Brenton Foundation
Brenton Foundation is a private foundation based in Des Moines, Iowa. Its 2025 filing reports 19 grants totaling $85,100 to charitable organizations, including organizations focused on trees and plants, the arts, libraries, animal care, and other causes.
Brenton Foundation at a glance
In short: Brenton Foundation gave $85K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Iowa. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $85,100
- -16.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- -13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,479
- -2.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,360,292
- +3.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (93% 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 Brenton Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2916 Sw 14Th Street, Des Moines, IA 50315
Phone: (515) 490-6346
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Brenton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Brenton Arboretum ($29K). Together the top 10 received $81K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 101 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa, 4% to Minnesota, 3% to Massachusetts, and less than 1% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Brenton Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $750 repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−11%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $77K (2021) to $101K (2024). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $85K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brenton Arboretum Dallas Center, IA | General Support | $28,500 |
| Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Des Moines, IA | General Support | $11,000 |
| Heritage Carousel Endowment Des Moines, IA | General Support | $11,000 |
| Des Moines Metro Opera Indianola, IA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Above and Beyond Center West Des Moines, IA | General Support | $5,000 |
| The Outreach Program Union, IA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Six Degrees of Separation Des Moines, IA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Nantucket Swim Across America Nantucket, MA | General Support | $2,500 |
| Lake Minnetonka Garden Club Wayzata, MN | General Support | $2,000 |
| Dallas Center Food Pantry Dallas Center, IA | General Support | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Brenton 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 | $1,360,292 | $144,972 | $97,850 | $85,100 | 19 | $85,100 | $141,612 | $83,939 |
| 2024 | $1,314,558 | $387,935 | $110,998 | $101,350 | 22 | $101,350 | $384,744 | $78,898 |
| 2023 | $1,037,621 | $188,603 | $86,171 | $82,701 | 21 | $82,701 | $186,429 | $71,722 |
| 2022 | $935,188 | $54,303 | $100,255 | $95,890 | 20 | $95,890 | $52,117 | $72,707 |
| 2021 | $981,140 | $99,773 | $80,830 | $77,423 | 19 | $77,423 | $97,242 | $86,419 |
| 2020 | $962,197 | $37,969 | $89,995 | $86,100 | 24 | — | $35,954 | $71,449 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Brenton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $84K 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 included support for organizations whose stated missions include bringing people “the beauty and knowledge of the natural world of trees” (Brenton Arboretum), “exploring, explaining and celebrating the world of plants” (Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden), and creating theatrical experiences and learning opportunities for artists and audiences (Des Moines Metro Opera).
Other 2025 grantees describe missions that include stimulating knowledge and love of gardening and conservation (Lake Minnetonka Garden Club), raising funds and advocating for the Des Moines Public Library system (Des Moines Public Library Foundation), and making veterinary care accessible to families with pets (Mission Animal Hospital).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 19 grants totaling $85,100. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $28,500, with a median of $1,000. The largest grants included $28,500 to Brenton Arboretum, $11,000 each to Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and Heritage Carousel Endowment, and $10,000 to Des Moines Metro Opera. Each was listed for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Junius C Brenton as president, treasurer, and director, and Sue R Brenton as secretary and director.
Brenton Foundation is led by Junius C. Brenton, President, Treasurer & Director since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Junius C. Brenton
President, Treasurer & Director
Director & Chairman → President, Treasurer & Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sue R. Brenton
Secretary & Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Brenton Foundation
How much does Brenton Foundation give each year?
Brenton Foundation gave $85K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $101K across 22 grants.
What is Brenton Foundation's typical grant size?
Brenton Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,479, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Brenton Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Brenton Foundation give grants?
Brenton Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (7 grants) and Dallas Center, IA (4 grants).
Does Brenton Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Brenton Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Brenton Foundation's largest grantees?
Brenton Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Brenton Arboretum ($28,500), Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden ($11,000) and Heritage Carousel Endowment ($11,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Brenton Foundation?
Brenton Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $85K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $84K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Brenton Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Brenton Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Brenton Foundation's EIN?
Brenton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1330275. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Brenton Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 4, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Brenton Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn
Des Moines, IA
The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines supports projects that improve quality of life in Greater Des Moines, including housing and transportation access, health, economic opportunity, inclusive communities, and nonprofit capacity-building. Its 2024 itemized grants had a median of about $12,900, though awards ranged from roughly $5,000 to $7.34 million.
Assets
$918.7M
Grants
1,259
Total Given
$55.7M
Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc
Altoona, IA
Prairie Meadows supports Iowa nonprofits in arts and culture, education, economic development, human services, and youth sports and recreation; Legacy grants focus on large-scale projects in central Iowa. Its programs offer $100–$1 million for Legacy, $100–$99,999 for Community Betterment, and $1,000–$50,000 for Youth Sports and Recreation. It accepts applications through its online system; the 2026 deadline was February 27, 2026, and has passed.
Assets
$327.6M
Grants
409
Total Given
$33.0M
Meredith Corporation Foundation
Des Moines, IA
The foundation funds education, human services for families and children at risk, and arts and culture, with particular interest in arts groups reaching broader audiences. Recent grants were all in Iowa and ranged from $10,000 to $315,000, with a median of $12,500. It accepts written requests during January 15–March 15 and July 15–September 15; telephone requests are not accepted.
Assets
$24.6M
Grants
12
Total Given
$600K
Helen J and Thomas Nelson Urban Sr Charitable Foundation III
Des Moines, IA
Assets
$712K
Grants
43
Total Given
$68K
Bookey Family Foundation
Des Moines, IA
The Bookey Family Foundation funds charitable organizations across areas reflected in its grants, including education, immigrant and refugee services, youth opportunities, arts, and community welfare; in 2025, grants went primarily to Iowa, with additional funding in the District of Columbia, New York, Illinois, California, and other states. Its 2025 grants ranged from $200 to $33,400, with a median of $5,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$10.9M
Grants
45
Total Given
$405K
Aetna Foundation Inc
Hartford, CT
Aetna Foundation supported health and wellness, access to health care, and related community needs; its 2021 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially in D.C. and Connecticut. Its 2021 filing was marked final, so it appears to have ended or be winding down grantmaking; that filing said there were no restrictions on who could apply and pointed applicants to its website for application materials.
Assets
—
Grants
65
Total Given
$7.2M
More similar funders
More Funders in Iowa
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Brenton Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/brenton-foundation-morg_871cebbb6f77472b99c302f2ba6de8da
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421330275_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Brenton Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/brenton-foundation-morg_871cebbb6f77472b99c302f2ba6de8da},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Brenton 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.
Brenton Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?