Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation
The Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In 2024, it reported 20 grants totaling $2,837,487, with most grant dollars going to organizations in Iowa.
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation at a glance
In short: Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation gave $2.8M across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $142K), mostly in Iowa. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,837,487
- +43.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- -71.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $141,874
- +402.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,935
- Total assets
- $15,041,226
- +2.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (98% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2129 North Towne Lane Ne Ste B, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Phone: (319) 395-9636
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Busse Foundation Fund at DAFGIVING360 ($1.8M). Together the top 10 received $2.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
247 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 222 grants of 247 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing attributed 98% of grant dollars to Iowa recipients, 2% to Minnesota, 1% to Indiana, and less than 1% to Wisconsin. The reported shares may not add to 100% because of rounding.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) 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 $383K; repeat grants $38K. How we count
Medians: $38K first-time, $26K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 168% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 67% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $706K (2020) to $2.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $2.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Busse Foundation Fund at DAFGIVING360 Cedar Rapids, IA | General Operating Budget | $1,754,990 |
| Boys & Girls Club of the Cooridor Cedar Rapids, IA | General Operating Budget | $455,998 |
| Mercy Medical Center Foundation Cedar Rapids, IA | General Operating Budget | $103,920 |
| University of Iowa Center for Advancement Iowa City, IA | General Operating Budget | $100,913 |
| Tanager Place Cedar Rapids, IA | General Operating Budget | $92,120 |
| Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA | General Operating Budget | $55,888 |
| Miricle in Motion Swisher, IA | General Operating Budget | $50,415 |
| Community Foundation of Johnson County Coralville, IA | General Operating Budget | $50,121 |
| Mayo Clinic Dept of Development Rochester, MN | General Operating Budget | $42,924 |
| Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa Inc Cedar Rapids, IA | General Operating Budget | $26,600 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $15,041,226 | $1,033,335 | $3,071,505 | $2,837,487 | 20 | $2,938,090 | $612,585 | $4,415,928 |
| 2023 | $14,694,164 | $1,902,612 | $2,055,306 | $1,976,942 | 70 | $1,979,247 | $834,667 | $2,565,231 |
| 2022 | $14,225,934 | $1,554,358 | $1,545,939 | $1,429,170 | 66 | $1,431,300 | $712,463 | $1,978,305 |
| 2021 | $14,260,428 | $8,854,648 | $1,073,818 | $1,058,500 | 53 | $1,065,197 | $1,236,492 | $1,819,109 |
| 2020 | $13,750,868 | $1,642,912 | $753,100 | $705,500 | 38 | — | $417,248 | $1,124,578 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Its grants went to a range of charitable organizations. Tanager Place describes its mission as providing children and families with services that inspire, empower, and heal. Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa says it inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy, while the Linn County Trails Association advocates for and supports the development of multi-use trails. House of Hope describes its mission as encouraging, equipping, and empowering women through classes, community, housing, and therapy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 20 grants totaling $2,837,487. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $1,754,990, with a median of $25,935. The largest reported grants included $1,754,990 to Busse Foundation Fund at DAFgiving360, $455,998 to Boys & Girls Club of the Corridor, $103,920 to Mercy Medical Center Foundation, $100,913 to University of Iowa Center for Advancement, and $92,120 to Tanager Place. The listed purposes for these grants were general operating budgets.
Other 2024 recipients included Mount Mercy University ($55,888), Miracle in Motion ($50,415), Community Foundation of Johnson County ($50,121), Mayo Clinic Department of Development ($42,924), Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa ($26,600), Linn County Trails Association ($25,270), and Notre Dame ACE ($25,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lavern T Busse as president and trustee; Audrey Busse as treasurer and trustee; Jeffrey Busse as executive director, secretary, and trustee; Monica Busse as vice president and trustee; Anna Busse as assistant secretary and trustee; Grace Busse as assistant treasurer and trustee; and Michele Busse as trustee.
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation is led by Jeffrey Busse, Executive Director, Secretary & Trustee on every filing since 2020; 2 of 7 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jeffrey Busse
Executive Director, Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2020
12 hrs/week
$39K (2023) → $78K (2024)
Lavern T. Busse
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anna Busse
Assistant Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$7K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Grace Busse
Assistant Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$7K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Michele Busse
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$11K (2023) → $11K (2024)
Monica Busse
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$7K (2023) → $0 (2024)
Audrey Busse
Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $78K, to Jeffrey Busse (Executive Director/Secretary/Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation
How much does Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation give each year?
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation gave $2.8M across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.0M across 70 grants.
What is Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation's typical grant size?
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,935, and its average grant was $141,874, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation that year got $383K on average.
Where does Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation give grants?
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cedar Rapids, IA (8 grants) and Hedrick, IA (2 grants).
Does Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation's largest grantees?
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Busse Foundation Fund at DAFGIVING360 ($1,754,990), Boys & Girls Club of the Cooridor ($455,998) and Mercy Medical Center Foundation ($103,920), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation?
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation reported $15.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.4M (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 Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Its grants went to a range of charitable organizations. Tanager Place describes its mission as providing children and families with services that inspire, empower, and heal. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation's EIN?
Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2342746. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lavern-t-busse-and-audrey-busse-foundation-morg_996694dcdaa949a3bf19a7a15748c80f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_752342746_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lavern T Busse \& Audrey Busse Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lavern-t-busse-and-audrey-busse-foundation-morg_996694dcdaa949a3bf19a7a15748c80f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Lavern T Busse & Audrey Busse Foundation'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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