Helen Close Charitable Foundation

RENO, NV EIN: 88-0214245

The Helen Close Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Reno, Nevada, established in 1985. It operates as an independent grantmaking foundation serving the Reno area and surrounding regions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.6M

+0.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$288K

-6.4% YoY

Grant Count

20

-9.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$14K

+3.0% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports the following primary funding areas:

  • Emergency services
  • Animal welfare
  • Outdoor recreation
  • Human services
  • Education
  • Community development
  • Wildlife and animal welfare

The foundation demonstrates particular interest in supporting children's needs and local emergency responders. Specific grant interests include police and fire departments, humane societies, animal cruelty prevention, boys and girls' clubs, museums, school district programs and scholarships, ranch experiences, summer camps, child nutrition, vehicle purchases, and pet partner programs.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

s:** Grants typically range between $3,000 and $20,000, with historical data showing awards between approximately $2,500 and $60,385.

Review Cycle

.

How to Apply

** The foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits. Applicants should submit a summary of the need and amount requested to Kenneth E. Stieha's attention via mail. There are no submission deadlines.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds efforts in Nevada and adjacent counties in California.

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Cities

Carson CityEl Dorado HillsElkoGardnervilleHot SpringsIncline VillageLas VegasRenoSomersetSparksStagecoachTruckeeYerington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $5,613,706 (as of 2024)

Annual Giving: $288,322 (2024)

Total Revenues: $404,339 (2024)

Total Expenses: $396,094 (2024)

Investment Income: $149,348 (2024)

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$129K$257K$386K$514K20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$5,613,706$5,605,371$5,656,487
Revenue$404,339$354,322$398,696
Expenses$396,094$405,276$371,070
Qualifying Distributions$318,715$335,966$297,907
Net Investment Income$331,568$289,032$330,122
Distributable Amount$330,899$305,956$325,822

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$85K$171K$256K$342K20 grants202027 grants202120 grants202222 grants202320 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

SIERRA NEVADA JOURNEYS$53KUNIVERSITY OF NEVADA-REN…$40KSIERRA NEVADA JOURNEYS$25KTHE EMPOWERMENT CENTER$25KEXPERIENCE EDUCATION DBA…$20KCOMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF …$17KHUMANE SOCIETY OF TRUCKE…$15KTRUCKEE MEADOWS COMMUNITY$13KCANINE REHABILITATION CE…$10KCARE CHEST OF SIERRA NEV…$10K

Grant Size Distribution

109 grants across all recorded years

105<$50K3$50–100K1$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Kenneth E. Stieha, CPA, serves as President of the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

KENNETH E STIEHA JRPRESIDENT/TRUSTEE$15KCAROLE MATHISENSECRETARY/TRUSTEE$13KBETTY VOGLERTREASURER/TRUSTEE$13KDAVID M QUINNV PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE$13K

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
KENNETH E STIEHA JRPRESIDENT/TRUSTEE3$15,000
CAROLE MATHISENSECRETARY/TRUSTEE2$12,600
BETTY VOGLERTREASURER/TRUSTEE2$12,600
DAVID M QUINNV PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE2$12,600

Contact Information

Address: 100 West Liberty Street, Suite 1100, Reno, NV 89501-1959

Phone: 775-786-6141

EIN: 88-0214245

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

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