Irions Foundation Inc
Irions Foundation Inc is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in 1997 and based in Elkhart, Indiana. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization focused on supporting charitable causes within the Michiana community, with particular emphasis on education and youth development.
Key facts about Irions Foundation Inc
In short: Irions Foundation Inc gave $494K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Indiana. 31% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 35-2022821
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $493,783
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- Average grant
- $14,108
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (11 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Grant applications are reviewed regularly throughout the year as received. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Quick answers about Irions Foundation Inc
How much does Irions Foundation Inc give each year?
Irions Foundation Inc gave $494K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $537K across 26 grants.
What is Irions Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Irions Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $14,108, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Irions Foundation Inc that year got $6K on average.
Where does Irions Foundation Inc give grants?
Irions Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Elkhart, IN (19 grants), Goshen, IN (4 grants), South Bend, IN (3 grants) and Mishawaka, IN (3 grants).
Does Irions Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 35 grants with a stated purpose on Irions Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (31 grants).
Who are Irions Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Irions Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Cultivate Food Rescue ($80,000), Community Foundation Elkhart County ($50,000) and School City of Mishawaka ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Is Irions Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 35 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+11%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Irions Foundation Inc
- How to evaluate Irions Foundation Inc as a funder
Our grant prospecting guide: read the 990-PF, check fit, and decide whether to apply.
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$494K
-8.1% YoY
Grant Count
35
+34.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$14K
-31.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To promote the education, development and welfare of the Michiana community with a focus on youth.
Vision: To fund causes in the Michiana area in perpetuity while responsibly managing and deploying resources entrusted to the foundation through careful vetting of supported charities and causes. The foundation corpus is managed to optimize returns and minimize expenses.
Core Values:
- Integrity: Honesty, professionalism, humility, and respect
- Perseverance: Continued movement towards the greater good
- Excellence: In every worthwhile endeavor
- Education: Recognized as the most powerful weapon to change the world
Primary Funding Focus: Education, with secondary interests in human services and philanthropy/voluntarism. The foundation has supported grants for after-school programs, mentoring programs, tutoring, academic success enrichment, and public health initiatives.
Grantmaking
Average Grant
amount: approximately $14,800–$19,830
Review Cycle
August 1st for consideration
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with Irions Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses exclusively on the greater Michiana area, which encompasses northern Indiana and southern Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 35 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total Assets: $8,614,364
- Total Revenue: $624,634
- Total Expenses: $616,397
- Net Income: $8,237
- Total Liabilities: $0
- Total Giving: $537,048
- Investment Income and Dividends: $269,403
The foundation maintains a strong financial position with no outstanding liabilities and generates revenue primarily through investment income.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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 May 6, 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 May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CULTIVATE FOOD RESCUE South Bend, IN | CHARITABLE | $80,000 |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ELKHART COUNTY Elkhart, IN | CHARITABLE | $50,000 |
| SCHOOL CITY OF MISHAWAKA Mishawaka, IN | CHARITBLE | $50,000 |
| MAPLE CREST FARMSFOOD PANTRIES Elkhart, IN | CHARITABLE | $22,037 |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SERV ELK COUNTY Elkhart, IN | CHARITABLE | $20,000 |
| CAPS Elkhart, IN | CHARITABLE | $20,000 |
| ELKHART HUMANE SOCIETY Elkhart, IN | CHARITABLE | $20,000 |
| BASHOR CHILDREN'S HOME Goshen, IN | CHARITABLE | $20,000 |
| WOMAN'S CARE CENTER Elkhart, IN | CHARITABLE | $20,000 |
| 5 STAR LIFE Elkhart, IN | CHARITABLE | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Thomas E Irions – President, Secretary, Treasurer
- Jennifer Hernandez-Irions – Director
- Julia Willis – Director
The foundation operates with limited paid staffing, relying primarily on board members who contribute volunteer hours.
Irions Foundation Inc is led by Thomas E. Irions, President & Secretary since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas E. Irions
President & Secretary
President → President & Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Hernandez-Irions
Director
On filings since 2022
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Pianowski
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Julia Willis (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Jennifer Hernandez (2021) — Director
- Former: Aaron Irions (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Eric Irions (2020) — Secretary
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.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation continues to actively distribute grants to organizations serving the Michiana community. Recent 2024 grants demonstrate ongoing commitment to food security, community foundations, and animal welfare organizations. The foundation maintains an open application process and regularly reviews grant requests throughout the year.
IRONMAN Foundation Awards Second Round of IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund GrantsSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Irions Foundation Inc fund?
**Mission:** To promote the education, development and welfare of the Michiana community with a focus on youth. **Vision:** To fund causes in the Michiana area in perpetuity while responsibly managing and deploying resources entrusted to the foundation through careful vetting of supported charities and causes. The foundation corpus is managed to optimize returns and minimize expenses. **Core Values:** • Integrity: Honesty, professionalism, humility, and respect • Perseverance: Continued movemen…
How do I apply for a grant from Irions Foundation Inc?
Grant applications are reviewed regularly throughout the year as received. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Irions Foundation Inc's EIN?
Irions Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-2022821. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.