Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Salem, OR EIN: 27-2245059 Website

The Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation is a private charitable foundation established in 2010 and based in Salem, Oregon. The Foundation originated from the estate planning goals of Barbara Emily Knudson as a continuation of her long history of philanthropic giving. It is a small foundation managed by its Board of Directors with no paid administrative staff. The Foundation provides grants and scholarships exclusively to Oregon 501(c)(3) organizations and community colleges.

Key facts about Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation

EIN: 27-2245059
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $181,342
Grants made (2024): 54
Average grant: $3,358
Median grant: $1,500
New grantees (estimate): 74% first-time grantees (39 of 53, 2024)
Total assets: $6,198,173
Primary geography: Oregon (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation's 54 itemized 2024 grants were Oregon (94%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Coos Bay, OR (9 grants), Salem, OR (6 grants), Portland, OR (4 grants) and Bend, OR (3 grants). 52% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Student Emergency Fund; Scholarship" (6 grants).

Is Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation open to new grantees?

74%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 39 of 53 grantees (74%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $2K first-time, $7K repeat.

17% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
In 2024 it paid out 79% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.2M

+8.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$181K

+22.5% YoY

Grant Count

+80.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

-31.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $295K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Mission Statement: The Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation supports individuals in their quest for education, well-being and excellence.

Primary Focus: The Foundation's mission is to promote education, health, and vibrant communities in Oregon.

Funding Categories: Based on recent grant activity, the Foundation supports organizations across multiple areas including:

The Arts
Animal welfare and rescue
Community services and domestic abuse prevention
Substance abuse recovery
Food insecurity and nutrition programs
Senior services
Foster care and homeless services
Job training and workforce development
Environmental conservation
Healthcare services

Grantmaking

Grant Range

s:** The Foundation provides grants up to approximately $20,000 in December of each year, with smaller grants of $10,000 or less distributed throughout the year.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Foundation funds exclusively in Oregon, with a particular emphasis on organizations and community colleges serving rural areas throughout the state.

Grant Distribution by State

Oregon $171K (94%)

California $10K (6%)

Share of all 54 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

California Oregon

Cities

SalemBendPortlandCoos BayAlbanyPhilomathEugeneAstoriaMcminnvilleRoseburgLa PineThe DallesCorvallisForest GroveGold BeachMill CityMyrtle PointNorth BendRedmondHillsboro

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 31, 2023:

Total Assets: $5,697,742
Total Revenues: $261,171
Total Expenses: $231,776
Investment Income and Dividends: $130,509
Net Gain from Sale of Non-Inventory Assets: $130,662
Number of Employees: 0

EIN: 27-2245059

Tax-Exempt Status: 501(c)(3) private foundation, tax-exempt since September 2010

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$6,198,173	$5,697,742	$5,166,358
Revenue	$326,247	$261,171	$183,170
Expenses	$284,708	$231,776	$278,630
Qualifying Distributions	$233,387	$187,415	$218,875
Net Investment Income	$274,926	$216,810	$136,815
Distributable Amount	$294,927	$267,509	$271,802

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

182 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Harriets Housing ($10,000), Bay Area Rescue Mission ($10,000), Eoic Jlad Service Dog Program ($10,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
HARRIETS HOUSING Philomath, OR	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
BAY AREA RESCUE MISSION Richmond, CA	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
EOIC JLAD SERVICE DOG PROGRAM Salem, OR	GENERAL SUPPORT	$10,000
COMMUNITY ACTION ORGANIZATION Hillsboro, OR	GENERAL SUPPORT	$8,000
CONSTRUCTION HOPE Portland, OR	GENERAL SUPPORT	$7,500
REACH NORTHWEST Newberg, OR	GENERAL SUPPORT	$7,500
YAMHILL COUNTY EARLY LEARNING HUB McMinnville, OR	GENERAL SUPPORT	$7,500
CLATSOP COMMUNITY COLLEGE Astoria, OR	STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND; SCHOLARSHIP	$7,000
COLUMBIA GORGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE The Dalles, OR	STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND; SCHOLARSHIP	$7,000
LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION Eugene, OR	STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND; SCHOLARSHIP	$7,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board of Directors:

Patrick Melius, President
Elise Hamner, Director
Emilee Provost, Director
Stephen Blowers, Director

Office Location: PO Box 511, Bend, OR 97309

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Emilee Provost	Director	2	$3,750
Richard McGinty	Treasurer	2	$5,000
Patrick Melius	President	2	$5,000
Sharon Smith	Secretary	2	$5,000
Stephen Blowers	Director	2	$5,000
Elise Hamner	Director	2	$5,000

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation fund?

**Mission Statement:** The Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation supports individuals in their quest for education, well-being and excellence. **Primary Focus:** The Foundation's mission is to promote education, health, and vibrant communities in Oregon. **Funding Categories:** Based on recent grant activity, the Foundation supports organizations across multiple areas including: • The Arts • Animal welfare and rescue • Community services and domestic abuse prevention • Substance abuse recovery • Foo…

How do I apply for a grant from Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation?

**Grant Approach:** The Foundation pre-selects charities and only invites those non-profits to submit applications. Unsolicited grant requests are not considered. **Grant Sizes:** The Foundation provides grants up to approximately $20,000 in December of each year, with smaller grants of $10,000 or less distributed throughout the year. **Recent Grant Activity (2024):** The Foundation awarded $155,500 in grants, including $106,500 in general support grants to various organizations. Recent grantee…

Where does Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation make grants?

The Foundation funds exclusively in Oregon, with a particular emphasis on organizations and community colleges serving rural areas throughout the state.

What size grants does Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation award?

In 2024, Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation awarded 54 grants totaling $181K — an average of about $3K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $295K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation's EIN?

Barbara Emily Knudson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-2245059. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.