Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen is a private foundation based in Parker, Colorado. Its 2025 filing reports 20 grants totaling $60,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations working with blood cancer patients, youth, families experiencing homelessness, veterans, and community services.
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen at a glance
In short: Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen gave $60K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Washington. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $60,000
- +1.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,000
- -8.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $520,831
- +9.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (4 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (25% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 4803, Parker, CO 80134
Phone: (303) 396-2322
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Blood Cancer United West ($10K). Together the top 10 received $49K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($800), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 92 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Washington (25%), Oregon (22%), Colorado (19%), California (17%), and Florida (10%). The listed grants also include recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 20 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 191% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $59K (2024) to $60K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $60K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Blood Cancer United West Pasadena, CA | Supporting and advocating for blood cancer patients and their familes | $10,000 |
| Boy Scouts of America Greater Colorado Council Lakewood, CO | Prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices in their lives | $6,000 |
| Anderson Family Foundation Wellington, FL | Providing college scholarships based on community service, leadership and/or participation in high school or club athletics. | $5,000 |
| Maple Valley Youth Symphony Maple Valley, WA | Enlighten the minds of young musicians, embrace creativity, achievee excellence, nurture talents and give back to the community. | $5,000 |
| Vine Maple Place Maple Valley, WA | Unique and innovative approach to meet the needs of homeless families. | $5,000 |
| Black Diamond Community Center Black Diamond, WA | Provides food, clothing, hygiene items, baby product, pet food and rental assistance | $5,000 |
| Pave-Paws Assisting Veterans Cornelius, OR | Provides Service Dogs for Veterans | $4,000 |
| Soroptimist International of Junction City Junction City, OR | Serving Women and Childern in the Community | $4,000 |
| Rocaway Beach Volunteer Firefighters Association Rockaway Beach, OR | Fire suppression and prevention, emergency medical services, rescures, and mutal aid to surrounding communities. | $3,000 |
| Amateur Radio Relay Aloha, OR | Provides communication repeaters, radios and support at no cost to the amateur radio community | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen?
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 | $520,831 | $103,633 | $77,157 | $60,000 | 20 | $60,000 | $55,207 | $31,487 |
| 2024 | $474,355 | $86,233 | $76,729 | $59,000 | 18 | $59,000 | $39,393 | $29,700 |
| 2023 | $479,851 | $74,080 | $74,547 | $60,000 | 19 | $60,000 | $14,867 | $24,957 |
| 2022 | $465,318 | $-7,745 | $86,784 | $60,000 | 18 | $60,000 | — | $27,900 |
| 2021 | $559,847 | $224,997 | $79,463 | $60,000 | 17 | $60,000 | $212,719 | $28,833 |
| 2020 | $414,313 | $10,806 | $71,011 | $60,000 | 16 | — | $4,691 | $30,736 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen reported a distributable amount of $31K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing a range of needs. For example, Vine Maple Place describes its mission as helping single parents and children build stability and self-sufficiency to stop family homelessness. K9s for Warriors says it provides service dogs to veterans, while Food Bank of the Rockies says it nourishes people facing food insecurity. Other 2025 grantees include organizations supporting youth development, animal care, emergency services, amateur radio, and wildfire firefighters and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $60,000 through 20 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $800 to $10,000, with a median grant of $2,000.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $10,000 to Blood Cancer United West; $6,000 to Boy Scouts of America Greater Colorado Council; $5,000 each to Anderson Family Foundation, Maple Valley Youth Symphony, Vine Maple Place, and Black Diamond Community Center; and $4,000 each to Pave-Paws Assisting Veterans and Soroptimist International of Junction City. Other reported recipients included the Rockaway Beach Volunteer Firefighters Association ($3,000), Amateur Radio Relay ($2,000), ARRL Foundation ($2,000), and Denver Zoological Foundation ($1,200). The foundation also gave $1,000 to the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, The Wild Animal Sanctuary, Food Bank of the Rockies, and K9s for Warriors, and $800 to an individual recipient
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists:
- Steven Corey — President / Director
- David Johnston — Vice President / Director
- Brad Johnston — Secretary / Treasurer / DI
- Lynn Staben — Director
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen is led by Steven Corey, President & Director on every filing since 2020; all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steven Corey
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Brad Johnston
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2025)
David Johnston
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2025)
Lynn Staben
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $2K, to Steven Corey (President / Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen
How much does Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen give each year?
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen gave $60K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $59K across 18 grants.
What is Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's typical grant size?
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,000, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen that year got $5K on average.
Where does Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen give grants?
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's top state is Washington, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Oregon (22%) and Colorado (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (3 grants) and Maple Valley, WA (2 grants).
Does Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's largest grantees?
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's largest 2025 grantees include Blood Cancer United West ($10,000), Boy Scouts of America Greater Colorado Council ($6,000) and Anderson Family Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($800), which are not listed by name. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen?
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen reported $521K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $60K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $31K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing a range of needs. For example, Vine Maple Place describes its mission as helping single parents and children build stability and self-sufficiency to stop family homelessness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's EIN?
Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-3709161. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/karen-alice-nilsen-olsen-morg_d35c9747957248b08b5111246f6039c2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_463709161_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/karen-alice-nilsen-olsen-morg_d35c9747957248b08b5111246f6039c2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Karen Alice Nilsen Olsen'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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