Buchanan Family Foundation
Buchanan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Great Falls, Montana. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including Montana organizations and recipients in other states.
Buchanan Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Buchanan Family Foundation gave $38K across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Montana. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $37,600
- +457.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- +1350.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,297
- -61.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $163,972
- +16.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Montana (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Buchanan Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1643, Great Falls, MT 59403
Phone: (406) 761-7743
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Buchanan Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Deliverfund ($5K). Together the top 10 received $26K.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 132 grants of 132 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Montana recipients received 57% of grant dollars, followed by California (16%), Texas (13%), Kansas (3%), and Maryland (1%). The listed shares do not account for all grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Buchanan Family Foundation gives
- Giving fell 30% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 506% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7K (2024) to $58K (2023). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $38K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverfund Dallas, TX | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Partnerships for Change San Francisco, CA | General Operating - for Lama Tenzin-India | $5,000 |
| Diocese of Helena Helena, MT | Annual Catholic Appeal - St Francis Xavier Parrish | $3,000 |
| Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium Missoula, MT | General Operating | $3,000 |
| CM Russell Museum Great Falls, MT | General Operating | $2,500 |
| Missoula Food Bank Missoula, MT | General Operating | $2,000 |
| Watson Children's Shelter Missoula, MT | General Operating | $2,000 |
| Flathead Lake Bio Station Polson, MT | General Operating | $1,000 |
| Gary Sinise Foundation Woodland Hills, CA | General Operating | $1,000 |
| Great Falls Central Catholic High School Great Falls, MT | General Operating | $1,000 |
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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 | $163,972 | $39,073 | $38,327 | $37,600 | 29 | $37,600 | $3,788 | $7,424 |
| 2024 | $140,322 | $19,583 | $7,407 | $6,746 | 2 | $6,746 | $2,837 | $6,217 |
| 2023 | $114,084 | $55,867 | $58,806 | $58,200 | 33 | $58,200 | $2,658 | $5,271 |
| 2022 | $101,902 | $55,971 | $54,234 | $53,600 | 34 | $53,600 | $2,148 | $5,396 |
| 2021 | $119,082 | $34,277 | $46,161 | $45,400 | 34 | $45,400 | $2,444 | $5,743 |
| 2020 | $116,129 | $43,323 | $49,197 | $48,600 | 29 | — | $2,296 | $5,613 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Buchanan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7K 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 working in areas such as insect education, child safety, food and shelter, fire and ambulance volunteer training, medical research, and education. For example, Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium says its mission is to inspire appreciation and understanding of insects and their relatives; Watson Children’s Shelter says it provides a safe, nurturing environment for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, or family crisis. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 29 grants totaling $37,600. Awards ranged from $100 to $5,000, with a median of $1,000. Its largest listed grants were $5,000 each to DeliverFund for general operating support and Partnerships for Change for general operating support “for Lama Tenzin-India.” Other notable grants included $3,000 to the Diocese of Helena for its Annual Catholic Appeal, $3,000 to Missoula Butterfly House and Insectarium, $2,500 to C.M. Russell Museum, and $2,000 each to Missoula Food Bank and Watson Children’s Shelter.
Other 2025 recipients included Poverello Center ($1,000), Friends of Bigfork Fire Department ($500), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ($500), Students for Life of America ($500), and Alice Lloyd College ($400). Their stated missions include providing food, shelter, clothing, and essential services; equipping local fire and ambulance volunteers; advancing research and treatment for pediatric catastrophic diseases; and educating mountain students for leadership.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sheila Buchanan as president and director, Charlie Byrne as secretary/treasurer, and Marcus Leach as director.
Buchanan Family Foundation is led by Sheila Buchanan, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sheila Buchanan
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlie Byrne
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marcus Leach
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Barbara Byrne (2020–2024) — Vice President & Director
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 Buchanan Family Foundation
How much does Buchanan Family Foundation give each year?
Buchanan Family Foundation gave $38K across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $7K across 2 grants.
What is Buchanan Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Buchanan Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,297, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Buchanan Family Foundation give grants?
Buchanan Family Foundation gives mostly in Montana: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (16%) and Texas (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Missoula, MT (6 grants), Great Falls, MT (4 grants) and Helena, MT (3 grants).
Does Buchanan Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Buchanan Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Buchanan Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Buchanan Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Deliverfund ($5,000), Partnerships for Change ($5,000) and Diocese of Helena ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Buchanan Family Foundation?
Buchanan Family Foundation reported $164K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $38K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Buchanan Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in areas such as insect education, child safety, food and shelter, fire and ambulance volunteer training, medical research, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Buchanan Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Buchanan Family Foundation's EIN?
Buchanan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1187037. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Buchanan Family 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 October 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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