Imperial Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Lincoln, NE EIN: 36-3343873

Imperial Foundation was a private foundation based in Lincoln, Nebraska (EIN 36-3343873). Its 2021 filing is marked as the organization’s final return and states that the foundation liquidated as of December 31, 2021; it appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.

Imperial Foundation at a glance

In short: Imperial Foundation gave $6.9M across 25 grants in 2021 (avg $275K), mostly in Nebraska. Source: 2021 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2021)
$6,881,113
+1962.3% vs 2020
Grants made (2021)
25
+127.3% vs 2020
Average grant
$275,245
+807.4% vs 2020
Median grant
$15,250
Primary geography
Nebraska (99% of itemized 2021 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2021 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2021; updated October 2026.

How to apply to Imperial Foundation

How to Apply

The final filing named Scott Stuart as the contact and described the materials above. Because the foundation’s final filing states it liquidated in 2021, these instructions should not be treated as current.

Review Cycle
The final filing stated that applications were accepted at any time; this is not a current application deadline.
Deadline
The final filing stated that applications were accepted at any time; this is not a current application deadline.
Contact

Application contact: Scott Stuart Co Imperial Foundation
Mailing address: 3200 Sheridan Court, Lincoln, NE 68506
Phone: (402) 488-3876

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

Who Imperial Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2021

Lincoln Community Foundation: $6.4MLincoln Community Foundation$6.4MFirst Plymouth Church: $104KFirst Plymouth Church$104KFirst United Methodist Church - Tecumseh: $60KFirst United Methodist Church- Tecumseh$60KCenter for People in Need: $25KCenter for People in Need$25KChild Advocacy Center: $24KChild Advocacy Center$24KDimensions Foundation: $24KDimensions Foundation$24KFresh Start: $24KFresh Start$24KFriendship Home: $24KFriendship Home$24KGirl Scouts: $24KGirl Scouts$24KHope Spoke: $24KHope Spoke$24K

The largest 2021 recipient was Lincoln Community Foundation ($6.4M). Together the top 10 received $6.8M.

Grant Size Distribution

36 grants across all recorded years

31<$50K2$50–100K2$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M1$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 36 (86%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2021 filing reports that 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska; Minnesota, Maryland, Iowa, and California each accounted for 0% as reported. Listed recipients included organizations in Lincoln and other Nebraska communities, as well as recipients in Iowa and California.

Grant Distribution by State

6states

Share of 2021 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.

Cities

LincolnLongvilleFrederickTecumsehBertrandCoralvilleSan FranciscoSanta RosaSpirit LakeSummerfield

How Imperial Foundation gives

  • 20% of 2021 grantees were also funded in 2020. Method
  • In 2021 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021). 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$2M$4M$6M$8M11 grants2020 25 grants2021

From 2020 to 2021, annual grant giving ranged from $334K (2020) to $6.9M (2021). In 2021 it made 25 grants totaling $6.9M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Lincoln Community Foundation Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses, Liquidation of Assets$6,423,248
First Plymouth Church Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$104,365
First United Methodist Church - Tecumseh Tecumseh, NEOperating Expenses$60,000
Center for People in Need Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$25,000
Child Advocacy Center Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$24,000
Dimensions Foundation Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$24,000
Fresh Start Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$24,000
Friendship Home Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$24,000
Girl Scouts Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$24,000
Hope Spoke Lincoln, NEOperating Expenses$24,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

The 2021 filing reports that the foundation transferred $6,888,034 of assets to Lincoln Community Foundation.

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2021—$305,583$6,903,374$6,881,11325$6,894,153$315,728$330,776
2020$6,597,791$335,495$351,190$333,65511—$334,202$343,230

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Imperial Foundation reported a distributable amount of $331K for 2021 — 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 for Imperial Foundation is provided. Its 2021 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Center for People in Need says it provides basic-needs services and programs to low-income people to help them achieve economic independence. Fresh Start describes itself as a transitional shelter empowering women experiencing homelessness to work toward self-sufficiency. Lincoln Community Foundation says its mission is to inspire its community to give, act, and lead.

Grantmaking

In 2021, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $6,881,113. Grants ranged from $250 to $6,423,248, with a median of $15,250. The largest grants listed were $6,423,248 to Lincoln Community Foundation, $104,365 to First Plymouth Church, and $60,000 to First United Methodist Church – Tecumseh. Other listed recipients included Center for People in Need and Child Advocacy Center, each receiving $25,000, and several Lincoln organizations receiving $24,000 each.

The 2021 filing states that the foundation did not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It also describes application materials requiring an organization to provide an opinion confirming its qualifying tax-exempt status and tax identification number, and to meet specified public-charity or operating-foundation criteria. The filing lists no restrictions on awards. These are statements from the final filing, not current application instructions.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2021 filing listed Jane Stuart as president, Scott Stuart as chief executive officer, Mark Stuart as secretary/treasurer, and Catherine S Schmoker as a member of the board.

Imperial Foundation is led by Scott Stuart, Chief Executive Officer on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2021 report compensation.

Officers on the 2021 filing

  • Scott Stuart

    Chief Executive Officer

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jane Stuart

    President

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Catherine S. Schmoker

    Member of Board

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark Stuart

    Secretary & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2021. "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 Imperial Foundation

How much does Imperial Foundation give each year?

Imperial Foundation gave $6.9M across 25 grants in 2021, according to its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2020 it gave $334K across 11 grants.

What is Imperial Foundation's typical grant size?

Imperial Foundation's median grant in 2021 was $15,250, and its average grant was $275,245, across 25 grants on its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Imperial Foundation give grants?

Imperial Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lincoln, NE (17 grants) and Longville, MN (3 grants).

Does Imperial Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Imperial Foundation's 2021 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Imperial Foundation's largest grantees?

Imperial Foundation's largest 2021 grantees include Lincoln Community Foundation ($6,423,248), First Plymouth Church ($104,365) and First United Methodist Church - Tecumseh ($60,000), according to its 2021 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 96% of its itemized 2021 grant dollars.

What does Imperial Foundation fund?

No mission statement for Imperial Foundation is provided. Its 2021 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Center for People in Need says it provides basic-needs services and programs to low-income people to help them achieve economic independence. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Imperial Foundation?

The final filing named Scott Stuart as the contact and described the materials above. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

How much is Imperial Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2021, Imperial Foundation reported a distributable amount of $331K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Imperial Foundation's EIN?

Imperial Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3343873. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2021.

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 2020–2021

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Imperial 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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