Do It Best Foundation Inc
Do it Best Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Launched by Do it Best in 2019, it supports nonprofit community organizations committed to serving others, with grantmaking focused on community needs, youth, the arts, and health and wellness.
Do It Best Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Do It Best Foundation Inc gave $700K across 80 grants in 2026 (avg $9K), mostly in Indiana. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $699,782
- +31.0% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 80
- +81.8% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $8,747
- -27.9% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,764,674
- +23.3% vs 2025
- Primary geography
- Indiana (55% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Do It Best Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts requests from 501(c)(3) organizations. Applicants can find eligibility information and application materials on the foundation’s website; requests are reviewed by its evaluation committee and board of directors. Recipients must be qualified exempt organizations in communities where Do it Best employees live and work. Organizations may apply once per grant cycle, and the foundation offers four cycles per year.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Do It Best Foundation
Mailing address: 1626 Broadway Suite 100, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: (260) 748-5300
Website: https://doitbestfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Do It Best Foundation Inc
Who Do It Best Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Ronald McDonald House Charities ($100K). Together the top 10 received $303K.
Grant Size Distribution
195 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 187 grants of 195 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s filing states that eligible recipients must be in communities where Do it Best employees live and work. Its 2026 grant dollars went primarily to Indiana recipients (55%), followed by Ohio (14%), Illinois (10%), Texas (6%), and Nevada (5%). Reported grants also included recipients in South Dakota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 80 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Do It Best Foundation Inc gives
- 21% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 316% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 510% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $63K (2022) to $700K (2026). In 2026 it made 80 grants totaling $700K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald McDonald House Charities Fort Wayne, IN | General Support | $100,000 |
| Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN | General Support | $50,000 |
| Risley Agricultural Center Litchfield, OH | General Support | $29,418 |
| School Care Team Fort Wayne, IN | General Support | $25,000 |
| It Only Takes a Spark Milbank, SD | General Support | $20,000 |
| Teenworks Inc Indianapolis, IN | General Support | $20,000 |
| Blessings in a Backpack Fort Wayne, IN | General Support | $18,075 |
| American Heart Association Paulding, OH | General Support | $15,000 |
| A Kid Again Twinsburg, OH | General Support | $13,500 |
| Fort Wayne Musuem of Art Inc Fort Wayne, IN | General Support | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Do It Best Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $2,764,674 | $1,726,268 | $1,204,737 | $699,782 | 80 | $699,782 | $61,798 | $137,341 |
| 2025 | $2,242,399 | $1,523,643 | $864,176 | $534,046 | 44 | $534,046 | $55,620 | $97,222 |
| 2024 | $1,582,932 | $1,208,758 | $647,499 | $467,923 | 30 | $467,923 | $28,722 | $63,374 |
| 2023 | $1,024,338 | $580,148 | $329,336 | $168,215 | 28 | $168,215 | $2,414 | $47,392 |
| 2022 | $773,526 | $442,228 | $114,219 | $63,205 | 13 | $63,205 | $1,604 | $31,277 |
| 2021 | $445,623 | $522,380 | $150,949 | $136,400 | 21 | — | $580 | $17,219 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Do It Best Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $137K for 2026 — 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 guiding philosophy is “Serving others as we would like to be served.” Its stated focus areas include building community connections and supporting what makes neighborhoods unique; educational and developmental activities that prepare children for the future; and resources that support healthy children and families. Its grant program also identifies the arts and community development among areas of focus.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of work funded. Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne says it supports arts and culture to enhance quality of life and economic viability in northeast Indiana. Blessings in a Backpack says it provides weekend food for school-aged children who might otherwise go hungry. The Harold W. McMillen Center for Health says it provides preventive health education promoting physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2026, the foundation reported 80 grants totaling $699,782. Awards ranged from $60 to $100,000, with a median of $5,000. In 2025, it reported 44 grants totaling $534,046. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 80 grants totaling $699,782.
The largest reported 2026 grants included $100,000 to Ronald McDonald House Charities in Fort Wayne, $50,000 to Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, $29,418 to Risley Agricultural Center in Litchfield, Ohio, and $25,000 to School Care Team in Fort Wayne. These grants were reported for general support. Other recipients included It Only Takes a Spark in South Dakota and Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Nick Talarico as president, Gary Furst as secretary, Doug Roth as treasurer, and Daniel Starr as director. The foundation’s website identifies Curtis Smith as executive director and lists Doug Roth, Dan Starr, Nick Talarico, and Gary Furst on its board of directors.
Do It Best Foundation Inc is led by Nick Talarico, President on every filing since 2024; none of the 4 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Nick Talarico
President
On filings since 2024
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Starr
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Roth
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gary Furst
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Rich Lynch Part Year (2024) — President
- Former: Rich Lynch (2021–2023) — President
- Former: Steve Markley Part Year (2023) — Director
- Former: Steve Markley (2021–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "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 Do It Best Foundation Inc
How much does Do It Best Foundation Inc give each year?
Do It Best Foundation Inc gave $700K across 80 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $534K across 44 grants.
What is Do It Best Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Do It Best Foundation Inc's median grant in 2026 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,747, across 80 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Do It Best Foundation Inc give grants?
Do It Best Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Ohio (14%) and Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Wayne, IN (28 grants), Mesquite, NV (7 grants), Dixon, IL (6 grants) and Sterling, IL (4 grants).
Does Do It Best Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Do It Best Foundation Inc's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (80 of 80) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Do It Best Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Do It Best Foundation Inc's largest 2026 grantees include Ronald McDonald House Charities ($100,000), Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne ($50,000) and Risley Agricultural Center ($29,418), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Do It Best Foundation Inc?
Do It Best Foundation Inc reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $700K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $137K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Do It Best Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s guiding philosophy is “Serving others as we would like to be served.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Do It Best Foundation Inc?
The foundation accepts requests from 501(c)(3) organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Do It Best Foundation Inc's EIN?
Do It Best Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2148850. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
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 2026 (received by the IRS June 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Do It Best Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Do It Best Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/do-it-best-foundation-inc-morg_d8fcf34b18434edf85a3bc666dc2e9c1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842148850_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Do It Best Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/do-it-best-foundation-inc-morg_d8fcf34b18434edf85a3bc666dc2e9c1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Do It Best Foundation Inc'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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