American Museum of Telephony

Private foundation · Grantmaker Aptos, CA EIN: 91-1979324

American Museum of Telephony is a private foundation focused on public and societal benefit, based in Aptos, CA. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2026. In 2026, it awarded 1 grant totaling $625K.

American Museum of Telephony at a glance

In short: American Museum of Telephony gave $625K across 1 grant in 2026 (avg $625K), mostly in Colorado. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2026)
$625,098
Grants made (2026)
1
Average grant
$625,098
Median grant
$625,098
Primary geography
Colorado (100% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated September 2026.

Who American Museum of Telephony funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2026

Telecommunications History Group Incorporated: $625KTelecommunications HistoryGroup Incorporated$625K

The largest 2026 recipient was Telecommunications History Group Incorporated ($625K).

Grant Size Distribution

2 grants across all recorded years

1<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 1 grant of 2 (50%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of the 2026 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

Cities

BreaDenver

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K0 grants2021 0 grants2022 0 grants2023 1 grant2024 0 grants2025 1 grant2026

From 2024 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $500 (2024) to $625K (2026). In 2026 it made 1 grant totaling $625K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Telecommunications History Group Incorporated Denver, COPreserving History$625,098
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying Distributions
2026—$4,170$709,079$625,0981$702,307
2025$704,909$79,080$100,762——$95,900
2024$726,591$105,413$95,848$5001$86,340
2023$717,026$111,981$93,844——$84,884
2022$698,889$109,288$99,591——$88,999
2021$702,642$105,399$92,420———

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

American Museum of Telephony is led by John K. La Rue, CEO & President since 2025 (on filings since 2021); none of the 3 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.

Officers on the 2026 filing

  • John K. La Rue

    CEO & President

    President → CEO & President, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dianne La Rue

    CFO & Treasurer

    On filings since 2021

    5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Wayne Merit

    Secretary

    On filings since 2021

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about American Museum of Telephony

How much does American Museum of Telephony give each year?

American Museum of Telephony gave $625K across 1 grant in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.

What is American Museum of Telephony?

American Museum of Telephony is a private foundation focused on public and societal benefit, based in Aptos, CA.

Where does American Museum of Telephony operate?

American Museum of Telephony has awarded grants in California, Colorado.

What is American Museum of Telephony's EIN?

American Museum of Telephony's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1979324. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

Data update history

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 22, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from American Museum of Telephony's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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