Nichols Charitable Foundation
Nichols Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Topeka, Kansas. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations working in areas including arts, education, environmental work, animal care, religion, grass management, meal services, medical care, hearing access, and community support.
Nichols Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Nichols Charitable Foundation gave $850K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $53K), mostly in Colorado. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $849,500
- +54.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $53,094
- +92.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $10,822,050
- +16.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (6 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (64% 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 Nichols Charitable Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. It lists a written narrative as the application material, Steve Clinkinbeard as the contact, and no restrictions on awards. No deadline is listed.
- Contact
Application contact: Steve Clinkinbeard
Mailing address: 5100 Sw 10Th Ave, Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: (785) 272-5102
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Nichols Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Central City Opera ($439K). Together the top 10 received $827K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 51 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports grant dollars going to recipients in Colorado, Texas, Kansas, and Oregon. Colorado received the largest share, at 64%, followed by Texas at 18%, Kansas at 16%, and Oregon at 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Nichols Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 16 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $75K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $33K repeat.
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 466% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 169% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $150K (2022) to $850K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $850K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Central City Opera Central City, CO | Arts | $439,400 |
| Friends of the RGV Reef South Padre Island, TX | Enviroment | $100,000 |
| Ace Scholarships Greenwood Village, CO | Education | $57,000 |
| Friends of Animal Rescue South Padre Island, TX | Animal care | $50,600 |
| Central Baptist Church Great Bend, KS | Religion | $45,000 |
| Kansas Grazing Land Coalition Salina, KS | Grass management | $40,000 |
| Barton Community College Foundation Great Bend, KS | Meal on Wheels | $35,000 |
| Mountain Family Center Greenwood Village, CO | Medical care | $25,000 |
| Center for Hearing Access Eugene, OR | Assist with hearing loss | $25,000 |
| Denver Center for the Performing Arts Denver, CO | Arts | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Nichols Charitable 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 | $10,822,050 | $1,471,516 | $903,404 | $849,500 | 16 | $859,175 | $156,877 | $508,319 |
| 2024 | $9,332,388 | $867,060 | $590,887 | $550,932 | 20 | $590,887 | $199,238 | $454,389 |
| 2023 | $8,895,620 | $246,589 | $245,021 | $191,300 | 5 | $191,300 | $191,868 | $413,968 |
| 2022 | $8,340,719 | $-94,990 | $210,990 | $150,000 | 6 | $150,000 | $78,466 | $419,297 |
| 2021 | $9,794,299 | $271,908 | $251,788 | $196,000 | 4 | $196,000 | $216,788 | $465,951 |
| 2020 | $9,190,725 | $5,029,475 | $385,704 | $333,284 | 9 | — | $47,838 | $211,260 |
| 2019 | $4,301,630 | $-270,354 | $464,256 | $415,950 | 9 | — | — | $207,281 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nichols Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $508K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Mountain Family Center describes its mission as building strength and self-reliance for individuals and families through responsive, collaborative services. Denver Center for the Performing Arts says it engages audiences through theatre, performances, and educational opportunities. Angels With Paws describes its work as providing humane care for animals, finding suitable homes, and educating the public; Historic Denver says it supports historic places and communities and provides museum and educational programming.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $849,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $439,400, with a median of $25,000. Among the largest reported grants were $439,400 to Central City Opera for arts, $100,000 to Friends of the RGV Reef for environmental work, $57,000 to Ace Scholarships for education, and $50,600 to Friends of Animal Rescue for animal care. Other grants included $45,000 to Central Baptist Church and $40,000 to Kansas Grazing Land Coalition. The foundation also reported grants of $25,000 to Mountain Family Center, $10,000 to Denver Center for the Performing Arts, $5,000 to Angels With Paws, and $2,500 to Historic Denver.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Max E Nichols as president, Steve Clinkinbeard as treasurer, and Erin P Nichols and Stan Andeel as directors.
Nichols Charitable Foundation is led by Max E Nichols, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Max E Nichols
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Erin P Nichols
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Stan Andeel
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Steve Clinkinbeard
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Nichols Charitable Foundation
How much does Nichols Charitable Foundation give each year?
Nichols Charitable Foundation gave $850K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $551K across 20 grants.
What is Nichols Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Nichols Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $53,094, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nichols Charitable Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Nichols Charitable Foundation give grants?
Nichols Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Texas (18%) and Kansas (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Great Bend, KS (3 grants), South Padre Island, TX (2 grants), Greenwood Village, CO (2 grants) and Denver, CO (2 grants).
Does Nichols Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Nichols Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Arts" (3 grants).
Who are Nichols Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Nichols Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Central City Opera ($439,400), Friends of the RGV Reef ($100,000) and Ace Scholarships ($57,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Nichols Charitable Foundation?
Nichols Charitable Foundation reported $10.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $859K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $508K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Nichols Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Mountain Family Center describes its mission as building strength and self-reliance for individuals and families through responsive, collaborative services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nichols Charitable Foundation?
The 2025 filing says giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Nichols Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Nichols Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-3740674. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 19, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 3, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Nichols Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nichols-charitable-foundation-morg_6e5ae4f8327742028494d0d0bcaaa9ad
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_473740674_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nichols Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nichols-charitable-foundation-morg_6e5ae4f8327742028494d0d0bcaaa9ad},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Nichols Charitable 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.
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