The David C. Herriman Fund of GCF

The David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation (GCF) was established by David Herriman in 1986. Upon his death in 2017, the Fund received a large portion of his estate and was restructured to facilitate responsive grants to regional performing arts organizations.

David Herriman (1932-2017) was a longtime Covington real estate developer, arts leader, philanthropist and gay rights activist. Mr. Herriman was born in Indianapolis and served as a B-52 pilot in the U.S. Air Force before moving to Northern Kentucky to manage his family's rock quarry business. In the 1980s, Mr. Herriman developed the Covington riverfront communities of Riverside Plaza and Riverside Terrace at the foot of the Roebling Suspension Bridge. He was a shareholder in the Covington Trust Bank and served as its president.

Purpose of the David C. Herriman Fund

The David C. Herriman Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation was created to ensure continuation of support to the arts community of the tri-state region that Herriman loved and supported in his lifetime. The purpose of the fund, in his words, is “to make possible what otherwise would be impossible.”

At the Advisory Committee’s request, GCF will issue a Request for Proposals to solicit grant applications for this fund.

Policies and Restrictions

The David C. Herriman Fund of GCF makes grants to support the arts organizations within the Greater Cincinnati region.

Applicants must have an IRS determination as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
The fund’s grantmaking purposes will be limited to support of the arts within the eight-county (OKI) area of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky
Applications for funding will be considered from both small and large arts organizations, excluding colleges and universities.
An organization may not receive a grant for more than two years in succession.
For greater impact, one large grant shall be made each year with no more than two smaller grants.

How to Apply

If you believe that your organization meets these qualifications, review the Request for Proposal (RFP) below, and apply through our online system. New to our system? See our hints section below for more information.

Download RFP [PDF]

Herriman Q&A [PDF]

RFP Timeline

Key Steps	Date
RFP Released	August 7, 2020
Proposal Deadline	October 1, 2020
Decision Communicated	December 2020
Funding Received	January 2021

Grants Evaluation

The David C. Herriman Fund of GCF requires a follow-up evaluation report to be completed in our on-line grant system at the end of the grant period. Applicants will receive an e-mail reminder two weeks prior to the evaluation due date.