MTA Foundation Inc
MTA Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Palmer, Alaska. It supports community projects through grants and donations, and supports students through scholarships. Its stated mission is to pioneer a more robust and connected community, with a focus on education and technological growth in its service area.
MTA Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: MTA Foundation Inc gave $253K across 94 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Alaska. 70% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $253,462
- -0.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 94
- +42.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,696
- -30.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $329,964
- -4.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 70% first-time grantees (44 of 63, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Alaska (69% 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 MTA Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
For the grant program, the website directs applicants to use its application and required templates. Separately, the 2024 scholarship filing required an electronic application, school transcript, letter of reference, and MTA member signature. That past-cycle filing limited eligibility to active MTA members or their dependents residing in MTA’s service area, with study plans at an accredited college or vocational school leading to a degree or certification. It required a complete application package.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 scholarship application and supporting materials were due April 10, 2024; this was a past cycle.
- Deadline
- The 2024 scholarship application and supporting materials were due April 10, 2024; this was a past cycle.
- Contact
Application contact: Tracy Ressler
Mailing address: 1740 S Chugach St, Palmer, AK 99645
Phone: (907) 761-2410
Email: scholarship@mtafoundation.org
Website: https://mtafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who MTA Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Alaska Anchorage Engineering ($25K). Together the top 10 received $103K.
Organizations only. It also paid 32 grants to individuals ($98,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
322 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 322 grants of 322 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its service area as extending through the Mat-Su Valley and Eagle River/Chugiak, to Anderson and Glacier View. In filing year 2025, 69% of grant dollars went to Alaska recipients, followed by Montana (7%), California (5%), Washington (3%), and New York (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 94 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is MTA Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
70%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 44 of 63 grantees (70%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 14% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). 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 (2020–2025). 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 $169K (2020) to $255K (2024). In 2025 it made 94 grants totaling $253K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Alaska Anchorage Engineering Anchorage, AK | Summer Engineering Academy | $25,000 |
| Wasilla Workforce Development Initiative Wasilla, AK | CNC Plasma Cutter | $15,000 |
| Wasilla High School Palmer, AK | Updated Lighting at Veteran Memorial Stadium | $12,671 |
| Alaska Behavioral Health Alliance Eagle River, AK | General Support | $10,462 |
| 32 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $98,000 |
| Museum of Alaska Transportation Industry Wasilla, AK | Furnace Costs | $9,800 |
| MSBSD CTE Robotics Palmer, AK | Robotics Bundles for Classrooms | $8,500 |
| Valley Performing Arts Wasilla, AK | Mainstage Curtain | $8,000 |
| Reach 907 Wasilla, AK | Technology Improvements | $6,029 |
| Mat Su Ski Club Palmer, AK | Website Upgrade | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with MTA Foundation Inc?
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 | $329,964 | $268,494 | $282,080 | $253,462 | 94 | $283,565 | — | $23,136 |
| 2024 | $345,835 | $303,707 | $268,678 | $254,947 | 66 | $269,475 | — | $24,325 |
| 2023 | $316,093 | $319,678 | $260,108 | $249,714 | 63 | $252,370 | — | $20,944 |
| 2022 | $250,386 | $314,969 | $266,896 | $241,000 | 55 | $266,075 | $26 | $20,244 |
| 2021 | $200,903 | $280,251 | $202,336 | $175,630 | 44 | $203,292 | $8 | $15,482 |
| 2020 | $140,112 | $270,939 | $227,150 | $169,100 | 55 | — | $32 | $12,100 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, MTA Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $23K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to pioneer a more robust and connected community. Its grant program supports large-scale projects that prepare people with technical skills for the future economy and strengthen connections among schools, businesses, organizations, and individuals in the communities it serves. The website also describes support for technology adoption, economic development, entrepreneurship, and general community needs.
Examples of grantees’ work include Valley Performing Arts, whose mission is to promote community participation in live theater; an individual recipient, which says it prepares high school students for life after graduation through business, leadership, and entrepreneurship; and Valley Community for Recycling, which operates a community recycling center and provides education and training. The website describes scholarships for students pursuing college, vocational, homeschool, or professional-development pathways leading to a degree or certification.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 94 grants totaling $253,462. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $25,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable awards included $25,000 to University of Alaska Anchorage Engineering for a Summer Engineering Academy; $15,000 to Wasilla Workforce Development Initiative for a CNC plasma cutter; and $12,671 to Wasilla High School for updated lighting at Veteran Memorial Stadium. Other awards included $10,462 to Alaska Behavioral Health Alliance for general support, $9,800 to Museum of Alaska Transportation Industry for furnace costs, and $8,500 to MSBSD CTE Robotics for classroom robotics bundles. The filing also lists scholarships to individual recipients.
The website says the grant program awards grants over $5,000 to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations for large-scale projects. It describes application review as semiannual, in February and October, and encourages applicants to attend the relevant Board meeting. The website currently says it is not accepting grant applications until 2027; applications received during the pause will be considered in the February 2027 review.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Lamarr Anderson as board secretary/treasurer, Jonathan Babbitt as president, John Warner as vice president, and Andrew Trotter and Megan Michaelson as directors. It also lists Edsel McCrea as a director through July 2025.
MTA Foundation Inc is led by Jonathan Babbitt, President since 2022 (on filings since 2021); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jonathan Babbitt
President
Vice President → President, 2022
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Trotter
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edsel McCrea
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Megan Michaelson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lamarr Anderson
Board Secretary & Treasurer
Director → Board Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Warner
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Stephanie Berta (2021–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Roxanna De Mayberry (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ej McCrea (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Alex Hills (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Michael Burke (2020–2021) — Board Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Nicholas J. Begich (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Catherine Fosselman (2020) — Board Vice President
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 MTA Foundation Inc
How much does MTA Foundation Inc give each year?
MTA Foundation Inc gave $253K across 94 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $255K across 66 grants.
What is MTA Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
MTA Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,696, across 94 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from MTA Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does MTA Foundation Inc give grants?
MTA Foundation Inc gives mostly in Alaska: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Montana (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wasilla, AK (24 grants), Palmer, AK (22 grants), Anchorage, AK (6 grants) and Talkeetna, AK (5 grants).
Does MTA Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of MTA Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 94) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Academic Scholarship" (31 grants) and "Holiday Meals for Mat Su Borough Residents" (3 grants).
Who are MTA Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
MTA Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include University of Alaska Anchorage Engineering ($25,000), Wasilla Workforce Development Initiative ($15,000) and Wasilla High School ($12,671), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 32 grants to individuals ($98,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is MTA Foundation Inc?
MTA Foundation Inc reported $330K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $284K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $23K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does MTA Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to pioneer a more robust and connected community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from MTA Foundation Inc?
For the grant program, the website directs applicants to use its application and required templates. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is MTA Foundation Inc's EIN?
MTA Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1742284. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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 November 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 31, 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 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 21, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in MTA Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). MTA Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mta-foundation-inc-morg_abf278ad15654e5da962fcdce21c0ed7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311742284_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{MTA Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mta-foundation-inc-morg_abf278ad15654e5da962fcdce21c0ed7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 MTA 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.
MTA Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?