Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Lexington, Kentucky. Its 2025 filing describes support for education, conferences, travel, field days, and research related to the production, sustainability, and advancement of quality forages and grasslands benefiting the forage and livestock industry, U.S. agriculture, and farmlands.
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc gave $28K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Kentucky. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $28,202
- +12.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,169
- -13.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $610,859
- +0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (67% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: N-222E Ag Science North Bldg, Lexington, KY 40546
Phone: (859) 351-1500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was International Grassland Congress ($13K). Together the top 10 received $26K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 51 grants of 51 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states. Kentucky accounted for 67% of grant dollars; Tennessee accounted for 6%, and North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas each accounted for 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $917; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $21K (2023) to $28K (2025). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $28K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| International Grassland Congress Berea, KY | Virtual Conferenceconferences | $12,702 |
| American Forage & Grassland Council Berea, KY | Conferences/Research | $5,500 |
| North Dakota State University Fargo, ND | Mission Related Education | $1,000 |
| Wilson College Chambersburg, PA | Mission Related Education | $1,000 |
| Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX | Mission Related Education | $1,000 |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville Knoxville, TN | Mission Related Education | $1,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Madison Madison, WI | Mission Related Education | $1,000 |
| The Ohio State University Columbus, OH | Mission Related Education | $1,000 |
| Purdue University West Lafayette, IN | Mission Related Education | $1,000 |
| University of Arkansas Monticello Monticello, AR | Mission Relatd Education | $750 |
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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 | $610,859 | $34,159 | $33,112 | $28,202 | 13 | $30,557 | $33,659 | $31,172 |
| 2024 | $609,812 | $25,301 | $27,750 | $25,110 | 10 | $26,479 | $25,301 | $28,274 |
| 2023 | $545,996 | $16,564 | $23,350 | $21,080 | 12 | $22,833 | $16,564 | $25,116 |
| 2022 | $485,514 | $26,440 | $30,837 | $27,000 | 8 | $27,740 | $26,440 | $26,152 |
| 2021 | $647,079 | $55,395 | $29,250 | $27,400 | 8 | $28,190 | $55,395 | $29,453 |
| 2020 | $582,733 | $24,338 | $24,549 | $21,170 | 7 | — | $24,088 | $25,133 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $31K 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
The foundation’s stated charitable activities are educational conferences, travel, and field days, including activities in the United States and internationally concerning forage and grassland production, sustainability, and advancement.
Its 2025 grants included conference and research support, mission-related education, and travel grants to attend educational conferences. Among the grantees, Wilson College describes its mission as empowering students to become critical thinkers, leaders, and agents of justice. The University of Tennessee describes its work as promoting scientific, social, and educational investigation and research by assisting the marketing of technologies. The Ohio State University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison also received grants; their stated missions concern, respectively, camping and recreational facilities for educational groups and scholarship, philanthropy, and community on campus.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 13 grants totaling $28,202. Grant amounts ranged from $750 to $12,702, with a median grant of $1,000. The largest grants were $12,702 to the International Grassland Congress for a virtual conference and $5,500 to the American Forage & Grassland Council for conferences and research.
Other listed 2025 grants included $1,000 each to North Dakota State University, Wilson College, Texas Tech University, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, The Ohio State University, and Purdue University. The University of Arkansas at Monticello received $750 for mission-related education. The University of Kentucky and the University of Tennessee each received $750 for travel grants to attend an educational conference.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jonathan Rupert as president, Liliane Silva as vice president, Ray Smith as secretary, and Tom Keene as treasurer. Directors listed are Garry Lacefield, Marcelo Wallau, Marisol Berti, Jordan Cox-O’Neill, Kathryn Payne, and David Hunsberger.
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc is led by Jonathan Rupert, President since 2025 (on filings since 2022); none of the 12 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jonathan Rupert
President
Director → Vice President, 2024
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Garry Lacefield
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Hunsberger
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jordan Cox-O'Neill
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcelo Wallau
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marisol Berti
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathryn Payne
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Walker
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Josh Baker
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ray Smith
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Keene
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Liliane Silva
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Amanda Grev (2022–2024) — President
- Former: Justin Fruechte (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Deidre Harmon (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Sam Groce (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Sam Ingram (2021–2023) — President
- Former: Drew Denman (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Kim Cassida (2020–2022) — President
- Former: Leanne Dillard (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Mike Trammell (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Gary Bates (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: John Jennings (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Robin Lamp (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Brett Rushing (2020) — President
- Former: Glen Aiken (2020) — 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 Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc
How much does Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc give each year?
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc gave $28K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $25K across 10 grants.
What is Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,169, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc that year got $917 on average.
Where does Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc give grants?
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc gives mostly in Kentucky: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Berea, KY (2 grants) and Knoxville, TN (2 grants).
Does Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Mission Related Education" (7 grants) and "Travel Grants to Attend Educational Conference" (3 grants).
Who are Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include International Grassland Congress ($12,702), American Forage & Grassland Council ($5,500) and North Dakota State University ($1,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc?
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc reported $611K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $31K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $31K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated charitable activities are educational conferences, travel, and field days, including activities in the United States and internationally concerning forage and grassland production, sustainability, and advancement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc's EIN?
Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1093415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Forage & Grassland Foundation Inc 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
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