Burnett Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Des Moines, IA EIN: 42-1482240

The Burnett Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Des Moines, Iowa. Its 2025 filing reports 13 grants totaling $1,176,994, including support for the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation, Blank Park Zoo, and other organizations.

Key facts about Burnett Family Foundation

In short: Burnett Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $91K), mostly in Iowa. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
42-1482240
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$1,176,994
Grants made (2025)
13
Average grant
$90,538
Median grant
$10,000
New grantees (estimate)
33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2025; small sample)
Total assets
$3,130,328
Primary geography
Iowa (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
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. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.1M

-25.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.2M

+472.7% YoY

Grant Count

13

+8.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$91K

+428.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Burnett Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $196K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Burnett Family Foundation open to new grantees?

33%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $134K. How we count

Medians: $4K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 800% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 603% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community philanthropy, parks and conservation, arts and culture, food assistance, shelter services, and health-related causes.

The Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation describes its mission as developing and executing a master plan for Water Works Park that combines recreation, education, and conservation with clean-water production. The Food Bank of Iowa says it receives, warehouses, and distributes salvageable food to nonprofit member agencies serving people in need. Central Iowa Shelter & Services describes its work as providing emergency and transitional shelter, meals, and resource assistance to homeless adults.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $1,176,994. The reported grant amounts ranged from $250 to $650,000, with a median of $10,000.

Among the largest reported grants were $650,000 and $345,544 to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, both for general support; $100,000 to Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation; $25,000 to Blank Park Zoo; and $20,000 to Des Moines Symphony. Other reported grants included $10,000 each to Variety Club of Iowa and Food Bank of Iowa, and $5,000 each to John Stoddard Cancer Center and Central Iowa Shelter Services.

How to Apply

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to Iowa recipients and less than 1% to New York recipients. The listed grants include a $1,200 award to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in New York, New York.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.

Cities

Des MoinesDubuqueJohnstonNew YorkCedar HillsDallas CenterGreeneNew London

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$500K$1M$1.5M4 grants2019 7 grants2020 5 grants2021 9 grants2022 10 grants2023 12 grants2024 13 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $7K (2019) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $1.2M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines: $996K across 2 grantsCommunity Foundation ofGreater Des Moines$996K · 2 grantsDes Moines Water Works Park Foundation: $100KDes Moines Water Works ParkFoundation$100KBlank Park Zoo: $25KBlank Park Zoo$25KDes Moines Symphony: $20KDes Moines Symphony$20KVariety Club of Iowa: $10KVariety Club of Iowa$10KFood Bank of Iowa: $10KFood Bank of Iowa$10KJohn Stoddard Cancer Center: $5KJohn Stoddard Cancer Center$5KCentral Iowa Shelter Services: $5KCentral Iowa Shelter Services$5KEaster Seals - Iowa: $3KEaster Seals - Iowa$3KCreative Expression Workshops: $3KCreative Expression Workshops$3K

The largest 2025 recipient was Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines ($996K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.

Grant Size Distribution

49 grants across all recorded years

41<$50K2$50–100K4$100–250K1$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 49 (84%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$650,000
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$345,544
Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$100,000
Blank Park Zoo Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$25,000
Des Moines Symphony Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$20,000
Variety Club of Iowa Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$10,000
Food Bank of Iowa Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$10,000
John Stoddard Cancer Center Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$5,000
Central Iowa Shelter Services Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$5,000
Easter Seals - Iowa Des Moines, IAGeneral Support$2,500

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $3,130,328 $152,067 $1,203,151 $1,176,994
2024 $4,176,132 $156,236 $240,852 $205,500
2023 $4,260,744 $82,795 $243,351 $209,500
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$500K$1M$1.5M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$3,130,328$4,176,132$4,260,744
Revenue$152,067$156,236$82,795
Expenses$1,203,151$240,852$243,351
Qualifying Distributions$1,180,702$215,694$220,279
Net Investment Income$129,617$131,078$74,176
Distributable Amount$195,818$228,898$213,036

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 10, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 10, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 7, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 3, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 11, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 14, 2025)
  7. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 4, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists these trustees: Robert A Burnett Jr, Gregory Van Burnett, Douglas Worth Burnett, Penelope Gloria Burnett, David Mark Burnett, and H Stephen Burnett.

Burnett Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • David Mark Burnett

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Douglas Worth Burnett

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Gregory Van Burnett

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • H. Stephen Burnett

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Penelope Gloria Burnett

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Robert A. Burnett Jr.

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 300 Walnut Street Suite 270, Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (515) 244-3069

Frequently asked questions about Burnett Family Foundation

How much does Burnett Family Foundation give each year?

Burnett Family Foundation gave $1.2M across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $206K across 12 grants.

What is Burnett Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Burnett Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $90,538, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Burnett Family Foundation that year got $27K on average.

Where does Burnett Family Foundation give grants?

Burnett Family Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 100% 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 (11 grants).

Does Burnett Family Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Burnett Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Burnett Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Burnett Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines ($995,544 across 2 grants), Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation ($100,000) and Blank Park Zoo ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Burnett Family Foundation?

Burnett Family Foundation reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $196K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Burnett Family Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including community philanthropy, parks and conservation, arts and culture, food assistance, shelter services, and health-related causes. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Burnett 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 Burnett Family Foundation's EIN?

Burnett Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1482240. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Burnett 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.

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