Burke Family Foundation
The Burke Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Ames, Iowa. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2026 filing reports 25 grants totaling $612,000.
Burke Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Burke Family Foundation gave $612K across 25 grants in 2026 (avg $24K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $612,000
- -1.8% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 25
- -3.8% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $24,480
- +2.2% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,239,004
- -4.7% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- Iowa (95% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Burke 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 723, Ames, IA 50010
Phone: (515) 232-0361
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Burke Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was State University of Iowa Foundation ($250K). Together the top 10 received $531K.
Grant Size Distribution
126 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 126 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa, 3% to recipients in Minnesota, and 2% to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
How Burke Family Foundation gives
- 95% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 154% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $487K (2022) to $627K (2024). In 2026 it made 25 grants totaling $612K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| State University of Iowa Foundation Iowa City, IA | Radiation Oncology (Buatti) | $250,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Story County (Ames Chapter) Ames, IA | Expansion Project | $110,000 |
| Lutheran Services in Iowa Inc Ames, IA | General Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Story County Medical Center Foundation Nevada, IA | MRI Imaging Program | $25,000 |
| American National Red Cross Des Moines, IA | Local Needs Only | $20,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Esophageal Cancer Research | $20,000 |
| St Cecilia Church Ames, IA | Faith & Light Capital Campaign | $20,000 |
| Bethesda Lutheran Church Ames, IA | Bethesda Food Pantry | $12,000 |
| Food at First Ames Ames, IA | General Operating Support | $12,000 |
| St Patrick's Catholic Church Nevada, IA | Nevada Community Cupboard | $12,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $5,239,004 | $412,975 | $262,043 | $612,000 | 25 | $621,718 | $369,176 | $404,776 |
| 2025 | $5,498,072 | $827,255 | $297,317 | $623,000 | 26 | $632,792 | $784,543 | $386,209 |
| 2024 | $5,343,136 | $428,298 | $1,010,180 | $627,000 | 26 | $635,104 | $390,971 | $356,872 |
| 2023 | $5,580,018 | $370,889 | $1,529,448 | $507,000 | 24 | $515,693 | $334,579 | $353,141 |
| 2022 | $5,763,577 | $607,432 | $321,242 | $487,000 | 25 | $496,290 | $570,421 | $406,613 |
| 2021 | $5,692,388 | $439,875 | $809,519 | $520,000 | 26 | — | $410,313 | $367,846 |
| 2020 | $5,812,030 | $433,400 | $549,843 | $507,000 | 1 | — | $364,104 | $366,503 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Burke Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $405K for 2026 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
An earlier description of the foundation states that its mission is to foster relationships with people affiliated with missions of different types and support efforts toward healing the world.
Its grants include support for organizations working in areas such as higher education, human services, food assistance, health care, and youth programs. For example, Lutheran Services in Iowa describes its mission as responding to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service, while Food at First Ames received general operating support. Camp Hertko Hollow describes its work as providing educational and recreational camping for Iowa youth with diabetes.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $612,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest grants included $250,000 to the State University of Iowa Foundation for radiation oncology; $110,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Story County’s Ames chapter for an expansion project; $30,000 to Lutheran Services in Iowa for general operating support; and $25,000 to the Story County Medical Center Foundation for its MRI imaging program. Other awards included $20,000 to the American National Red Cross for local needs, $20,000 to Mayo Clinic for esophageal cancer research, and $12,000 to Food at First Ames for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Kathleen A Burke as president and executive director, Kristine A Holmes as treasurer, Thomas R Burke as vice president, Karen A Burianek as secretary, and William J Burke Jr as director.
Burke Family Foundation is led by Kathleen A. Burke, President & Executive Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Kathleen A. Burke
President & Executive Director
On filings since 2020
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William J. Burke Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen A. Burianek
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kristine A. Holmes
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas R. Burke
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "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 Burke Family Foundation
How much does Burke Family Foundation give each year?
Burke Family Foundation gave $612K across 25 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $623K across 26 grants.
What is Burke Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Burke Family Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $10,000, and its average grant was $24,480, across 25 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Burke Family Foundation give grants?
Burke Family Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ames, IA (13 grants), Nevada, IA (2 grants), Des Moines, IA (2 grants) and West Des Moines, IA (2 grants).
Does Burke Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 36% of Burke Family Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Burke Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Burke Family Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include State University of Iowa Foundation ($250,000), Boys & Girls Club of Story County (Ames Chapter) ($110,000) and St Cecilia Church ($40,000 across 5 grants), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Burke Family Foundation?
Burke Family Foundation reported $5.2M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $622K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $405K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Burke Family Foundation fund?
An earlier description of the foundation states that its mission is to foster relationships with people affiliated with missions of different types and support efforts toward healing the world. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Burke 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 Burke Family Foundation's EIN?
Burke Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-5592432. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does Burke 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 21, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Burke Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Burke Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/burke-family-foundation-morg_683e03cd7d3c40eb98e2cc2c564ff776
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_455592432_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Burke Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/burke-family-foundation-morg_683e03cd7d3c40eb98e2cc2c564ff776},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Burke 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.
Burke Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?