Lester a Walker Foundation
The Lester A Walker Foundation is a private foundation based in Fremont, Nebraska. Its 2025 filing reports 17 grants totaling $157,222 to charitable organizations, including recipients in Nebraska and other states.
Lester a Walker Foundation at a glance
In short: Lester a Walker Foundation gave $157K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in Nebraska. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $157,222
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,248
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $2,725,920
- +4.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (89% 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 Lester a Walker Foundation
- 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: P O Box 169, Fremont, NE 68026
Phone: (402) 753-2731
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lester a Walker Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fremont Area Community Foundat ($101K). Together the top 10 received $146K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,530), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 83 grants of 88 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing’s grant-dollar shares by recipient state were Nebraska 89%, Arizona 9%, Virginia 2%, and Iowa 1%. The listed grants show substantial support for organizations in Fremont, Nebraska, as well as recipients in other Nebraska communities and in Arizona and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lester a Walker Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% 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 $147K (2024) to $167K (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $157K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fremont Area Community Foundat Fremont, NE | Current Operations | $101,190 |
| St James Episcopal Church Fremont, NE | Current Operations | $9,832 |
| Midland University Fremont, NE | Scholarship Fund | $6,324 |
| Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding Gretna, NE | Current Operations | $5,000 |
| Hospice of the Valley Phoenix, AZ | Current Operations | $4,497 |
| Aid to Adoption of Special Kids Phoenix, AZ | Current Operations | $4,497 |
| Arizona Community Foundation Phoenix, AZ | Current Operations | $4,497 |
| McCook Community Hospital Foundatio McCook, NE | Current Operations | $3,795 |
| Nebraska State Historical Society Lincoln, NE | Current Operations | $3,000 |
| Rebuilding Together Fremont, NE | Current Operations | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Lester a Walker Foundation?
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 | $2,725,920 | $289,774 | $179,697 | $157,222 | 17 | $157,222 | $190,674 | $159,078 |
| 2024 | $2,615,843 | $192,318 | $172,164 | $147,386 | 17 | $147,386 | $167,540 | $157,222 |
| 2023 | $2,595,689 | $151,773 | $172,003 | $152,091 | 17 | $152,091 | $131,861 | $147,386 |
| 2022 | $2,615,919 | $174,640 | $193,359 | $167,002 | 19 | $167,002 | $148,283 | $152,090 |
| 2021 | $2,634,638 | $272,511 | $172,617 | $152,202 | 18 | $152,202 | $252,096 | $167,002 |
| 2020 | $2,534,744 | $123,896 | $167,571 | $150,468 | 16 | — | $106,793 | $152,202 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lester a Walker Foundation reported a distributable amount of $159K 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 filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as education, health and human services, history, and community welfare. For example, Midland University says it inspires people to learn and lead with purpose, while Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding says it improves the physical and emotional quality of life of adults and children of all abilities through equine-assisted activities. The Nebraska State Historical Society says its mission is to support the preservation, interpretation, and appreciation of Nebraska history.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $157,222. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $101,190, with a median grant of $3,000. Its largest listed grant was $101,190 to Fremont Area Community Foundation for current operations. Other notable grants included $9,832 to St James Episcopal Church for current operations and $6,324 to Midland University for a scholarship fund.
Other 2025 recipients included Heartland Equine Therapeutic Riding ($5,000), Hospice of the Valley ($4,497), Aid to Adoption of Special Kids ($4,497), Arizona Community Foundation ($4,497), Nebraska State Historical Society ($3,000), and Catz Angels Care Inc ($1,000). The latter three organizations describe their work respectively as supporting care and comfort in their community, strengthening families for children in Arizona’s foster care system, mobilizing philanthropy for Arizona, preserving and interpreting Nebraska history, and improving the health and welfare of cats in the Fremont community.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jane Walker and First National Bank of Omaha as trustees.
Lester a Walker Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
First National Bank Of Omaha
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$12K (2020) → $17K (2025)
Jane Walker
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: G. Michael Wiseman (2020–2024) — Trustee
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 $17K, to First National Bank of Omaha (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Lester a Walker Foundation
How much does Lester a Walker Foundation give each year?
Lester a Walker Foundation gave $157K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $147K across 17 grants.
What is Lester a Walker Foundation's typical grant size?
Lester a Walker Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $9,248, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lester a Walker Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Lester a Walker Foundation give grants?
Lester a Walker Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Arizona (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fremont, NE (7 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (3 grants).
Does Lester a Walker Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Lester a Walker Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Current Operations" (14 grants) and "Scholarship Fund" (3 grants).
Who are Lester a Walker Foundation's largest grantees?
Lester a Walker Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fremont Area Community Foundat ($101,190), St James Episcopal Church ($9,832) and Midland University ($6,324), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($2,530), which are not listed by name. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Lester a Walker Foundation?
Lester a Walker Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $157K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $159K (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 Lester a Walker Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filings do not state a mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas such as education, health and human services, history, and community welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lester a Walker Foundation?
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 Lester a Walker Foundation's EIN?
Lester a Walker Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-6022547. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Lester a Walker 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 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 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 2, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Lester a Walker Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lester a Walker Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lester-a-walker-foundation-morg_0b78881f06b64078923a19d1c0244aa1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_476022547_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lester a Walker Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lester-a-walker-foundation-morg_0b78881f06b64078923a19d1c0244aa1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Lester a Walker 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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