The Kansas State University Foundation is a public charity based in Manhattan, Kansas. It serves as Kansas State University’s strategic philanthropy partner, securing and managing private gifts in support of the university.
Key facts about Kansas State University Foundation
In short: Kansas State University Foundation gave $82.2M across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $5.1M), mostly in Kansas. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 48-0667209
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $82,165,494
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- Average grant
- $5,135,343
- Median grant
- $687,650
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (5 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $1,517,758,764
- Primary geography
- Kansas (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$1.5B
+7.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$82.2M
+11.2% YoY
Grant Count
16
-30.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$5.1M
+59.9% YoY
Is Kansas State University Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 10 grantees (50%) 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 $7K; repeat grants $16M. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $4M repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+16%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to “secure and prudently manage private gifts in support of Kansas State University and foster a culture that unites philanthropic desires with university priorities.”
Its filing describes support for university administration, academic expenses such as classroom and laboratory supplies and equipment, scholarships, and campus construction and improvements. It states that 10,756 students received scholarship assistance during the 2024–25 academic year. The Foundation’s giving materials also list opportunities including food assistance for students, student financial awards, financial-literacy support, affordable textbooks, college funds and research-related initiatives.
Among the organizations it supported in 2025, the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce describes its mission as creating a positive environment for business success. The Greater Manhattan Community Foundation says its mission is to improve quality of life in the area by enabling charitable giving, building a permanent endowment, managing funds and meeting needs through grants, awards and scholarships. The Extension Education Foundation says it provides educational opportunities and assistance to improve Sedgwick County residents’ quality of life. En Garde Arts describes its mission as producing theatre intended to foster empathy, open-mindedness and dialogue.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 16 grants totaling $82,165,494. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $35,843,473, with a median of $687,650. The largest reported grants were $35,843,473 to K-State Athletics Inc. for administrative support; $19,106,553 and $16,658,287 to Kansas State University for administrative support and support and scholarships, respectively; and $3,790,938 to Kansas State University for construction.
Other listed 2025 grants included $2,526,459 to the K-State Alumni Association for administrative support, $1,972,633 to K-State Athletics Inc. for general support, and $772,125 to the K-State Alumni Association for general support. The Foundation also gave $46,515 to the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce and $9,453 to the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. Its website separately reports that it raised $296.7 million in private gifts in FY25; that figure is fundraising, not grants given.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to Kansas recipients. However, the listed grants include $37,250 to the U.S. Department of Education in Portland, Oregon, and a 2025 grant record identifies $6,500 to En Garde Arts in Brooklyn, New York. The reported state percentages and these listed grants do not align.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $58.1M (2021) to $82.9M (2019). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $82.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kansas State University ($39.6M across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $82.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 28 grants of 65 (43%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| K-State Athletics Inc Manhattan, KS | Admin Support | $35,843,473 |
| Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Admin Support | $19,106,553 |
| Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Support & Scholarships | $16,658,287 |
| Kansas State University Manhattan, KS | Construction | $3,790,938 |
| K-State Alumni Association Manhattan, KS | Admin Support | $2,526,459 |
| K-State Athletics Inc Manhattan, KS | General Support | $1,972,633 |
| K-State Alumni Association Manhattan, KS | General Support | $772,125 |
| K-State Athletics Inc Manhattan, KS | Support & Scholarships | $688,799 |
| K-State Alumni Association Manhattan, KS | Scholarships | $686,500 |
| Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Manhattan, KS | AWARD | $46,515 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,517,758,764 | $233,578,614 | $175,943,767 | $82,165,494 |
| 2024 | $1,411,803,863 | $265,184,453 | $160,469,150 | $73,885,466 |
| 2023 | $1,336,368,901 | $185,341,726 | $139,708,363 | $80,126,400 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,517,758,764 | $1,411,803,863 | $1,336,368,901 |
| Revenue | $233,578,614 | $265,184,453 | $185,341,726 |
| Expenses | $175,943,767 | $160,469,150 | $139,708,363 |
| Net Investment Income | $24,692,957 | $114,706,136 | $16,314,267 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Charlene Lake as chair of the board; Leann Caret as treasurer; Steve Theede as vice-chair; and Tim Taylor as secretary. It also lists Chancy Love, Chuck Warta, Damon Hininger, David Everitt, Gabe Hernandez and Jim Johnson as board members.
