Duncan Family Trust
Duncan Family Trust, also known as the Duncan Aviation Family Trust, is a private foundation based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Created in 2004, it supports education, human services and community needs, and aviation- and STEM-related initiatives in communities associated with Duncan Aviation’s service centers.
Key facts about Duncan Family Trust
In short: Duncan Family Trust gave $632K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Nebraska. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-0905873
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $631,770
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- Average grant
- $16,626
- Median grant
- $3,250
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (14 of 38, 2025)
- Total assets
- $3,023,166
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (86% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The trust states on its 2025 filing that it does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.0M
+74.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$632K
+66.2% YoY
Grant Count
38
+35.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$17K
+22.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Duncan Family Trust reported a distributable amount of $79K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Duncan Family Trust open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 38 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 39% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 806% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The trust prioritizes support for organizations working in three areas:
- Education: Support for public schools from pre-K through grade 12.
- Human services and community: Work addressing people’s basic needs.
- Aviation and STEM: Education and activities related to aviation careers and STEM.
Its 2025 grants illustrate support for a range of organizations. Lincoln Community Foundation describes its mission as “Inspiring our community to give, act and lead.” Malone Community Center says it works to eliminate multigenerational poverty in Lincoln while honoring African-American heritage. South Michigan Food Bank describes its work as feeding people facing hunger and addressing basic human needs. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the trust reported 38 grants totaling **$631,770**. Individual grants ranged from **$500 to $148,500**, with a median of **$3,250**. The largest reported awards included:
How to Apply
for organizations with 501(c)(3) status located in Lincoln, Battle Creek, or Provo. Applicants are asked for organizational and contact details, background and mission information, the requested amount, and the objectives and underlying need, problem, or opportunity. The website says the philanthropy committee typically meets quarterly and that organizations may apply for or receive funds only once per year. It excludes requests for public promotion of organizations, individuals, churches, or religious causes, as well as post-proms, school clubs, and athletic teams.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Duncan Family Trust
Ready to take the next step with Duncan Family Trust?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trust’s stated focus communities are Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Provo, Utah. In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska, 8% to Michigan, and 5% to Utah. The filing also reports 1% for New York and 0% for Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $246K (2019) to $784K (2022). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $632K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lincoln Community Foundation ($149K). Together the top 10 received $552K.
Grant Size Distribution
157 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 141 grants of 157 (90%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Community Foundation Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $148,500 |
| United Way of Lincolnlancaster County Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $131,500 |
| Cultural Centers of Lincoln Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $100,000 |
| Malone Community Center Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $52,500 |
| United Way of South Central Michigan Battle Creek, MI | General Operations | $28,500 |
| United Way of Utah County Provo, UT | General Operations | $26,500 |
| Family Service Lincoln Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $20,000 |
| Good Neighbor Community Center Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Leadership Lincoln Inc Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $15,000 |
| El Centro De Las Americas Lincoln, NE | General Operations | $14,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,023,166 | $1,924,675 | $634,480 | $631,770 |
| 2024 | $1,732,971 | $1,619,113 | $382,029 | $380,028 |
| 2023 | $495,887 | $14,344 | $396,605 | $394,900 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,023,166 | $1,732,971 | $495,887 |
| Revenue | $1,924,675 | $1,619,113 | $14,344 |
| Expenses | $634,480 | $382,029 | $396,605 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $634,284 | $381,831 | $396,605 |
| Net Investment Income | $49,675 | $14,113 | $14,244 |
| Distributable Amount | $78,670 | $21,741 | $35,063 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The trust’s website lists these officers: Katie Duncan, president; Connie Duncan, vice president; Robert Duncan, secretary; Cindy Morris, treasurer; Jamie Harder, assistant treasurer; and Maira Sherman, assistant secretary. It also lists team members-at-large in Lincoln, Battle Creek, and Provo.
Duncan Family Trust is led by Katherine Duncan, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katherine Duncan
President
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Connie Duncan
Vice President & Director
President → Vice President, 2022
Vice President → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
D. Todd Duncan
Director
Member at Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Robert Duncan
Secretary & Director
Vice President → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Secretary & Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen K. Duncan
Director
Secretary → Member at Large, 2022
Member at Large → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Morris
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 81887, Lincoln, NE 68501
Phone: (402) 475-2611
Website: https://duncanfamilytrust.org
Frequently asked questions about Duncan Family Trust
How much does Duncan Family Trust give each year?
Duncan Family Trust gave $632K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $380K across 28 grants.
What is Duncan Family Trust's typical grant size?
Duncan Family Trust's median grant in 2025 was $3,250, and its average grant was $16,626, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Duncan Family Trust that year got $4K on average.
Where does Duncan Family Trust give grants?
Duncan Family Trust gives mostly in Nebraska: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Michigan (8%) and Utah (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lincoln, NE (21 grants) and Battle Creek, MI (6 grants).
Does Duncan Family Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Duncan Family Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (38 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Duncan Family Trust's largest grantees?
Duncan Family Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Lincoln Community Foundation ($148,500), United Way of Lincolnlancaster County ($131,500) and Cultural Centers of Lincoln ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Duncan Family Trust?
Duncan Family Trust reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $634K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $79K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Duncan Family Trust fund?
The trust prioritizes support for organizations working in three areas: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Duncan Family Trust?
The trust states on its 2025 filing that it does not accept unsolicited requests 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 Duncan Family Trust's EIN?
Duncan Family Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0905873. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Duncan Family Trust 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.
Here's the math on researching Duncan Family Trust by hand.
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