Grey Sparrow Foundation
Grey Sparrow Foundation is a private foundation based in West Des Moines, Iowa. Its 2024 filing reports charitable giving to preselected organizations, including support for missions and outreach, education, and emergency assistance to families facing hardship.
Grey Sparrow Foundation at a glance
In short: Grey Sparrow Foundation gave $360K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $360,000
- -2.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +40.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $25,714
- -30.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $13,385
- +139.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Iowa (82% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Grey Sparrow Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 590 Market Street, West Des Moines, IA 50266
Phone: (515) 278-5104
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Grey Sparrow Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was New Hope Assembly of God ($100K). Together the top 10 received $335K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 74 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2024 grant dollars went primarily to Iowa recipients: 82% went to Iowa, followed by Arizona (6%), North Carolina (4%), Washington, DC (3%), and Colorado (3%). The listed grants also included a $10,000 grant to the International Fellowship of Christians & Jews in Chicago, Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
How Grey Sparrow Foundation gives
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 28% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $272K (2020) to $500K (2022). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $360K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Hope Assembly of God Urbandale, IA | Missions/Outreach/Education | $100,000 |
| Valley Church West Des Moines, IA | Missions/Outreach/Education | $100,000 |
| Des Moines Christian School Urbandale, IA | Missions/Outreach/Education | $30,000 |
| Agape Pregnancy Resource Center Des Moines, IA | Missions/Outreach/Education | $20,000 |
| Christ Unlimited Ministries Dewey, AZ | Missions/Outreach/Education | $20,000 |
| Matt and Jakki Estock Cantril, IA | Assistance to Families with Hardship | $20,000 |
| Samaritans Purse Boone, NC | Missions/Outreach/Education | $15,000 |
| Family Research Council Washington, DC | Missions/Outreach/Education | $10,000 |
| Got Questions Colorado Springs, CO | Missions/Outreach/Education | $10,000 |
| Garden Gate Ranch Inc Indianola, IA | Missions/Outreach/Education | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,385 | $370,000 | $362,199 | $360,000 | 14 | $360,000 | $712 |
| 2023 | $5,584 | $370,000 | $372,300 | $370,000 | 10 | $370,000 | $366 |
| 2022 | $7,884 | $502,000 | $502,799 | $500,000 | 17 | $500,000 | $372 |
| 2021 | $8,683 | $503,000 | $500,515 | $497,500 | 22 | $497,500 | $288 |
| 2020 | $6,198 | $277,000 | $272,546 | $272,000 | 11 | — | $91 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Grey Sparrow Foundation reported a distributable amount of $712 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
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes direct assistance to indigent families with emergency food, clothing, housing, and medical needs. Its listed 2024 grants also supported organizations for purposes recorded as missions/outreach/education and assistance to families with hardship.
Among the grantees, Samaritan’s Purse describes its mission as providing spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. Garden Gate Ranch says it provides hope, restoration, empowerment, dignity, and purpose for sexually exploited and sex-trafficked women. Family Research Council describes its mission as promoting the traditional family unit and Judeo-Christian values.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $360,000 through 14 grants. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median of $12,500.
Its largest 2024 grants were $100,000 each to New Hope Assembly of God in Urbandale, Iowa, and Valley Church in West Des Moines, Iowa. Other grants included $30,000 to Des Moines Christian School; $20,000 each to Agape Pregnancy Resource Center, Christ Unlimited Ministries, and Matt and Jakki Estock; and $15,000 to Samaritan’s Purse. The filing lists the purposes for these grants as missions/outreach/education, except for the grant to Matt and Jakki Estock, which was for assistance to families with hardship.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Terence Ventling, Adam Ventling, and Aaron Ventling as directors; Wanda Ventling as president; Andrew Ventling as treasurer; and Alison Herr as secretary.
Grey Sparrow Foundation is led by Wanda Ventling, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Wanda Ventling
President
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Ventling
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adam Ventling
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Terence Ventling
Director
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alison Herr
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Ventling
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Grey Sparrow Foundation
How much does Grey Sparrow Foundation give each year?
Grey Sparrow Foundation gave $360K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $370K across 10 grants.
What is Grey Sparrow Foundation's typical grant size?
Grey Sparrow Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $12,500, and its average grant was $25,714, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Grey Sparrow Foundation give grants?
Grey Sparrow Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Arizona (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Urbandale, IA (2 grants) and West Des Moines, IA (2 grants).
Does Grey Sparrow Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Grey Sparrow Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Missions/Outreach/Education" (13 grants).
Who are Grey Sparrow Foundation's largest grantees?
Grey Sparrow Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include New Hope Assembly of God ($100,000), Valley Church ($100,000) and Des Moines Christian School ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Grey Sparrow Foundation?
Grey Sparrow Foundation reported $13K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $360K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $712 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Grey Sparrow Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes direct assistance to indigent families with emergency food, clothing, housing, and medical needs. Its listed 2024 grants also supported organizations for purposes recorded as missions/outreach/education and assistance to families with hardship. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Grey Sparrow Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 Grey Sparrow Foundation's EIN?
Grey Sparrow Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-4635234. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Grey Sparrow Foundation 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Grey Sparrow Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/grey-sparrow-foundation-morg_29dbd9760eaf4d719c3b3f8c2441b301
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_834635234_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Grey Sparrow Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/grey-sparrow-foundation-morg_29dbd9760eaf4d719c3b3f8c2441b301},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Grey Sparrow 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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