Kansas State University Foundation is led by Greg Willems, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 12 of 29 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Greg Willems
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
45 hrs/week
$423K (2019) → $768K (2025)
Charlene Lake
Chair & Board of Directors
Member & Board of Directors → Treasurer & Board of Directors, 2020
Treasurer & Board of Directors → Chair & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Darci Cain
Senior Director of Gift Planning
On filings since 2024
45 hrs/week
$189K (2024) → $197K (2025)
Matthew Smagacz
Director of Investments
New on the 2025 filing
45 hrs/week
$241K (2025)
Christopher Mills
Assistant Vice President Information Tech & Infra
On filings since 2019
45 hrs/week
$151K (2019) → $236K (2025)
Christy Scott
Assistant Vice President of Compliance Services
Senior Director of Compliance Services → Assistant Vice President of Compliance Services, 2022
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$122K (2019) → $175K (2025)
Deborah Tuttle
Assistant Vice President Finance, Acct & Controller
Senior Director Accounting & Controller → Assistant Vice President Finance, Acct & Controller, 2022
On filings since 2019
45 hrs/week
$119K (2019) → $183K (2025)
Greg Lohrentz
Senior Vice President Operations & Finance
Senior Vice President Operations, Finance & C → Senior Vice President Operations & Finance, 2021
On filings since 2019
45 hrs/week
$314K (2019) → $484K (2025)
Sheila Walker
Assistant Vice President of Collegiate Development
On filings since 2019
45 hrs/week
$151K (2019) → $214K (2025)
Paul Chai
Vice President for Investments & CIO
Director of Investments → Vice President for Investments & CIO, 2023
On filings since 2021
45 hrs/week
$178K (2021) → $390K (2025)
Eric Holderness
Senior Associate Vice President of Development
On filings since 2023
45 hrs/week
$204K (2023) → $295K (2025)
Stephanie Froehlich
Senior Vice President of Development
On filings since 2023
$296K (2023) → $236K (2025)
Susan Berhow
Vice President of Marketing Communications
Vice President of Marketing & Communications → Vice President of Marketing Communications, 2024
On filings since 2023
45 hrs/week
$148K (2023) → $189K (2025)
Damon Hininger
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Everitt
Member & Board of Directors
Member & Board of Directors → Treasurer & Board of Directors, 2022
Treasurer & Board of Directors → Member & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Vanier
Member & Board of Directors
Vice Chair & Board of Directors → Chair & Board of Directors, 2022
Chair & Board of Directors → Member & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Theede
Vice Chair & Board of Directors
Member & Board of Director → Member & Board of Directors, 2020
Member & Board of Directors → Vice Chair & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Taylor
Secretary & Board of Directors
Member & Board of Directors → Secretary & Board of Directors, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gabe Hernandez
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jim Johnson
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jp Bilbrey
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ray Dempsey
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leann Caret
Treasurer & Board of Directors
Member & Board of Directors → Treasurer & Board of Directors, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sue Barsamian
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sabrina Schriner
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chuck Warta
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chancy Love
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Buser
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Gardiner
Member & Board of Directors
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Jill Trego (2019–2024) — Vice President Culture & Engagement
- Former: Lois Cox (2019–2024) — Vice President for Investments & CIO
- Former: Tim Oswalt (2023–2024) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Kelly Lechtenberg (2019–2023) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Candy Duncan (2022–2023) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Christopher Spooner (2019–2022) — Assistant Vice President University Wide Development
- Former: Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins (2020–2022) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Carl Ice (2019–2021) — Chair & Board of Directors
- Former: John Morris (2019–2021) — Senior Vice President Development & CDO
- Former: Sharon Evers (2019–2021) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Stephen Lacy (2019–2021) — Chair & Board of Trustees
- Former: Charles Chandler (2019–2020) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Jennifer Rettele-Thomas (2019–2020) — Associate Vice President Campaign & Principa
- Former: Kendal Frazier (2019–2020) — Member & Board of Directors
- Former: Rand Berney (2019–2020) — Chair & Board of Trustees
- Former: Jan Burton (2019) — Secretary & Board of Directors
- Former: Michelle Munson (2019) — Member & Board of Director
- Former: Sylvia Robinson (2019) — Member & Board of Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $768K, to Greg Willems (President/CEO). 12 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 1800 Kimball Ave Ste 200, Manhattan, KS 66502
Phone: (785) 775-2000
Website: https://ksufoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Kansas State University Foundation
How much does Kansas State University Foundation give each year?
Kansas State University Foundation gave $82.2M across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $73.9M across 23 grants.
What is Kansas State University Foundation's typical grant size?
Kansas State University Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $687,650, and its average grant was $5,135,343, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Kansas State University Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Kansas State University Foundation give grants?
Kansas State University Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Manhattan, KS (11 grants).
Does Kansas State University Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of Kansas State University Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Award" (6 grants) and "Admin Support" (3 grants).
Who are Kansas State University Foundation's largest grantees?
Kansas State University Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Kansas State University ($39,555,778 across 3 grants), K-State Athletics Inc ($38,504,905 across 3 grants) and K-State Alumni Association ($3,985,084 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.
How large is Kansas State University Foundation?
Kansas State University Foundation reported $1.5B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $233.6M.
What does Kansas State University Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to “secure and prudently manage private gifts in support of Kansas State University and foster a culture that unites philanthropic desires with university priorities.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Kansas State University Foundation?
Kansas State University Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check ksufoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Kansas State University Foundation's EIN?
Kansas State University Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 48-0667209. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Kansas State University Foundation by hand.
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