Fortress Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Norman, OK EIN: 20-5513182

Fortress Foundation is a private foundation based in Norman, Oklahoma. Its 2024 filing reports grants to organizations in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Florida, including grants for religious education, community purposes, and charitable benefit.

Fortress Foundation at a glance

In short: Fortress Foundation gave $70K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), top state Colorado. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2024)
$70,000
-27.5% vs 2023
Grants made (2024)
10
-16.7% vs 2023
Average grant
$7,000
-13.0% vs 2023
Median grant
$5,000
Total assets
$1,018,773
-2.6% vs 2023
New grantees (estimate)
10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2024; small sample)
Primary geography
Colorado (46% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Fortress Foundation

How to Apply

Contact Elaine Burget and submit a written form to the foundation’s address. The filing lists no restrictions on awards.

Contact

Application contact: Elaine Burget
Mailing address: 2401 Smoking Oak Rd, Norman, OK 73072
Phone: (405) 232-1650

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Fortress Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Young Life: $20KYoung Life$20KAlternative Pregnancy Center: $8KAlternative Pregnancy Center$8K111 Project: $8K111 Project$8KOur Neighborhood Empowered: $5KOur Neighborhood Empowered$5KFood & Shelter for Friends: $5KFood & Shelter for Friends$5KCRU - Campus Crusade for Christ: $5KCRU - Campus Crusade forChrist$5KCalvary Family Churches: $5KCalvary Family Churches$5KOpen Door Ministries: $5KOpen Door Ministries$5KSpero Project: $5KSpero Project$5KCity Care Homeless Service Project: $5KCity Care Homeless ServiceProject$5K

The largest 2024 recipient was Young Life ($20K). Together the top 10 received $70K.

Grant Size Distribution

48 grants across all recorded years

48<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2024 grants went to recipients in Colorado, Oklahoma, and Florida. The filing reports that Colorado and Oklahoma each received 46% of grant dollars and Florida received 7%.

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.

Cities

Oklahoma CityNormanColorado SpringsDenverEnglewoodOrlandoEllicottChandlerDel CityFort WorthWashington

Is Fortress Foundation open to new grantees?

10%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $7K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+0%). Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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

$0$25K$50K$75K$100K10 grants2020 7 grants2021 9 grants2022 12 grants2023 10 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2022) to $97K (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $70K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Young Life Colorado Springs, COReligious Education$20,000
Alternative Pregnancy Center Englewood, COWomens Health Education$7,500
111 Project Oklahoma City, OKReligious Education$7,500
Our Neighborhood Empowered Oklahoma City, OKReligious help for boys at risk$5,000
Food & Shelter for Friends Norman, OKCommunity$5,000
CRU - Campus Crusade for Christ Orlando, FLReligious Ministry Center$5,000
Calvary Family Churches Del City, OKReligious Education$5,000
Open Door Ministries Denver, COReligious Ministry Center$5,000
Spero Project Oklahoma City, OKCharitable Benefit$5,000
City Care Homeless Service Project Oklahoma City, OKCharitable Benefit$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2024$1,018,773$123,162$72,799$70,00010$70,000$122,933$61,262
2023$1,046,301$89,866$96,694$96,50012$96,500$89,672$55,991
2022$958,582$50,674$51,281$50,0009$50,000$50,674$63,304
2021$960,867$99,058$71,716$70,0007$70,000$99,058$63,453
2020$934,983$77,696$56,987$55,00010—$77,521$57,662

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fortress Foundation reported a distributable amount of $61K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants include support for religious education and ministry, women’s health education, community work, and charitable benefit. Among its grantees, Young Life describes its mission as helping adolescents encounter Jesus Christ through activities including weekly meetings, Bible studies, camps, and short-term missions. 111Project says it exists to mobilize the local church so every child has a family.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $70,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $20,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $20,000 to Young Life, $7,500 to Alternative Pregnancy Center, and $7,500 to 111 Project.

The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It directs applicants to contact Elaine Burget and submit a written form to the foundation’s address. The filing lists no deadlines and no restrictions on awards.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists Elaine Burget, Bradley Burget, Kyle Blake Burget, David Burget, and Matthew Burget as directors, and Brian Burget as president.

Fortress Foundation is led by Brian Burget, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Brian Burget

    President

    Director → President, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bradley Burget

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Burget

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Elaine Burget

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kyle Blake Burget

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Matthew Burget

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Mark Burget (2020–2022) — President & Chair

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Fortress Foundation

How much does Fortress Foundation give each year?

Fortress Foundation gave $70K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $97K across 12 grants.

What is Fortress Foundation's typical grant size?

Fortress Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,000, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fortress Foundation that year got $5K on average.

Where does Fortress Foundation give grants?

Fortress Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Oklahoma (46%) and Florida (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Oklahoma City, OK (4 grants).

Does Fortress Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Fortress Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Religious Education" (3 grants).

Who are Fortress Foundation's largest grantees?

Fortress Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Young Life ($20,000), Alternative Pregnancy Center ($7,500) and 111 Project ($7,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is Fortress Foundation?

Fortress Foundation reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $70K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $61K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Fortress Foundation fund?

No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants include support for religious education and ministry, women’s health education, community work, and charitable benefit. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Fortress Foundation?

Contact Elaine Burget and submit a written form to the foundation’s address. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Fortress Foundation's EIN?

Fortress Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5513182. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(1)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Fortress Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fortress-foundation-morg_33c4395233c14f57adddc4496fe7a59b

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205513182_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Fortress Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/fortress-foundation-morg_33c4395233c14f57adddc4496fe7a59b},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Fortress 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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