The Nielsen Scholarship Fund is a private foundation based in Spearman, Texas. It annually awards scholarships to high school graduates for education beyond high school.
Key facts about Nielsen Scholarship Fund
In short: Nielsen Scholarship Fund gave $3K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $281), mostly in Nebraska. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 75-2065409
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,372
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- Average grant
- $281
- Median grant
- $246
- Total assets
- $121,985
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (58% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The 2025 filing names Mr. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$122K
+1.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3K
+40.5% YoY
Grant Count
12
+50.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$281
-6.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nielsen Scholarship Fund reported a distributable amount of $6K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Nielsen Scholarship Fund gives
- Giving fell 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 72% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s stated charitable activity is awarding scholarships to high school graduates. Its filing does not state a separate mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the fund gave 12 scholarships totaling $3,372. Awards ranged from $245 to $355, with a median of $246. The largest listed awards were $355 each to Katie Sigala and Sage Gaillard, both of Gruver, Texas; $347 each to Stephen Cowan of Gruver and Max Wright of Spearman; and $249 to Colten Miller of Tekamah, Nebraska. All listed grants were for education.
Review Cycle
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing shows 58% of grant dollars going to recipients in Nebraska and 42% to recipients in Texas. Listed recipients were in Tekamah and Lyons, Nebraska, and Gruver and Spearman, Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 12 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2024) to $7K (2021). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $3K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Katie Sigala ($355). Together the top 10 received $3K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 52 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Katie Sigala Gruver, TX | Education | $355 |
| Sage Gaillard Gruver, TX | Education | $355 |
| Stephen Cowan Gruver, TX | Education | $347 |
| Max Wright Spearman, TX | Education | $347 |
| Colten Miller Tekamah, NE | Education | $249 |
| Emma Anderson Tekamah, NE | Education | $246 |
| Alexander Timm Lynon, NE | Education | $246 |
| Jake Christiansen Lyons, NE | Education | $246 |
| Matthew Olson Tekamah, NE | Education | $246 |
| Keira Pensyl Tekamah, NE | Education | $245 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $121,985 | $6,652 | $5,136 | $3,372 (12 grants) |
| 2024 | $120,469 | $3,697 | $4,968 | $2,400 (8 grants) |
| 2023 | $121,740 | $3,631 | $2,211 | 0 grants |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $121,985 | $120,469 | $121,740 |
| Revenue | $6,652 | $3,697 | $3,631 |
| Expenses | $5,136 | $4,968 | $2,211 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,240 | $4,146 | — |
| Net Investment Income | $6,606 | $3,605 | $3,631 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,860 | $5,941 | $5,960 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 7, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 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 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists First State Bank as trustee.
Nielsen Scholarship Fund's only listed officer is First State Bank, Trustee on every filing since 2021 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
First State Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$970 (2021) → $914 (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $914, to First State Bank (Trustee).
Contact
Application contact: Mr James Layman
Mailing address: 403 E 11Th Street, Spearman, TX 79081
Phone: (806) 659-2584
Frequently asked questions about Nielsen Scholarship Fund
How much does Nielsen Scholarship Fund give each year?
Nielsen Scholarship Fund gave $3K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2K across 8 grants.
What is Nielsen Scholarship Fund's typical grant size?
Nielsen Scholarship Fund's median grant in 2025 was $246, and its average grant was $281, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Nielsen Scholarship Fund give grants?
Nielsen Scholarship Fund gives mostly in Nebraska: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (42%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tekamah, NE (6 grants) and Gruver, TX (3 grants).
Does Nielsen Scholarship Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Nielsen Scholarship Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (12 grants).
Who are Nielsen Scholarship Fund's largest grantees?
Nielsen Scholarship Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Katie Sigala ($355), Sage Gaillard ($355) and Stephen Cowan ($347), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Nielsen Scholarship Fund?
Nielsen Scholarship Fund reported $122K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Nielsen Scholarship Fund fund?
The fund’s stated charitable activity is awarding scholarships to high school graduates. Its filing does not state a separate mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nielsen Scholarship Fund?
The 2025 filing names Mr. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Nielsen Scholarship Fund's EIN?
Nielsen Scholarship Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-2065409. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Nielsen Scholarship Fund by hand.
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