Howard County Experimental Association
Howard County Experimental Association is a private foundation based in Cresco, Iowa. It reported 10 grants totaling $21,000 in 2024, supporting Iowa organizations and activities including scholarships, conservation, and agricultural education.
Howard County Experimental Association at a glance
In short: Howard County Experimental Association gave $21K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Iowa. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $21,000
- -16.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,100
- -33.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $165,838
- +1.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (100% 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 Howard County Experimental Association
- 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: 21202 25Th Street, Cresco, IA 52136-8433
Phone: (563) 547-4995
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Howard County Experimental Association funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Crestwood Dollars for Scholars ($6K). Together the top 10 received $21K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 43 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2024 went to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Howard County Experimental Association open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) 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 $750; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $750 first-time, $2K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−16%). 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
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $10K (2020) to $28K (2022). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $21K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Crestwood Dollars for Scholars Cresco, IA | Scholarships | $6,000 |
| Howard County Soil & Water Conservation District Cresco, IA | Conservation | $4,000 |
| Riceville Dollars for Scholars Riceville, IA | Scholarships | $3,000 |
| Howard County Agricultural Society Cresco, IA | Education Center | $2,500 |
| Turkey Valley Comm Sch Dist Jackson Junction, IA | Public School Ag Scholarship | $1,000 |
| Howard Cty Econ Devel Cresco, IA | Youth Leader Training | $1,000 |
| Howard County 4H Cresco, IA | AG EDUC | $1,000 |
| Riceville Schools Ag Riceville, IA | Ag Tools, Educ | $1,000 |
| How Winn CSD Cresco, IA | Ag Tools, Educ | $1,000 |
| Cresco VFW Post 4561 Cresco, IA | Ag Program Vets | $500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $165,838 | $41,216 | $38,780 | $21,000 | 10 | $21,000 | $4,493 |
| 2023 | $163,402 | $19,353 | $40,721 | $25,200 | 8 | $25,200 | $3,024 |
| 2022 | $184,769 | $41,270 | $45,082 | $28,000 | 10 | $28,000 | — |
| 2021 | $188,580 | $58,387 | $37,437 | $25,000 | 10 | $25,000 | $32 |
| 2020 | $167,630 | $45,943 | $17,923 | $9,500 | 5 | — | $794 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2024 grants show support for scholarships, conservation, agricultural education, youth leadership training, and related local activities. Its filing also lists direct charitable activities involving water testing by the Howard County Soil & Water Conservation District and Dollars for Scholars scholarships for Howard-Winneshiek and Riceville schools.
The Howard County Agricultural Society, which received $2,500 in 2024, describes itself as the parent organization and owner of the Howard County fairgrounds, responsible for overseeing fairgrounds activities, including the annual county fair.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $21,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $6,000, with a median of $1,000. Its largest grants included $6,000 to Crestwood Dollars for Scholars for scholarships, $4,000 to the Howard County Soil & Water Conservation District for conservation, and $3,000 to Riceville Dollars for Scholars for scholarships. Other grants included $2,500 to the Howard County Agricultural Society for an education center and $1,000 to Turkey Valley Community School District for a public school agricultural scholarship.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Michael Marr as president; Brent Bronner as treasurer; Matt Beran as secretary; and Dean Runde, Richard Sovereign, Greg Lichty, and Roger Kleve as directors.
Howard County Experimental Association is led by Michael Marr, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Marr
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dean Runde
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Lichty
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard Sovereign
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger Kleve
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brent Bronner
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Beran
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 Howard County Experimental Association
How much does Howard County Experimental Association give each year?
Howard County Experimental Association gave $21K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $25K across 8 grants.
What is Howard County Experimental Association's typical grant size?
Howard County Experimental Association's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $2,100, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Howard County Experimental Association that year got $750 on average.
Where does Howard County Experimental Association give grants?
Howard County Experimental Association gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cresco, IA (7 grants) and Riceville, IA (2 grants).
Does Howard County Experimental Association give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Howard County Experimental Association's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Howard County Experimental Association's largest grantees?
Howard County Experimental Association's largest 2024 grantees include Crestwood Dollars for Scholars ($6,000), Howard County Soil & Water Conservation District ($4,000) and Riceville Dollars for Scholars ($3,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Howard County Experimental Association?
Howard County Experimental Association reported $166K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $41K.
What does Howard County Experimental Association fund?
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2024 grants show support for scholarships, conservation, agricultural education, youth leadership training, and related local activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Howard County Experimental Association?
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 Howard County Experimental Association's EIN?
Howard County Experimental Association's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1101260. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Howard County Experimental Association 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 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 18, 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 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Figures come from Howard County Experimental Association'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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