Marion Jerome Foundation Inc
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Decorah, Iowa. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including scholarship programs, educational organizations, and arts and athletics groups.
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Marion Jerome Foundation Inc gave $2.8M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $283K), mostly in Ohio. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,829,958
- +1765.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $282,996
- +3630.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $7,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (97% 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 Marion Jerome Foundation Inc
- 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: 1344 Coon Creek Road, Decorah, IA 52101
Phone: (563) 382-5099
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Marion Jerome Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fidelity Charitable ($2.8M). Together the top 10 received $2.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
91 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 90 grants of 91 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio, 2% to recipients in Iowa, and 1% to recipients in Wisconsin. Listed Iowa recipients included organizations in Decorah, Ames, Cresco, and Calmar; the largest grant was to a recipient in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Marion Jerome Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) 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 $694K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1946% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $117K (2020) to $2.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $2.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Cincinnati, OH | Donor Advised Fund | $2,750,037 |
| Decorah High School Dollars for Scholars Decorah, IA | Operating | $25,000 |
| Barron Area Education Foundation Inc Barron, WI | Operating | $17,500 |
| Iowa 4-H Foundaton Ames, IA | Operating | $14,421 |
| Vesterheim Decorah, IA | Operating | $10,000 |
| Crestwood High School Dollars for Scholars Cresco, IA | Operating | $4,000 |
| South Winneshiek Dollars for Scholars Calmar, IA | Operating | $4,000 |
| Oneota Valley Orchestra Decorah, IA | Operating | $3,000 |
| Decorah Performing Arts Boosters Decorah, IA | Operating | $1,000 |
| Decorah Viking Athletic Club Boosters Decorah, IA | Operating | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | $686,765 | $2,847,944 | $2,829,958 | 10 | $2,843,992 | $686,765 | $83,458 |
| 2024 | $2,160,465 | $189,630 | $154,237 | $151,711 | 20 | $153,726 | $189,323 | $131,338 |
| 2023 | $2,125,072 | $94,203 | $151,915 | $149,711 | 20 | $151,611 | $93,899 | $119,509 |
| 2022 | $2,182,784 | $148,396 | $147,160 | $138,311 | 20 | $140,176 | $148,132 | $124,055 |
| 2021 | $2,181,548 | $322,530 | $148,776 | $143,711 | 21 | $145,436 | $322,316 | $138,801 |
| 2020 | $2,007,794 | $158,829 | $120,275 | $117,211 | 21 | — | $158,713 | $120,175 |
| 2019 | $1,969,240 | $129,004 | $127,430 | $124,211 | 20 | — | $128,817 | $118,089 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marion Jerome Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $83K 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 included support for scholarship programs, education, a museum, an orchestra, and school arts and athletics groups. Barron Area Education Foundation Inc describes its own mission as supporting educational and leadership activities for students and staff of the Barron Area School District.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $2,829,958. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $2,750,037, with a median of $7,000. The largest grant was $2,750,037 to Fidelity Charitable for a donor-advised fund. Other notable grants included $25,000 to Decorah High School Dollars for Scholars, $17,500 to Barron Area Education Foundation Inc, $14,421 to Iowa 4-H Foundation, and $10,000 to Vesterheim.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Candace J Arp as president, Allison J Elwood as vice president, Carolyn E Duranceau as secretary, and David G Arp as treasurer.
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc is led by Candace J. Arp, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Candace J. Arp
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allison J. Elwood
Vice President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn E. Duranceau
Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David G. Arp
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Marion Jerome Foundation Inc
How much does Marion Jerome Foundation Inc give each year?
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc gave $2.8M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $152K across 20 grants.
What is Marion Jerome Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $7,000, and its average grant was $282,996, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Marion Jerome Foundation Inc that year got $694K on average.
Where does Marion Jerome Foundation Inc give grants?
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc gives mostly in Ohio: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Decorah, IA (5 grants).
Does Marion Jerome Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Marion Jerome Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Marion Jerome Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Fidelity Charitable ($2,750,037), Decorah High School Dollars for Scholars ($25,000) and Barron Area Education Foundation Inc ($17,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 99% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does Marion Jerome Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for scholarship programs, education, a museum, an orchestra, and school arts and athletics groups. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Marion Jerome Foundation Inc?
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 ↑
How much is Marion Jerome Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Marion Jerome Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $83K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Marion Jerome Foundation Inc's EIN?
Marion Jerome Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1507853. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Marion Jerome Foundation Inc 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 4, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Marion Jerome Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/marion-jerome-foundation-inc-morg_9529bc4e4e644a329c366a4ce946a0b9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421507853_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Marion Jerome Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/marion-jerome-foundation-inc-morg_9529bc4e4e644a329c366a4ce946a0b9},
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 Marion Jerome Foundation Inc'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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