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Burke Family Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Ames, IA EIN: 45-5592432 Website

The Burke Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Ames, Iowa. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including health and research, youth services, food assistance, disaster relief, and faith-based community work.

Key facts about Burke Family Foundation

In short: Burke Family Foundation gave $612K across 25 grants in 2026 (avg $24K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
45-5592432
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2026
Annual giving (2026)
$612,000
Grants made (2026)
25
Average grant
$24,480
Median grant
$10,000
Total assets
$5,239,004
Primary geography
Iowa (95% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2026 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.2M

-4.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$612K

-1.8% YoY

Grant Count

25

-3.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$24K

+2.2% YoY

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.

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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. For example, the State University of Iowa Foundation received a grant for radiation oncology; the Boys & Girls Club of Story County received support for an expansion project; and the American National Red Cross received grants for local needs and Iowa storm relief.

Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the variety of their work. Lutheran Services in Iowa says its mission is to respond to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service. Mayo Clinic describes its mission as advancing health and well-being through patient care, education, and research. Camp Hertko Hollow says it provides educational and recreational camping for Iowa youth with diabetes. Food and shelter are also represented among the grants: Hope Ministries describes providing meals, shelter, and recovery support, while United Way of Story County says it unites people, ideas, and resources to transform lives in the county.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $623,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median of $10,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa, 3% to Minnesota, and 2% to Virginia.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of all 25 itemized 2026 grant dollars.

Cities

AmesDes MoinesWest Des MoinesIowa CityNevadaBettendorfDubuqueRochesterSpringfieldBooneDaytonMilwaukee

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K1 grants202026 grants202125 grants202224 grants202326 grants202426 grants202525 grants2026

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2026

State University of Iowa Foundation: $250KState University of IowaFoundation$250KBoys & Girls Club of Story County (Ames Chapter): $110KBoys & Girls Club of StoryCounty (Ames Chapter)$110KSt Cecilia Church: $40K across 5 grantsSt Cecilia Church$40K · 5 grantsLutheran Services in Iowa Inc: $30KLutheran Services in Iowa Inc$30KStory County Medical Center Foundation: $25KStory County Medical CenterFoundation$25KAmerican National Red Cross: $20KAmerican National Red Cross$20KMayo Clinic: $20KMayo Clinic$20KBethesda Lutheran Church: $12KBethesda Lutheran Church$12KFood at First Ames: $12KFood at First Ames$12KSt Patrick's Catholic Church: $12KSt Patrick's Catholic Church$12K

Grant Size Distribution

126 grants across all recorded years

118<$50K$50–100K3$100–250K5$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUNDATION Iowa City, IARADIATION ONCOLOGY (BUATTI)$250,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF STORY COUNTY (AMES CHAPTER) Ames, IAEXPANSION PROJECT$110,000
LUTHERAN SERVICES IN IOWA INC Ames, IAGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$30,000
STORY COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER FOUNDATION Nevada, IAMRI IMAGING PROGRAM$25,000
AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS Des Moines, IALOCAL NEEDS ONLY$20,000
MAYO CLINIC Rochester, MNESOPHAGEAL CANCER RESEARCH$20,000
ST CECILIA CHURCH Ames, IAFAITH & LIGHT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN$20,000
BETHESDA LUTHERAN CHURCH Ames, IABETHESDA FOOD PANTRY$12,000
FOOD AT FIRST AMES Ames, IAGENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT$12,000
ST PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH Nevada, IANEVADA COMMUNITY CUPBOARD$12,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Grantmaking totals by filing year:

Filing year Grant total Number of grants
2025 $623,000 26
2024 $627,000 26
2023 $507,000 24
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M2020202120222023202420252026
Metric202620252024
Total Assets$5,239,004$5,498,072$5,343,136
Revenue$412,975$827,255$428,298
Expenses$262,043$297,317$1,010,180
Qualifying Distributions$621,718$632,792$635,104
Net Investment Income$369,176$784,543$390,971
Distributable Amount$404,776$386,209$356,872

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 17, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 10, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 17, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 6, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 21, 2025)
  7. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS July 22, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Kathleen A. Burke as president/executive director, Thomas R. Burke as vice president, Kristine A. Holmes as treasurer, 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.

Contact

Mailing address: PO Box 723, Ames, IA 50010
Phone: (515) 232-0361
Website: https://theburkesfoundation.org

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?

The 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes. For example, the State University of Iowa Foundation received a grant for radiation oncology; the Boys & Girls Club of Story County received support for an expansion project; and the American National Red Cross received grants for local needs and Iowa storm relief. Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the variety of their work. Lutheran Services in Iowa says its mission is to respond to the love of Jesus Christ through com…

How do I apply for a grant from Burke Family Foundation?

The foundation 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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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