Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Evansville, Indiana. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including schools, a family shelter, youth organizations, and other community organizations.
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc gave $143K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Indiana. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $143,309
- -2.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +10.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,824
- -11.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,921
- Total assets
- $2,220,262
- +23.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Indiana (86% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Mother Bear Charitable 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: 110 Main St, Evansville, IN 47708
Phone: (812) 428-5120
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Isaiah 117 House Vanderburgh County ($20K). Together the top 10 received $116K.
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 88 grants of 88 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Indiana and 14% to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
How Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc gives
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 52% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $61K (2020) to $147K (2024). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $143K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Isaiah 117 House Vanderburgh County Elizabethton, TN | Unrestricted Donations | $20,000 |
| St James School Haubstadt, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $18,585 |
| St John the Baptist Catholic School Newburgh, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $16,911 |
| Ozanam Family Shelter Corp Evansville, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $15,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Evansville Evansville, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $10,211 |
| Boy Scouts of America Evansville, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $9,750 |
| Corpus Christi Catholic Church Evansville, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $9,606 |
| Evansville Christian School Inc Newburgh, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $5,750 |
| The Arc of Evansville Evansville, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $5,500 |
| Stringtown Elementary School Evansville, IN | Unrestricted Donations | $5,023 |
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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 | $2,220,262 | $597,150 | $168,148 | $143,309 | 21 | $155,857 | $582,019 | $152,815 |
| 2024 | $1,791,260 | $141,918 | $168,852 | $146,593 | 19 | $157,935 | $64,582 | $139,736 |
| 2023 | $1,818,194 | $45,338 | $148,618 | $140,884 | 16 | $139,439 | $40,855 | $118,909 |
| 2022 | $1,921,474 | $60,758 | $109,139 | $94,509 | 14 | $101,544 | $53,163 | $118,882 |
| 2021 | $1,969,855 | $117,689 | $133,573 | $114,799 | 18 | $123,891 | $108,007 | $127,863 |
| 2020 | $1,985,739 | $87,411 | $94,031 | $60,563 | 5 | — | $70,595 | $105,708 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $153K 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 show support for organizations including schools, a family shelter, youth organizations, and organizations serving people with disabilities.
The grantees’ own statements describe their work in varied terms. Evansville Christian School says it seeks to empower students through spiritual and academic growth, servant leadership, and relationships grounded in Jesus Christ. Habitat for Humanity of Evansville says it brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope, and states that it does not condition assistance on adherence to or conversion to a particular faith. The Boy Scouts of America describes promoting scouting and training young people in scoutcraft; the available mission statement is incomplete.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $143,309. Grant amounts ranged from $623 to $20,000, with a median of $4,921. The largest reported grants included $20,000 to ISAIAH 117 HOUSE VANDERBURGH COUNTY, $18,585 to ST JAMES SCHOOL, $16,911 to ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL, $15,000 to OZANAM FAMILY SHELTER CORP, and $10,211 to BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF EVANSVILLE. The listed grants were designated as unrestricted donations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists MARILYN O'DANIEL as president; JOHN ENGELBRECHT as secretary and treasurer; and TRENT ENGBERS, ERIC MILLER, RILEY COX, AMY CANTERBURY, TAD DICKEL, and RON RYAN as directors.
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc is led by Marilyn O'Daniel, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marilyn O'Daniel
President
President & Treasurer → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric Miller
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Riley Cox
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trent Engbers
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Canterbury
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tad Dickel
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Ryan
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Engelbrecht
Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary → Secretary & Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Karen Jean Bennett (2020–2021) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc
How much does Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc give each year?
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc gave $143K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $147K across 19 grants.
What is Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $4,921, and its average grant was $6,824, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc give grants?
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Tennessee (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Evansville, IN (15 grants) and Newburgh, IN (2 grants).
Does Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Isaiah 117 House Vanderburgh County ($20,000), St James School ($18,585) and St John the Baptist Catholic School ($16,911), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc?
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $156K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $153K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations including schools, a family shelter, youth organizations, and organizations serving people with disabilities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mother Bear Charitable 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 ↑
What is Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1338637. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Mother Bear Charitable 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- 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 May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mother-bear-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_16d92ab69e3f4b55938b047eb3e8f5ef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461338637_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mother Bear Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mother-bear-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_16d92ab69e3f4b55938b047eb3e8f5ef},
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 Mother Bear Charitable 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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