Modern Woodmen of America
Modern Woodmen of America is a fraternal benefit society and life insurance company headquartered in Rock Island, Illinois. Founded in 1883, the organization operates as a 501(c)(8) nonprofit fraternal beneficiary society. The organization is member-owned and operated, serving nearly 700,000 members nationwide through over 1,000 representatives. Modern Woodmen combines financial services with community engagement and member benefits, positioning itself as distinct from traditional financial institutions through its fraternal structure and local community focus.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$18.2B
+2.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$663K
+18.0% YoY
Grant Count
24
-4.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$28K
+22.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To improve the quality of life for members and strengthen communities.
Modern Woodmen's work centers on three primary areas:
- Life Insurance Programs: Providing life, annuity, and accident & health insurance coverage to members (serving 695,370 members)
- Fraternal Benefits: Supporting 19,544 beneficiaries through fraternal benefit programs
- Youth Community Service Activities: Operating community service programs for youth with 2,936 participants
The organization's grantmaking priorities include Education, Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services.
Grantmaking
Modern Woodmen makes grants to support community initiatives and charitable causes. Recent grant activity includes:
Grant Range
** Typical awards range from $5,070 to $107,500
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Modern Woodmen's grantmaking focuses primarily on Iowa and Illinois, reflecting the organization's regional roots and member concentration. The organization emphasizes local community impact in the "hometown communities where our members live, work and play."
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $18.2 billion
- Total Revenues: $1.9 billion
- Total Expenses: $1.6 billion
- Total Liabilities: $15.6 billion
- Employees: 2,038
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since May 1961 (EIN: 36-1493430)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $18,169,068,952 | $17,733,036,164 | $17,138,403,394 |
| Revenue | $1,898,474,161 | $1,973,207,410 | $1,753,210,728 |
| Expenses | $1,598,506,511 | $1,739,034,154 | $1,635,515,262 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JERALD J LYPHOUT | PRESIDENT AND CEO | 40 | $2,162,118 |
| LESTER L BOHNERT | GENERAL COUNSEL | 40 | $826,994 |
| BRETT M VAN | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER & TREASURER | 40 | $970,685 |
| SHEA E DOYLE | NATIONAL SECRETARY AND EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT | 40 | $1,099,966 |
| JOSEPH A SZTAPKA | DIRECTOR & REGIONAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $556,178 |
| LORI NEWBERG | DIRECTOR | 5 | $164,637 |
| JAMES E TEMPERLEY | DIRECTOR | 5 | $165,711 |
| SANDRA LEIGH STOSZ | DIRECTOR | 5 | $115,136 |
| JACQUELINE RAE ZACHMEYER | DIRECTOR | 5 | $96,367 |
| MICHAEL SCOTT ANDREWS | CHIEF ACTUARY | 40 | $484,992 |
| TODD DAVID SWANSON | CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER | 40 | $681,951 |
| JILL LAIN WEAVER | FORMER CHIEF FRATERNAL OFFICER | 40 | $717,899 |
| JASON NICKLES | CHIEF FRATERNAL OFFICER | 40 | $249,066 |
| STEVEN J OLLENBURG | CHIEF RISK OFFICER | 40 | $512,252 |
| JEFFREY N SOWARDS | FORMER CHIEF DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING OFFICER | 40 | $714,729 |
| DARWIN D LARRISON | CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY | 40 | $344,705 |
| XIN LIU | CHIEF FINANCIAL ACTUARY | 40 | $587,106 |
| TERESA J RICHHART | CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER | 40 | $488,572 |
| MARK E SINGLETON | CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER | 40 | $555,195 |
| DR AMHED FAWZY OKBA | CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER | 40 | $335,297 |
| ROBERT KEORKUNIAN | FORMER REGIONAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $2,932,213 |
| CHAD FOSTER | REGIONAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $996,908 |
| DANIEL L LAWRENCE | REGIONAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $500,679 |
| JONATHON MARSH | REGIONAL DIRECTOR | 40 | $878,095 |
| STEVEN EATON | MANAGING PARTNER | 40 | $656,950 |
| WILLIAM KENNY MASSEY | FORMER PRESIDENT AND CEO | — | $416,337 |
| DARCY CALLAS | FORMER SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR | — | $159,838 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Modern Woodmen announced 2025 Scholarship Competition Winners and 2025 Continuing Education Grant Winners. The organization has awarded Matching Funds Project checks to support local initiatives, including $1,000 in matching grant funds to Clay County 4-H Programs. The organization continues to emphasize its role in pioneering positive futures for members through financial planning, member programs, and community involvement.
2025 Continuing Education Grant Winners - Modern WoodmenRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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