Knight Foundation CO M Scholz
Knight Foundation is a private foundation located in Big Sky, Montana. Its 2025 filing reports 19 grants totaling $60,000, all to recipients in Montana.
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz at a glance
In short: Knight Foundation CO M Scholz gave $60K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Montana. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $60,000
- +27.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +11.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,158
- +14.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,022,834
- -1.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Montana (100% 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 Knight Foundation CO M Scholz
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; its filing says it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 160279, Big Sky, MT 59716
Phone: (406) 539-1882
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Knight Foundation CO M Scholz
Who Knight Foundation CO M Scholz funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Eagle Mount ($10K). Together the top 10 received $48K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 99 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Montana. The listed recipients include organizations in Bozeman, Big Sky, and Helena.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Knight Foundation CO M Scholz open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 19 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. How we count
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $47K (2024) to $75K (2022). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $60K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Eagle Mount Bozeman, MT | General Program Support | $10,000 |
| Bozeman Senior Center Bozeman, MT | General Program Support | $6,000 |
| Soldier's Chapel Big Sky, MT | General Program Support | $6,000 |
| Gallatin Valley Food Bank Bozeman, MT | General Program Support | $6,000 |
| Cancer Support Community Bozeman, MT | General Program Support | $5,000 |
| Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter Bozeman, MT | General Program Support | $4,500 |
| Family Promise of Gallatin Valley Bozeman, MT | General Program Support | $3,000 |
| Warriors and Quiet Waters Bozeman, MT | General Program Support | $2,500 |
| Big Sky Community Housing Trus Big Sky, MT | General Program Support | $2,500 |
| Montana Hope Project Helena, MT | General Program Support | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Knight Foundation CO M Scholz?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing identifies the organization as a private foundation.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,022,834 | $46,482 | $77,843 | $60,000 | 19 | $60,000 | $31,389 | $61,238 |
| 2024 | $1,035,257 | $104,056 | $61,214 | $47,000 | 17 | $47,000 | $103,884 | $56,473 |
| 2023 | $992,415 | $9,536 | $79,518 | $66,000 | 21 | $66,000 | $40,948 | $55,578 |
| 2022 | $1,062,397 | $35,820 | $91,259 | $75,000 | 21 | $75,000 | $43,187 | $64,759 |
| 2021 | $1,117,836 | $99,460 | $70,225 | $55,000 | 21 | — | $99,132 | $61,636 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Knight Foundation CO M Scholz reported a distributable amount of $61K 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 went to organizations whose stated missions include adaptive recreation and family support (Eagle Mount), homelessness prevention and family housing stability (Family Promise of Gallatin Valley), services for people with developmental disabilities (AWARE), and support for Montana children with critical illnesses (Montana Hope Project). Other recipients describe work in river stewardship, community wellbeing, recreation, and land conservation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $60,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median of $2,000. The largest awards included $10,000 to Eagle Mount; $6,000 each to Bozeman Senior Center, Soldier’s Chapel, and Gallatin Valley Food Bank; and $5,000 to Cancer Support Community. The filing lists each of these grants as general program support.
The Knight Emerging City Champions program offered a 2025–2026 cohort for rising civic leaders, with 20 selected applicants slated to receive $5,000 in seed funding and a $500 technology grant, as well as training and technical support. That cohort’s August 2025–August 2026 program period is past.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mike Scholz as president; Beth Naert and Joe Cameron as directors; Robert Lehrkind as treasurer; and Bob Naert as vice president.
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz is led by Mike Scholz, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mike Scholz
President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Naert
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Cameron
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bob Naert
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Lehrkind
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Audree Cameron (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Knight Foundation CO M Scholz
How much does Knight Foundation CO M Scholz give each year?
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz gave $60K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $47K across 17 grants.
What is Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's typical grant size?
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,158, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Knight Foundation CO M Scholz give grants?
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz gives mostly in Montana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bozeman, MT (10 grants), Big Sky, MT (6 grants) and Gallatin Gateway, MT (2 grants).
Does Knight Foundation CO M Scholz give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's largest grantees?
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's largest 2025 grantees include Eagle Mount ($10,000), Bozeman Senior Center ($6,000) and Soldier's Chapel ($6,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Knight Foundation CO M Scholz?
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz reported $1.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $60K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $61K (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 Knight Foundation CO M Scholz fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Knight Foundation CO M Scholz?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; its filing says it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's EIN?
Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3726434. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Knight Foundation CO M Scholz 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS October 31, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Knight Foundation CO M Scholz's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Knight Foundation CO M Scholz funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/knight-foundation-co-m-scholz-morg_ef17bf0c23c4468cac71f462159de571
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363726434_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Knight Foundation CO M Scholz funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/knight-foundation-co-m-scholz-morg_ef17bf0c23c4468cac71f462159de571},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Knight Foundation CO M Scholz'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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