Mothershead Foundation

INDIANAPOLIS, IN EIN: 35-1844375

The Mothershead Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1991 and based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization with assets of approximately $3.2 million, supporting philanthropic initiatives across multiple disciplines and geographic regions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.1M

-0.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$91K

-34.1% YoY

Grant Count

-10.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$5K

-26.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mothershead Foundation reported a distributable amount of $222K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation focuses on funding initiatives in the following areas:

Arts and culture
Museums and children's museums
Humanities and history
Education
Social sciences, anthropology, and archaeology
Community and economic development
Housing development
Human services

Grantmaking

The foundation made grants to organizations including:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports projects in multiple U.S. cities and states, including:

Franklin, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Naples, New York, and Northport
States: Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and New York

Grant Distribution by State

Indiana $574K (90%)

Missouri $25K (4%)

New York $20K (3%)

Michigan $14K (2%)

Florida $3K (0%)

Nebraska $25 (0%)

States

Florida Indiana Michigan Missouri Nebraska New York

Cities

FishersFranklinIndianapolisKansas CityLincolnMidlandNaplesNew YorkNorthport

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (2023)

Total assets: $3,157,551
Total revenues: $444,538
Investment income and dividends: $80,739
Total expenses: $211,776

Tax Information

EIN: 35-1844375
IRS ruling year: 1992
501(c)(3) organization

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$3,149,768	$3,157,551	$2,924,789
Revenue	$156,038	$444,538	$353,159
Expenses	$163,821	$211,776	$153,535
Qualifying Distributions	$90,658	$137,560	$88,805
Net Investment Income	$21,166	$41,001	$31,390
Distributable Amount	$221,929	$198,323	$200,180

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

87 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Orchard School ($12,250), Franklin College ($11,250), Children's Museum of Indianapolis ($10,185).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
FRANKLIN COLLEGE FRANKLIN, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$11,250
INDIANAPOLIS ZOO INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$2,500
CROWN HILL HERITAGE FOUNDATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$10,000
CHILDREN'S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$10,185
ORCHARD SCHOOL INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$12,250
WOODSTOCK FOUNDATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$10,000
ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION LINCOLN, NE	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$25
HOLIDAY PARK FOUNDATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$1,250
INDIANA STATE FAIR FOUNDATION INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$2,500
INDIANAPOLIS GARDEN CLUB INDIANAPOLIS, IN	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$1,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key personnel include:

Katharine M. Kruse (Trustee)
Katharine M. Wakefield (Trustee)
Richard D. Kruse (Trustee)
Anne E. Kruse (Trustee)

Katharine M. Wakefield and Anne E. Kruse receive compensation for their roles.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
KATHARINE M KRUSE	TRUSTEE	—	—
KATHARINE M WAKEFIELD	TRUSTEE	2	$14,000
RICHARD D KRUSE	TRUSTEE	—	—
ANNE E KRUSE	TRUSTEE	2	$13,500

Contact Information

Address: 4800 W 96th St, Indianapolis, IN 46268-3901
Telephone: (317) 257-8208

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mothershead Foundation fund?

The foundation focuses on funding initiatives in the following areas: • Arts and culture • Museums and children's museums • Humanities and history • Education • Social sciences, anthropology, and archaeology • Community and economic development • Housing development • Human services

How do I apply for a grant from Mothershead Foundation?

**Financial Activity (2023)** • Total assets: $3,157,551 • Total giving: $137,560 • Total expenses: $211,776 • Total revenues: $444,538 **Recent Grants** The foundation made grants to organizations including: • Indiana Historical Society ($25,000 for general operations) • The Children's Museum of Indianapolis ($23,310 for general operations) • Franklin College ($20,000 for general operations) The foundation made a total of 9 grants in 2023.

Where does Mothershead Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports projects in multiple U.S. cities and states, including: • Franklin, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Naples, New York, and Northport • States: Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and New York

What size grants does Mothershead Foundation award?

In 2024, Mothershead Foundation awarded 18 grants totaling $91K — an average of about $5K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Mothershead Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Mothershead Foundation reported a distributable amount of $222K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.