Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation
The Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation is a private foundation based in West Des Moines, Iowa. It reported 15 grants totaling $603,600 in filing year 2025; its filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation at a glance
In short: Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation gave $604K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $603,600
- +3126.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +650.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $40,240
- +330.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $6,377,302
- +207.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Iowa (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 501 Grand Oaks Dr, West Des Moines, IA 50265
Phone: (515) 248-2604
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Iowa State University ($100K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $550K.
Grant Size Distribution
17 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 12 grants of 17 (71%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa, 8% to Minnesota, and 8% to Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation gives
- In 2025 it paid out 221% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $19K (2024) to $604K (2025). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $604K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Above Beyond Cancer West Des Moines, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Childserve Johnston, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Drake University - College of Business Des Moines, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Iowa Confluence Water Trails Des Moines, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Iowa State Fair Blue Des Moines, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Iowa State University Ames, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Iowa State University Ames, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Legacy Woods Delano, MN | Community | $50,000 |
| Mercy College of Health Sciences Des Moines, IA | Community | $50,000 |
| Principal Charity Classic Des Moines, IA | Community | $50,000 |
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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 | $6,377,302 | $4,913,849 | $608,733 | $603,600 | 15 | $603,740 | $622,975 | $273,742 |
| 2024 | $2,072,186 | $1,134,029 | $23,379 | $18,705 | 2 | $19,005 | $142,798 | $207,981 |
| 2023 | $961,536 | $961,536 | — | — | — | — | $23,131 | $18,705 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation reported a distributable amount of $274K 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 went to organizations including charities, educational institutions, and community organizations. For example, ChildServe describes its mission as partnering with families to help children with special health care needs live a great life. Iowa Confluence Water Trails describes its work as connecting culture, conservation, and adventure by empowering waterways. Starts Right Here says it educates, equips, and empowers young people in disadvantaged and oppressive circumstances.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $603,600. Grants ranged from $300 to $50,000, with a median of $50,000. Among the listed recipients receiving $50,000 each were ChildServe, Iowa Confluence Water Trails, Mercy College of Health Sciences, and Starts Right Here. The West Des Moines Historical Society received $800.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Daniel J. Houston as president/treasurer and Joan M. Houston as vice president/secretary.
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation is led by Daniel J. Houston, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2023; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel J. Houston
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joan M. Houston
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2025. "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 Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation
How much does Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation give each year?
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation gave $604K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $19K across 2 grants.
What is Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation's typical grant size?
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $40,240, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation give grants?
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (8%) and Colorado (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (8 grants), Ames, IA (2 grants) and West Des Moines, IA (2 grants).
Does Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community" (15 grants).
Who are Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation's largest grantees?
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Iowa State University ($100,000 across 2 grants), Above Beyond Cancer ($50,000) and Childserve ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation?
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation reported $6.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $604K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $274K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including charities, educational institutions, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation's EIN?
Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 93-3908911. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2025.
Does Dan and Joanie Houston 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 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2024
Live grants for the work Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dan-and-joanie-houston-foundation-morg_77eb020ce03947b293b21d23d2fd7e0d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_933908911_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dan and Joanie Houston Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dan-and-joanie-houston-foundation-morg_77eb020ce03947b293b21d23d2fd7e0d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Dan and Joanie Houston 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.
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