Irions Foundation Inc
Irions Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Elkhart, Indiana. It supports causes in the Michiana area, with a stated focus on education and youth.
Irions Foundation Inc at a glance
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.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $493,783
- -8.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- +34.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,108
- -31.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $9,120,422
- +5.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (11 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Irions Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
An application is available upon request. The foundation’s website says requests are reviewed as received, followed by review by a program manager, a site visit or interview, and notification of approval or denial; grant checks are distributed at the end of December. New recipients and organizations seeking more than $5,000 are expected to meet with a foundation officer well in advance of the deadline. The website says recipients must be 501(c)(3) organizations in good standing serving the Michiana area. The 2025 filing states that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing lists April 15 each year. The foundation’s website lists August 1 as the deadline for consideration.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing lists April 15 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Irions Foundation Co Thomas Irions
Mailing address: 2602 Marina Drive, Elkhart, IN 46514
Phone: (574) 264-3135
Website: https://irionsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Irions Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cultivate Food Rescue ($80K). Together the top 10 received $322K.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 124 grants of 140 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it focuses on the greater Michiana area. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
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
- In 2025 it paid out 70% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $388K (2021) to $537K (2024). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $494K.
Grants by year
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 |
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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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,120,422 | $1,029,457 | $576,069 | $493,783 | 35 | $493,783 | $947,171 | $706,743 |
| 2024 | $8,614,364 | $624,634 | $616,397 | $537,048 | 26 | $537,048 | $545,285 | $588,771 |
| 2023 | $8,058,957 | $1,078,903 | $523,507 | $465,351 | 27 | $465,351 | $1,020,747 | $478,844 |
| 2022 | $7,497,572 | $3,174,024 | $498,672 | $443,325 | 30 | $443,325 | $1,121,164 | $468,611 |
| 2021 | $6,257,571 | $415,897 | $424,672 | $388,000 | 22 | $388,000 | $379,225 | $468,820 |
| 2020 | $6,325,228 | $282,624 | $422,004 | $391,400 | 21 | — | $252,020 | $418,423 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Irions Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $707K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to promote the education, development, and welfare of the Michiana community, with a focus on youth. It says education is its focus and that it supports causes across the greater Michiana area.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of services. For example, Loveway Inc. describes its mission as empowering people with disabilities through equine-assisted services; Ryan’s Place Inc. provides grief-support meetings for children, teens, and families; and Homeward Bound Inc. provides housing and other assistance to people living in LaPorte County who are disenfranchised. Indiana Black Expo Inc. describes work that includes scholarships, youth programs, and public education about African-American achievements and cultural development.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 35 grants totaling $493,783. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $80,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest 2025 grants included $80,000 to Cultivate Food Rescue, $50,000 to Community Foundation Elkhart County, and $50,000 to School City of Mishawaka. Other grants of $20,000 went to organizations including Junior Achievement Serv Elkhart County, CAPS, Elkhart Humane Society, Bashor Children’s Home, Woman’s Care Center, 5 Star Life, Loveway, and Lifeline Ministries.
The foundation reported 26 grants totaling $537,048 in 2024 and 27 grants totaling $465,351 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas E Irions as president, secretary, and treasurer; Jennifer Hernandez-Irions as director; and Michael Pianowski as director.
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.
Frequently asked questions 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.
How large is Irions Foundation Inc?
Irions Foundation Inc reported $9.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $494K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $707K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Irions Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to promote the education, development, and welfare of the Michiana community, with a focus on youth. It says education is its focus and that it supports causes across the greater Michiana area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Irions Foundation Inc?
An application is available upon request. 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.
Data last updated September 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 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)
Live grants for the work Irions Foundation Inc funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Irions Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/irions-foundation-inc-morg_851f3cd153cc4a998a9d77c9720bbece
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_352022821_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Irions Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/irions-foundation-inc-morg_851f3cd153cc4a998a9d77c9720bbece},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Irions Foundation Inc'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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