Bettenhausen Family Foundation
The Bettenhausen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including community foundations, churches, schools, and social-service organizations; most grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska.
Bettenhausen Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Bettenhausen Family Foundation gave $189K across 51 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Nebraska. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $188,950
- +20.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 51
- +4.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,705
- +15.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $837,584
- -14.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (12 of 51, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (80% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Bettenhausen Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing lists Robert N Bettenhausen as the contact. It states that application forms and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions are currently none.
- Review Cycle
- Currently none stated.
- Deadline
- Currently none stated.
- Contact
Application contact: Robert N Bettenhausen Bettenhausen
Mailing address: 6041 Village Dr, Lincoln, NE 68516
Phone: (402) 421-1223
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Bettenhausen Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lincoln Community Foundation ($61K). Together the top 10 received $151K.
Grant Size Distribution
222 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 219 grants of 222 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in Nebraska received 80% of grant dollars. The remaining shares went to recipients in Washington, DC (12%), California (3%), Alaska (3%), and Texas (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 51 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Bettenhausen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 51 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $125 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 76% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 84% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $135K (2021) to $189K (2025). In 2025 it made 51 grants totaling $189K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Community Foundation Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $61,100 |
| Berean Church Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $24,000 |
| The 1890 Foundation Washington, DC | General Purpose | $22,000 |
| City Impact Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| UNL Foundation Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $7,300 |
| Lincoln Christian School Foundation Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $7,000 |
| Pregnancy Center Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $6,000 |
| Haines Christian Center Haines, AK | General Purpose | $5,000 |
| The Garden Fellowship Indio, CA | General Purpose | $5,000 |
| People's City Mission Lincoln, NE | General Purpose | $3,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Bettenhausen Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $837,584 | $47,473 | $192,744 | $188,950 | 51 | $188,950 | $48,669 | $224,466 |
| 2024 | $982,855 | $182,765 | $157,504 | $157,480 | 49 | $157,480 | $137,765 | $188,900 |
| 2023 | $957,594 | $183,129 | $177,579 | $172,390 | 44 | $172,390 | $121,729 | $157,736 |
| 2022 | $952,044 | $151,414 | $158,024 | $156,270 | 35 | $156,270 | $135,164 | $171,739 |
| 2021 | $958,654 | $106,908 | $137,743 | $135,250 | 43 | — | $34,794 | $156,959 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Bettenhausen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $224K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Lincoln Community Foundation describes its mission as “inspiring our community to give, act and lead.” People’s City Mission says it provides temporary housing and assistance to homeless individuals in the Lincoln area, while Lincoln Children’s Zoo says it enriches lives through firsthand interaction with living things. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 51 grants totaling $188,950. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $61,100, with a median of $1,000. The largest awards included $61,100 to Lincoln Community Foundation, $24,000 to Berean Church, $22,000 to The 1890 Foundation, and $10,000 to City Impact. Other notable grants included $7,300 to UNL Foundation, $7,000 to Lincoln Christian School Foundation, and $6,000 to Pregnancy Center.
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Robert N Bettenhausen as the contact for applying and states that there are currently no forms or other materials, deadlines, or award restrictions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these directors: Robert N Bettenhausen, Joanne Bettenhausen, Catherine I Hedstrom, and Matthew V Bettenhausen.
Bettenhausen Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Catherine I. Hedstrom
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joanne Bettenhausen
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew V. Bettenhausen
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert N. Bettenhausen
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Bettenhausen Family Foundation
How much does Bettenhausen Family Foundation give each year?
Bettenhausen Family Foundation gave $189K across 51 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $157K across 49 grants.
What is Bettenhausen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Bettenhausen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,705, across 51 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Bettenhausen Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Bettenhausen Family Foundation give grants?
Bettenhausen Family Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lincoln, NE (33 grants) and Palm Desert, CA (2 grants).
Does Bettenhausen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Bettenhausen Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (51 of 51) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Bettenhausen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Bettenhausen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lincoln Community Foundation ($61,100), Berean Church ($24,000) and The 1890 Foundation ($22,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Bettenhausen Family Foundation?
Bettenhausen Family Foundation reported $838K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $189K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $224K (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 Bettenhausen Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Lincoln Community Foundation describes its mission as “inspiring our community to give, act and lead.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Bettenhausen Family Foundation?
The 2024 filing lists Robert N Bettenhausen as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Bettenhausen Family Foundation's EIN?
Bettenhausen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-0836745. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 5, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Bettenhausen Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/bettenhausen-family-foundation-morg_8c10f7879b724cc991f2335b8d9080a7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_470836745_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Bettenhausen Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/bettenhausen-family-foundation-morg_8c10f7879b724cc991f2335b8d9080a7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Bettenhausen Family 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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