Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation
The Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2025 filing reports grants to recipients in Iowa, and its application guidance says awards must benefit individuals in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation gave $143K across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Iowa. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $142,800
- +1.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- +2.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,662
- -1.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $3,266,221
- -1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (5 of 36, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit the application form and materials through the filing-listed online application process. Awards must benefit individuals located in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
- Review Cycle
- April 30.
- Deadline
- April 30.
- Contact
Application contact: Foundation Source
Mailing address: 55 Walls Dr 302, Fairfield, CT 06824
Phone: (800) 839-0054
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Stebens Childrens Theatre ($10K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $61K.
Organizations only. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($8,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
176 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 176 grants of 176 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Iowa. The foundation’s application instructions specify that awards must benefit individuals located in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 36 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $114K (2020) to $159K (2019). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $143K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| North Iowa Community Action Organization Mason City, IA | Mason City Early Childhood Center | $7,500 |
| Freedom Inn His Grace Ministry Mason City, IA | Fire Alarm System Completion Costs | $7,000 |
| Community Kitchen of North Iowa Mason City, IA | Purchase of Food and Meal Supplies | $6,000 |
| Mercy Medical Center Foundation North Iowa Mason City, IA | Enhancing Women's Health Imaging at MercyOne North Iowa | $5,600 |
| Caring Pregnancy Center Mason City, IA | Building Expertise for Better Client Outcomes | $5,000 |
| Clear Lake Development Foundation Clear Lake, IA | Building a Bright Future Capital Campaign | $5,000 |
| Elderbridge Agency on Aging Mason City, IA | Client Assistance | $5,000 |
| Meals on Wheels of Mason City Inc Mason City, IA | Sliding Fee Scale Program | $5,000 |
| 2 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $8,500 |
| North Iowa Band Festival Foundation Mason City, IA | North Iowa Band Festival | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
EIN: 42-1280907. Filing type: Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,266,221 | $148,393 | $190,112 | $142,800 | 39 | $179,806 | $139,987 | $185,893 |
| 2024 | $3,307,940 | $107,576 | $192,678 | $141,000 | 38 | $184,181 | $123,253 | $174,713 |
| 2023 | $3,393,042 | $-38,519 | $168,821 | $122,000 | 32 | $160,085 | $123,386 | $168,537 |
| 2022 | $3,600,382 | $178,265 | $171,503 | $139,576 | 34 | $160,884 | $170,246 | $187,701 |
| 2021 | $3,593,620 | $182,528 | $166,212 | $128,053 | 33 | — | $174,147 | $187,811 |
| 2020 | $3,577,304 | $160,065 | $153,174 | $114,000 | 28 | — | $148,707 | $179,016 |
| 2019 | $3,570,413 | $133,583 | $260,845 | $159,000 | 42 | — | $123,698 | $189,506 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $186K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including early childhood services, food and meals, health care, aging services, education, and the arts. For example, an individual recipient Community Action Organization describes its mission as helping people in need achieve and sustain economic stability; Elderbridge Agency on Aging says it provides services such as meals, transportation, case management, and assistance with independent living. Stebens Children’s Theatre describes its mission as educating young people in theatre arts and providing family entertainment in an individual recipient
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 39 grants totaling $142,800 in 2025, compared with 38 grants totaling $141,000 in 2024 and 32 grants totaling $122,000 in 2023. In 2025, grants ranged from $500 to $7,500, with a median of $3,000.
Among the largest 2025 awards were $7,500 to an individual recipient Community Action Organization for its Mason City Early Childhood Center; $7,000 to Freedom Inn His Grace Ministry for fire alarm system completion costs; and $6,000 to Community Kitchen of an individual recipient for food and meal supplies. Other awards included $5,600 to Mercy Medical an individual recipient for women’s health imaging, and $5,000 each to Caring Pregnancy Center, Clear Lake Development Foundation, Elderbridge Agency on Aging, Meals on Wheels of Mason City, an individual recipient Area Community College Foundation, an individual recipient Band Festival Foundation, and Stebens Children’s Theatre.
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its application instructions list an online form and application materials.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Todd Blodgett as director and secretary, Scott Brown as director and president, and Gregory C. Nicholas as director, treasurer, and vice president.
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation is led by Scott Brown, Director & President since 2022 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Scott Brown
Director & President
Director & Secretary → Director, Sec* & President, 2021
Director, Sec* & President → Director & President, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gregory C Nicholas
Director, Treasurer & Vice President
Director & President → Director, Pres*, Treasurer & Vice President, 2021
Director, Pres*, Treasurer & Vice President → Director, Treasurer & Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Todd Blodgett
Director & Secretary
Director → Director & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gary Blodgett (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation
How much does Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation give each year?
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation gave $143K across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $141K across 38 grants.
What is Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,662, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation give grants?
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Mason City, IA (23 grants) and Clear Lake, IA (6 grants).
Does Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 39) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Stebens Childrens Theatre ($10,000 across 2 grants), North Iowa Community Action Organization ($7,500) and Freedom Inn His Grace Ministry ($7,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 2 individual scholarships ($8,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation?
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $180K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $186K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including early childhood services, food and meals, health care, aging services, education, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation?
Submit the application form and materials through the filing-listed online application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1280907. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bertha-stebens-charitable-foundation-morg_4e1e7dd0d2934f62b6f155885e69760d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421280907_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bertha-stebens-charitable-foundation-morg_4e1e7dd0d2934f62b6f155885e69760d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Bertha Stebens Charitable Foundation'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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