foundation disbursed more than $3.2 million of grants in 2025 to support its strategic priorities. This included more than $2.9 million of Community Investment and Capacity Building grants, which support established nonprofits. More than $1 million—or 35.3%—of these grant dollars went to Black, Hispanic or Latinx-led organizations, up from just 20% in 2022, when the Wean Foundation began disaggregating grantmaking data by race.

But grantmaking alone doesn’t drive change.

Recognizing the increasing strain on nonprofit leaders, the Wean Foundation expanded its investment in leadership development. Building on the conversations during its 75th Anniversary Summit in September 2024, which focused on solutions to strengthen the nonprofit sector and advance equitable compensation, the Wean Foundation launched its first Nonprofit Leadership Cohort, supporting 15 local leaders through eight months of training focused on strategic, operational and personal leadership skills. Three participants were selected for a two-year Strategic Partners Fellowship designed to support under-resourced leaders, particularly those who identify as Black, Hispanic or Latinx.

The Wean Foundation also convened a Pay Equity Collective, bringing together nonprofit leaders to examine compensation practices and build more equitable workplaces—an issue with clear implications for talent retention and organizational sustainability across the region.

Ways to Engage

In partnership with residents, the Wean Foundation challenges the conditions that hold problems in place through a dynamic combination of grantmaking, capacity building, convening and partnerships. Residents and nonprofits are encouraged to explore the Wean Foundation’s website (weanfoundation.org) for a variety of ways to engage and build community together. A few opportunities of note:

Resident Council: The Wean Foundation is accepting applications for its Resident Council through May 31. Warren and Youngstown residents are encouraged to apply and use their time and talents to inform the Wean Foundation’s efforts. Learn more at weanfoundation.org/partner-for-change.
Racial Equity and Inclusion Training: Attend a dynamic two-day workshop to develop capacity to better understand racism in its institutional and structural forms. The next workshop will be held on June 17 and 18, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Wean Foundation. Learn more and register at weanfoundation.org/boost-capacity/#REI.
2026 Bike Tour: Join the Wean Foundation and its partners on Thursday, July 16, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for a bike tour through Warren and Youngstown, with a special Night Market to follow. Unpack local data, hear from those leading change in our neighborhoods and be in community with each other. Electric bikes, helmets and refreshments will be provided. Space will be limited. More details coming soon!
Incubator Associate Program: Boost your nonprofit’s capacity through the Wean Foundation’s Incubator Associate Program. Gain access to resources, programming and office space. Learn more about the application process by emailing ca**************@************on.org.
Space Rental: Looking for an amazing venue for your next event? The Wean Foundation offers meeting and conference rooms for community use. Learn more at weanfoundation.org/space-rental.

– Submitted by Jennifer Roller, President, The Raymond John Wean Foundation

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