Dfacares Foundation
Dfacares Foundation is a public charity based in Kansas City, Kansas. Its stated work includes disaster relief, food and dairy product donations, scholarships for students pursuing careers in dairy, and support for farmers and producers affected by natural disasters.
Dfacares Foundation at a glance
In short: Dfacares Foundation gave $504K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), top state Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $504,387
- +1097.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +360.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,930
- +160.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,476
- Total assets
- $941,296
- +35.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (35% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Dfacares Foundation
- Next open deadline
- January 9, 2027 (DFA Cares Foundation Student Scholarship Program)
- Contact
Mailing address: 1405 N 98Th Street, Kansas City, KS 66111
Phone: (816) 801-6455
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Dfacares Foundation
Who Dfacares Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Every Meal ($107K). Together the top 10 received $373K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 65 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
DFA describes its community work as extending from local towns where its farmer-owners and employees live and work to communities around the world. The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota (35%), Wisconsin (23%), Iowa (16%), Illinois (15%), and Michigan (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Dfacares Foundation gives
- Giving grew 380% from 2022 to 2025. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $42K (2024) to $702K (2020). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $504K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Every Meal Roseville, MN | Grant Making | $106,553 |
| Northern Illinois Food Bank Geneva, IL | Grant Making | $62,720 |
| Second Harvest Heartland Brooklyn Park, MN | Grant Making | $39,562 |
| Food Bank of Siouxland Sioux City, IA | Grant Making | $39,367 |
| Feeding America E WI Milwaukee, WI | Grant Making | $31,828 |
| Northeast Iowa Food Bank Waterloo, IA | Grant Making | $23,478 |
| Feeding America Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | Grant Making | $19,766 |
| Hunger Task Force Milwaukee, WI | Grant Making | $18,882 |
| Feeding America Eastern WI Milwaukee, WI | Grant Making | $15,561 |
| Second Harvest of S WI Madison, WI | Grant Making | $15,356 |
Ready to take the next step with Dfacares Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $941,296 | $1,178,567 | $934,387 | $504,387 | 23 | $17,410 |
| 2024 | $697,116 | $595,539 | $366,247 | $42,117 | 5 | $25,470 |
| 2023 | $467,825 | $940,837 | $918,243 | $427,989 | 21 | $11,241 |
| 2022 | $445,231 | $971,241 | $1,284,357 | $105,000 | 6 | $5,022 |
| 2021 | $758,347 | $877,214 | $953,137 | $131,860 | 10 | $81 |
| 2020 | $834,270 | $1,112,591 | $885,711 | $701,899 | 15 | $2,716 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission, as stated on its 2025 filing, is to provide disaster relief through product and monetary donations and invest in the future of the dairy industry through scholarships for students pursuing dairy careers. Its program descriptions include scholarships for high school seniors and college students interested in dairy careers; monetary assistance for dairy farmers and producers affected by natural disasters; and nutritious dairy and food products for people in need, along with other community outreach and support.
The 2025 grantees listed in its filing include food banks and hunger-relief organizations. For example, Every Meal describes its mission as fighting child hunger through community and school partnerships. Northern Illinois Food Bank says it provides meals through a network of food pantries and programs, while Second Harvest Heartland describes its mission as ending hunger together with partner organizations in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $504,387. Grants ranged from $7,826 to $106,553, with a median of $13,476. Its largest listed grants included $106,553 to Every Meal in Roseville, Minnesota; $62,720 to Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva, Illinois; $39,562 to Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota; and $39,367 to Food Bank of Siouxland in Sioux City, Iowa.
Other listed recipients included Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin ($31,828), Northeast Iowa Food Bank ($23,478), Feeding America Milwaukee ($19,766), Hunger Task Force ($18,882), Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin ($15,561), and Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin ($15,356 and $14,825). The filing lists the grant purpose as “grant making.”
The DFA Cares Foundation Student Scholarship Program supports eligible high school seniors, undergraduate students, and graduate students interested in food and agriculture industries. DFA reports that the program distributed more than $86,000 to 67 students in 2025; these are scholarship awards to individual recipients, not grants to outside organizations. The program listing gives a January 9, 2027 deadline. The DFA Accelerator Program offers mentoring and educational programming to eligible dairy ag-tech startups; its 2025 application period has closed, and the program is accepting inquiries for future cohorts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kevin Cody as treasurer; Ron Shelton as chairman; Byron Lehman as vice chairman; and Marjie Knust as secretary. It also lists Neil Hoff, Jill Lombard, Jackie Klippenstein, Paul Van Warmerdam, Bryan Hull, and Judd Chambers as directors.
Dfacares Foundation is led by Ron Shelton, Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ron Shelton
Chairman
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jill Lombard
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Neil Hoff
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jackie Klippenstein
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Paul Van Warmerdam
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Bryan Hull
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Judd Chambers
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
John Kline
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Byron Lehman
Vice Chairman
Director → Vice Chairman, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Kevin Cody
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marjie Knust
Secretary
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Bruce Bartleu (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Patty Bikowsky (2020–2022) — Former Vice Chairman
- Former: Case Van Steyn (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: David Darr (2020–2021) — Former Secretary
- Former: Jeff Raney (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jerry Spencer (2020–2021) — Former Vice
- Former: Jennifer Leech (2021) — 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 Dfacares Foundation
How much does Dfacares Foundation give each year?
Dfacares Foundation gave $504K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $42K across 5 grants.
What is Dfacares Foundation's typical grant size?
Dfacares Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,476, and its average grant was $21,930, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Dfacares Foundation give grants?
Dfacares Foundation's top state is Minnesota, with 35% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Wisconsin (23%) and Iowa (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (4 grants) and Madison, WI (2 grants).
Does Dfacares Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 23 grants with a stated purpose on Dfacares Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Grant Making" (23 grants).
Who are Dfacares Foundation's largest grantees?
Dfacares Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Every Meal ($106,553), Northern Illinois Food Bank ($62,720) and Second Harvest Heartland ($39,562), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Dfacares Foundation?
Dfacares Foundation reported $941K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.2M.
What does Dfacares Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission, as stated on its 2025 filing, is to provide disaster relief through product and monetary donations and invest in the future of the dairy industry through scholarships for students pursuing dairy careers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dfacares Foundation?
Dfacares Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Dfacares Foundation's EIN?
Dfacares Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3415730. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Dfacares Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Dfacares Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dfacares-foundation-morg_02073b8398414441be560605fadb53f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203415730_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dfacares Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dfacares-foundation-morg_02073b8398414441be560605fadb53f8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Dfacares 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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