Burke Family Foundation
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.
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
Share of all 25 itemized 2026 grant dollars.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
Grant Size Distribution
126 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
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 |
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 |
| Metric | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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
- 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
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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