Meredith Corporation Foundation
Meredith Corporation Foundation is a private foundation based in Des Moines, Iowa. Its stated giving categories are education, human services, and arts and culture, with particular attention to families and children at risk and to helping arts organizations reach broader audiences.
Meredith Corporation Foundation at a glance
In short: Meredith Corporation Foundation gave $600K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $50K), mostly in Iowa. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $600,000
- +98.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +300.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $50,000
- -50.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $24,571,639
- +4.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (2 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (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 Meredith Corporation Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Requests must be submitted in writing; telephone requests are not accepted. The application should include the submitting person’s name, address, telephone number and position; a copy of the organization’s 501(c)(3) IRS ruling; a summary of the organization’s purpose, services, target populations and the community need addressed; the amount requested and an explanation of how funds would be used; and a current and projected or prior-year budget. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its stated categories and restrictions are education, human services, and arts and culture, as described above.
- Review Cycle
- January 15 through March 15, and July 15 through September 15.
- Deadline
- January 15 through March 15, and July 15 through September 15.
- Contact
Application contact: Cheri Cipperley
Mailing address: 3106 Ingersoll Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312
Phone: (515) 710-0548
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Meredith Corporation Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden ($315K). Together the top 10 received $580K.
Grant Size Distribution
1,232 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 1,204 grants of 1,232 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Meredith Corporation Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 12 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $56K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 8% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 51% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 77% 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 $303K (2024) to $2.0M (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $600K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Des Moines, IA | General Support | $315,000 |
| Science Center of Iowa Des Moines, IA | General Support | $110,000 |
| Childserve Foundation Johnston, IA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity Des Moines, IA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Rebuilding Together Des Moines, IA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa Des Moines, IA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Blank Park Zoo Des Moines, IA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Des Moines Community Playhouse Des Moines, IA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Des Moines Metro Opera Indianola, IA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Des Moines Performing Arts Des Moines, IA | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Meredith Corporation 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 | $24,571,639 | $1,604,172 | $680,208 | $600,000 | 12 | $600,000 | $1,513,686 | $781,495 |
| 2024 | $23,437,383 | $959,881 | $533,543 | $303,000 | 3 | $303,000 | $824,477 | $1,299,382 |
| 2023 | $23,011,045 | $6,014,930 | $852,342 | $711,500 | 14 | $711,500 | $5,905,172 | $1,075,630 |
| 2022 | $14,399,581 | $2,303,708 | $1,253,124 | $1,230,004 | 397 | $1,230,004 | $1,798,588 | $1,351,328 |
| 2021 | $13,348,997 | $1,381,221 | $1,978,489 | $1,954,054 | 806 | — | $1,378,081 | $1,270,122 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Meredith Corporation Foundation reported a distributable amount of $781K 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 filing describes three grant categories: education, including support for selected universities with journalism schools emphasizing magazine journalism and specialized education programs such as Head Start and Success by Six; human services, particularly programs and projects addressing the needs of families and children at risk; and arts and culture, with special emphasis on helping performing and visual arts groups build audiences and reach children, disadvantaged people, and people with disabilities.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported organizations. The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden describes its mission as “exploring, explaining and celebrating the world of plants,” while the Science Center of Iowa says it engages and inspires Iowans in lifelong science learning. ChildServe Foundation says it partners with families to help children with special health care needs live a great life. In the arts, Des Moines Performing Arts says it provides performing arts experiences that educate, inspire and challenge; Des Moines Community Playhouse describes its mission as creating shared experiences through live theatre; and Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation focuses on maintaining and preserving its mansion, museum, theater and grounds for public use.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $600,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $315,000, with a median of $12,500. The largest awards were $315,000 to Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and $110,000 to Science Center of Iowa, both for general support. Other notable awards were $50,000 to ChildServe Foundation, $25,000 each to Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity and Rebuilding Together, and $15,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa. The remaining six grants were $10,000 each.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mell Meredith Frazier as director, Edwin T Meredith IV as president, and Stephen Lacy as treasurer.
Meredith Corporation Foundation is led by Edwin T. Meredith IV, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edwin T. Meredith IV
President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mell Meredith Frazier
Director
Chairman of → Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Lacy
Treasurer
President → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Jason Frierott (2021) — Director
- Former: John S. Zieser (2021) — Secretary & D
- Former: Kevin Wagner (2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Tom Harty (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 Meredith Corporation Foundation
How much does Meredith Corporation Foundation give each year?
Meredith Corporation Foundation gave $600K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $303K across 3 grants.
What is Meredith Corporation Foundation's typical grant size?
Meredith Corporation Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $50,000, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Meredith Corporation Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Meredith Corporation Foundation give grants?
Meredith Corporation Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (10 grants).
Does Meredith Corporation Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Meredith Corporation Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Meredith Corporation Foundation's largest grantees?
Meredith Corporation Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden ($315,000), Science Center of Iowa ($110,000) and Childserve Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Meredith Corporation Foundation?
Meredith Corporation Foundation reported $24.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $600K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $781K (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 Meredith Corporation Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes three grant categories: education, including support for selected universities with journalism schools emphasizing magazine journalism and specialized education programs such as Head Start and Success by Six; human services, particularly programs and projects addressing the needs of families and children at risk; and arts and culture, with special emphasis on helping performing and visual arts groups build audiences and reach children, disadvantaged people, and people with disabilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Meredith Corporation Foundation?
Requests must be submitted in writing; telephone requests are not accepted. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Meredith Corporation Foundation's EIN?
Meredith Corporation Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1426258. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 February 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 3, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Meredith Corporation Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/meredith-corporation-foundation-morg_e899bd72a29f46f49ecadcf5572dbfb5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421426258_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Meredith Corporation Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/meredith-corporation-foundation-morg_e899bd72a29f46f49ecadcf5572dbfb5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Meredith Corporation 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.
Meredith Corporation Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?