Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation
The Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Burlington, Iowa. It provides financial assistance to charitable organizations and to students pursuing higher education.
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation gave $20K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $716.071), mostly in Iowa. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $20,050
- +13.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $716
- -3.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $152,093
- +8.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (9 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1815 Des Moines Ave, Burlington, IA 52601
Phone: (319) 754-8415
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Burlington Area YMCA ($2K). Together the top 10 received $13K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 119 grants of 119 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa and 3% to recipients in Illinois. Listed Iowa recipients were located in Burlington and other Iowa communities, including Danville, Fort Madison, Washington, West Burlington, Cedar Falls, and Waterloo.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 28 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $694; repeat grants $726. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 290% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $13K (2021) to $24K (2022). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $20K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Burlington Area YMCA Burlington, IA | Social Assistance | $2,000 |
| Chloe Fisher Danville, IA | Education Assistance | $2,000 |
| Younghouse Family Services Burlington, IA | Social Assistance | $1,900 |
| Fort Madison Family YMCA Fort Madison, IA | Social Assistance | $1,500 |
| YMCA of Washington County Iowa Washington, IA | Social Assistance | $1,500 |
| Hair Hats & More West Burlington, IA | Social Assistance | $1,000 |
| Burlington Building Bridges Burlington, IA | Social Assistance | $1,000 |
| Heartsong Burlington, IA | Social Assistance | $1,000 |
| Se Iowa Regional Hospice West Burlington, IA | Social Assistance | $750 |
| Burlington Area Homeless Shelter Burlington, IA | Social Assistance | $750 |
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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 | $152,093 | $32,643 | $20,191 | $20,050 | 28 | $20,050 | $1,995 | $6,923 |
| 2024 | $139,641 | $30,545 | $17,862 | $17,720 | 24 | $17,720 | $756 | $6,296 |
| 2023 | $126,958 | $42,387 | $19,136 | $19,000 | 25 | $19,000 | $564 | $5,194 |
| 2022 | $103,707 | $25,503 | $23,809 | $23,690 | 26 | $23,690 | $148 | $4,916 |
| 2021 | $102,013 | $38,635 | $18,229 | $13,440 | 16 | $18,110 | $40 | $3,991 |
| 2020 | $81,607 | $40,830 | $22,384 | $14,440 | 18 | — | $70 | $3,066 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carl A Nelson Charitable 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
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes its charitable activities as providing financial assistance to organizations in furtherance of their exempt purposes and to students pursuing higher education.
Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. Burlington Area YMCA, which received $2,000, says its mission is to promote good health, strong families, youth leadership, and community development through Christian principles. Transitions DMC Inc, which received $500, says it works to end homelessness, poverty, and related issues in southeast Iowa. Other 2025 recipients included a community foundation, a health clinic, and a food bank; their stated missions include community philanthropy, access to health care, and providing food and hunger education.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $20,050. Grants ranged from $100 to $2,000, with a median of $500. Its largest listed grants included $2,000 to Burlington Area YMCA and $2,000 to Chloe Fisher for education assistance; $1,900 to Younghouse Family Services; and $1,500 each to Fort Madison Family YMCA and YMCA of Washington County Iowa. Other listed recipients included Hair Hats & More ($1,000), Burlington Building Bridges ($1,000), Heartsong ($1,000), Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice ($750), and Burlington Area Homeless Shelter ($750).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Chris M. Smith as president; James Maletta as vice president; Thomas J. Jones as secretary-treasurer; and Charlie Carlson and Dan Culp as directors.
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation is led by Chris M. Smith, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Chris M. Smith
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charlie Carlson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Culp
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Maletta
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas J. Jones
Secretarytreasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Tim C. Seibert (2020–2023) — 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 Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation
How much does Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation give each year?
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation gave $20K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $18K across 24 grants.
What is Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $716, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation that year got $694 on average.
Where does Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation give grants?
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Burlington, IA (13 grants), Waterloo, IA (3 grants) and West Burlington, IA (2 grants).
Does Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Assistance" (26 grants).
Who are Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Burlington Area YMCA ($2,000), Chloe Fisher ($2,000) and Younghouse Family Services ($1,900), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation?
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation reported $152K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $20K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes its charitable activities as providing financial assistance to organizations in furtherance of their exempt purposes and to students pursuing higher education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Carl A Nelson Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1713123. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Carl A Nelson Charitable 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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