Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend
HERBERT L AND NANCY M TOWNSEND is a private foundation based in Muscatine, Iowa. It reported 10 grants totaling $1,265,433 in 2025, all to recipients in Iowa.
Key facts about Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend
In short: Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend gave $1.3M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $127K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-2479056
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,265,433
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $126,543
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $21,635,822
- Primary geography
- Iowa (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$21.6M
-1.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.3M
+0.8% YoY
Grant Count
10
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$127K
-19.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education-related facilities and scholarships, camps, fairs, childcare, community needs, and local organizations.
Among its grantees, Camp Bear Creek says its mission is to help people know Jesus Christ and grow in Christian faith, and to foster understanding of and responsible care for the natural world. Cedar County Fair Association says it provides facilities for public expositions, fairs, and recreational activities. Wilton Daycare says it provides daycare for an average of 20 children per day, enabling spouses to work, and serves meals and snacks to children.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $1,265,433. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $798,697, with a median grant of $22,500. Notable grants included:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 10 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2021) to $1.3M (2022). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 8 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wilton Community Schools ($799K). Together the top 8 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 29 grants of 47 (62%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wilton Community Schools Wilton, IA | Voag Facility Support | $798,697 |
| Camp Bear Creek Wyoming, IA | General Operating Support | $195,000 |
| Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine Muscatine, IA | Scholarships | $175,000 |
| Cedar County Fair Association Tipton, IA | Support for Ag Building Campaign | $25,000 |
| Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine Muscatine, IA | Muscatine County Fair Charitable Fund Support | $25,000 |
| Young Life Wilton, IA | Wilton/Durant Location Support | $20,000 |
| Wilton Daycare Wilton, IA | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| City of Wilton Wilton, IA | Wilton police department - shop with a cop support | $5,000 |
| Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine Muscatine, IA | Energy Bill Relief | $4,236 |
| Shepherd of the Cross Lutheran Church Muscatine, IA | Christian Day Camp Support | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $21,635,822 | $1,080,752 | $1,374,592 | $1,265,433 |
| 2024 | $21,929,662 | $1,836,985 | $1,349,737 | $1,255,012 |
| 2023 | $21,442,414 | $1,037,995 | $1,357,150 | $1,279,054 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $21,635,822 | $21,929,662 | $21,442,414 |
| Revenue | $1,080,752 | $1,836,985 | $1,037,995 |
| Expenses | $1,374,592 | $1,349,737 | $1,357,150 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,299,883 | $1,289,469 | $1,314,288 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,041,950 | $1,794,827 | $1,001,293 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,352,079 | $1,322,124 | $1,269,864 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 30, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 7, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dennis M Henning as president (part-year), Mark R Gillett as vice-president, Eric J Thomsen as treasurer, Barbara T Soenksen as president, and Dwight Glenney and Denise Austin as directors.
Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend is led by Barbara T. Soenksen, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara T. Soenksen
President
Secretary → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dennis M. Henning
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dwight Glenney
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Denise Austin
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric J. Thomsen
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark R. Gillett
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 215 W Mississippi Drive, Muscatine, IA 52761
Phone: (563) 264-4718
Frequently asked questions about Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend
How much does Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend give each year?
Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend gave $1.3M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 8 grants.
What is Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend's typical grant size?
Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend's median grant in 2025 was $22,500, and its average grant was $126,543, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend give grants?
Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wilton, IA (4 grants) and Muscatine, IA (4 grants).
Does Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend give general operating support?
Yes: 20% of Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend's largest grantees?
Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend's largest 2025 grantees include Wilton Community Schools ($798,697), Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine ($204,236 across 3 grants) and Camp Bear Creek ($195,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend?
Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend reported $21.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for education-related facilities and scholarships, camps, fairs, childcare, community needs, and local organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend?
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 Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend's EIN?
Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2479056. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Herbert L and Nancy M Townsend accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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