Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation

ABERDEEN, SD EIN: 91-1770168

The Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation is a private foundation established in 1996 and based in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The foundation operates as an independent grantmaking organization with a primary focus on providing scholarship funding to students.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.7M

-2.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$298K

+13.7% YoY

Grant Count

-12.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$10K

+29.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation reported a distributable amount of $909K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary purpose is providing funding for scholarships. The foundation's grantmaking focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking, and professional societies & associations, primarily serving South Dakota, Minnesota, and Indiana.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 29 grants in its most recent fiscal year (ending August 2025). Recent scholarship recipients include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Indiana, with a particular emphasis on South Dakota-based educational institutions.

Grant Distribution by State

South Dakota $1.1M (84%)

North Dakota $68K (5%)

Missouri $45K (3%)

Minnesota $30K (2%)

Nebraska $24K (2%)

Iowa $21K (2%)

Colorado $10K (1%)

Utah $5K (0%)

+9 more states

States

Arizona Colorado Florida Iowa Illinois Indiana Maryland Minnesota Missouri Montana North Dakota Nebraska Oregon South Dakota Tennessee Utah Wyoming

Cities

AberdeenBillingsBismarckBrookingsCasperChadronDekalbDubuqueEllendaleEugeneFargoGainesvilleGrand ForksJamestownKansas CityLakewoodLincolnMadisonMankatoMayville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of August 2025:

Total assets: $1,668,838
Total giving: $298,306
Total revenues: $378,317
Total expenses: $426,392
Number of employees: 0

Investment income and dividends: $31,569

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2025	2024	2023
Total Assets	$1,668,838	$1,716,913	$1,673,326
Revenue	$378,317	$383,476	$312,165
Expenses	$426,392	$339,889	$332,307
Qualifying Distributions	$329,503	$280,166	$272,785
Net Investment Income	$278,654	$326,162	$248,217
Distributable Amount	$909,383	$311,164	$280,693

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Grant Size Distribution

157 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include South Dakota State University ($86,993), Lake Area Technical College ($69,460), University of South Dakota ($15,263).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY SIOUX FALLS, SD	SCHOLARSHIPS	$12,233
BLACK HILLS STATE UNIVERSITY SPEARFISH, SD	SCHOLARSHIPS	$6,933
CASPER COLLEGE CASPER, WY	SCHOLARSHIPS	$1,133
CONCORDIA COLLEGE MOORHEAD, MN	SCHOLARSHIPS	$1,133
DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MADISON, SD	SCHOLARSHIPS	$9,333
DAKOTA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY MITCHELL, SD	SCHOLARSHIPS	$2,900
DORDT UNIVERSITY SIOUX CENTER, IA	SCHOLARSHIPS	$5,800
EVANGEL UNIVERSITY SPRINGFIELD, MO	SCHOLARSHIPS	$2,266
GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY PHOENIX, AZ	SCHOLARSHIPS	$1,767
LAKE AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE WATERTOWN, SD	SCHOLARSHIPS	$69,460

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Cassie Backman serves as Manager of the foundation (as of September 2024).

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

From 2025 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
TOM LABRIE	PRESIDENT	0.5	—
TAMMIE PAULSON	MEMBER	0.5	—
BARB DESNOYERS	SECRETARY/TREASURER	0.5	—
DAVID MORITZ	VICE PRESIDENT	0.5	—
MATT HOFMAN	MEMBER	0.5	—
DACOTAH BANK	MANAGER	1	$37,619

Contact Information

Mailing Address: PO Box 1210 Aberdeen, SD 57402-1210 United States

Telephone: 605-225-5611

EIN: 91-1770168

Tax-exempt status: 501(c)(3), tax-exempt since April 1997

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation?

The foundation made 29 grants in its most recent fiscal year (ending August 2025). Recent scholarship recipients include: • Mount Marty University: $13,865 • Augustana University: $12,233 • University of Sioux Falls: $10,965 • South Dakota State University Typical award amounts range from $1,043 to $86,993, with a total giving of $298,306 in the most recent fiscal year.

Where does Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Indiana, with a particular emphasis on South Dakota-based educational institutions.

What size grants does Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation award?

In 2025, Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $298K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation reported a distributable amount of $909K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation's EIN?

Edward L Schwab Memorial Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1770168. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.