Carolyn S Kruse Foundation
The Carolyn S Kruse Foundation is a private foundation in Buelton, California. Its 2025 filing reports 23 grants totaling $81,500, primarily to California organizations.
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation at a glance
In short: Carolyn S Kruse Foundation gave $82K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in California. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $81,500
- +0.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- -8.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,543
- +9.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,299,326
- -1.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (88% 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 Carolyn S Kruse 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: P O Box 1988, Buelton, CA 93427
Phone: (559) 303-2885
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carolyn S Kruse Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Family Services of Tulare County ($10K). Together the top 10 received $62K.
Grant Size Distribution
130 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 130 grants of 130 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 11% to Kansas, and 1% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Carolyn S Kruse Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 23 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 83% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 48% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $55K (2022) to $112K (2023). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $82K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Family Services of Tulare County Visalia, CA | General Fund | $10,000 |
| CASA of Tulare County Visalia, CA | General Fund | $9,500 |
| Visalia Rescue Mission Visalia, CA | General Fund | $7,500 |
| Zozu Project Paso Robles, CA | General Fund | $6,000 |
| Assistance League of Tulare Visalia, CA | General Fund | $5,000 |
| CASA Pomona, CA | General Fund | $5,000 |
| El Camino Homeless Shelter Atascadero, CA | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Lumina Alliances San Luis Obispo, CA | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Must Charities Templeton, CA | General Fund | $5,000 |
| Tolosa Children's Dental Paso Robles, CA | General Fund | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Carolyn S Kruse Foundation?
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 | $1,299,326 | $86,653 | $100,385 | $81,500 | 23 | $84,177 | $70,445 | $83,554 |
| 2024 | $1,313,058 | $45,314 | $91,774 | $81,300 | 25 | $81,438 | $42,281 | $82,894 |
| 2023 | $1,359,518 | $46,843 | $122,564 | $112,300 | 31 | $112,339 | $38,938 | $85,597 |
| 2022 | $1,435,239 | $109,679 | $62,693 | $55,000 | 22 | $55,030 | $102,016 | $71,285 |
| 2021 | $1,388,253 | $252,091 | $81,801 | $81,500 | 29 | — | $35,877 | $76,692 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carolyn S Kruse Foundation reported a distributable amount of $84K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations whose stated work includes supporting children and families affected by violence, advocating for children in court, and providing meals, shelter, clothing, and other necessities to people experiencing homelessness or poverty. Other recipients described work in conserving Kansas ranchland, supporting children’s development, and developing girls’ leadership.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $81,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest awards included $10,000 to Family Services of Tulare County, $9,500 to CASA of Tulare County, and $7,500 to Visalia Rescue Mission. Each was listed for “general fund.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Douglas T Kruse as president, Jordyn R Kruse as vice-president, Sabrina Kruse as treasurer, and Eric B La Bounty as secretary.
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation is led by Douglas T. Kruse, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Douglas T. Kruse
President
On filings since 2021
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jordyn R. Kruse
Vice President
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sabrina Kruse
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric B. La Bounty
Secretary
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Mark La Bounty (2021–2023) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Carolyn S Kruse Foundation
How much does Carolyn S Kruse Foundation give each year?
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation gave $82K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $81K across 25 grants.
What is Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's typical grant size?
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,543, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carolyn S Kruse Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Carolyn S Kruse Foundation give grants?
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation gives mostly in California: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kansas (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Visalia, CA (5 grants), Paso Robles, CA (4 grants), San Luis Obispo, CA (2 grants) and Chanute, KS (2 grants).
Does Carolyn S Kruse Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's largest grantees?
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Family Services of Tulare County ($10,000), CASA of Tulare County ($9,500) and Visalia Rescue Mission ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Carolyn S Kruse Foundation?
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $84K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $84K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carolyn S Kruse Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carolyn S Kruse 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 Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's EIN?
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1442668. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Carolyn S Kruse 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 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Carolyn S Kruse Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Carolyn S Kruse Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carolyn S Kruse Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carolyn-s-kruse-foundation-morg_52aae44920a04c67861d144c6cfd2b2b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201442668_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carolyn S Kruse Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carolyn-s-kruse-foundation-morg_52aae44920a04c67861d144c6cfd2b2b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Carolyn S Kruse 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.
Carolyn S Kruse Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?