Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation
The Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with the largest shares of grant dollars going to recipients in Nebraska and Colorado.
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation gave $86K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Nebraska. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $86,200
- +31.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- -6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,079
- +40.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $1,220,273
- +13.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (11 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (56% 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 Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing describes contributions as going only to preselected charitable organizations, except for scholarships through the separate Stacie Olson Memorial Fund. A scholarship application must be completed and returned to the foundation; the filing refers applicants to an attached scholarship application for details. It also states that an attached application is available, but does not give further instructions for organizational applicants. Restrictions are listed as not applicable.
- Contact
Application contact: See Atached Application
Mailing address: 9819 Thornwood, Lincoln, NE 68512
Phone: (402) 475-5100
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Nebraska Foundation ($33K). Together the top 10 received $68K.
Grant Size Distribution
144 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 144 grants of 144 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in Nebraska received 56% of grant dollars, those in Colorado received 41%, and those in Wyoming received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 28 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 46% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $41K (2019) to $86K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $86K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska Foundation Lincoln, NE | General Support | $33,400 |
| AMG Charitable Gift Foundation Greenwood Village, CO | General Support | $11,000 |
| Friends of Lied Lincoln, NE | General Support | $4,000 |
| American Cancer Society Greeley, CO | General Support | $4,000 |
| Kimball Public Schools Foundation Inc Kimball, NE | General Support | $3,000 |
| No Co BBB Foundation Fort Collins, CO | General Support | $2,500 |
| Stepping Stones of Windsor Windsor, CO | General Support | $2,500 |
| University Schools Foundation Greeley, CO | General Support | $2,500 |
| Grace Village co Zion Lutheran Church Wellington, CO | General Support | $2,500 |
| Fullerton's Future Inc Fullerton, NE | General Support | $2,500 |
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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 | $1,220,273 | $263,446 | $114,986 | $86,200 | 28 | $88,923 | $238,401 | $100,282 |
| 2024 | $1,071,500 | $119,913 | $86,541 | $65,705 | 30 | $68,175 | $101,547 | $90,952 |
| 2023 | $1,037,920 | $34,009 | $90,011 | $68,259 | 23 | $80,654 | $25,617 | $73,856 |
| 2022 | $1,093,746 | $106,585 | $88,663 | $64,650 | 33 | $77,067 | $98,196 | $72,726 |
| 2021 | $1,075,668 | $146,126 | $75,066 | $52,150 | 30 | $63,438 | $124,214 | $83,130 |
| 2020 | $1,004,438 | $66,951 | $60,557 | $43,100 | 24 | — | $58,673 | $66,034 |
| 2019 | $997,946 | $52,884 | $59,195 | $41,250 | 20 | — | $44,160 | $59,730 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $100K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 28 grants totaling $86,200 in 2025. Grants ranged from $250 to $33,400, with a median of $1,000. The 2025 filings list $65,705 across 30 grants in 2024 and $68,259 across 23 grants in 2023. The largest 2025 grants included $33,400 to the University of Nebraska Foundation, $11,000 to AMG Charitable Gift Foundation, and $4,000 each to Friends of Lied and the American Cancer Society. The listed largest grants were for general support.
Among other 2025 recipients, Kimball Public Schools Foundation received $3,000 and Fullerton’s Future received $2,500. The Kimball Public Schools Foundation describes its work as supporting learning and teaching opportunities in its school system and providing scholarships to graduating seniors. Fullerton’s Future describes its work as offering daycare and preschool programs focused on children’s early learning and development.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation is led by Thomas H. Olson Jr., President, Secretary & Treasurer since 2021 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas H. Olson Jr.
President, Secretary & Treasurer
Director → President, Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia A. Olson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kerstin O. Eckstrom
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lynne O. Petro
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Thomas H. Olson (2019–2020) — President, Secretary & Treasurer
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 Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation
How much does Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation give each year?
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation gave $86K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $66K across 30 grants.
What is Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,079, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation give grants?
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (41%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sidney, NE (6 grants), Greeley, CO (5 grants), Fort Collins, CO (4 grants) and Lincoln, NE (2 grants).
Does Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Nebraska Foundation ($33,400), AMG Charitable Gift Foundation ($11,000) and Friends of Lied ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation?
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $89K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $100K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
How do I apply for a grant from Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation?
The filing describes contributions as going only to preselected charitable organizations, except for scholarships through the separate Stacie Olson Memorial Fund. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's EIN?
Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1639212. 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 September 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 May 12, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 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 7, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/olson-tom-and-cynthia-family-foundation-morg_3d2959f6fd7241b499fd5384b2940e3b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_461639212_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Olson Tom \& Cynthia Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/olson-tom-and-cynthia-family-foundation-morg_3d2959f6fd7241b499fd5384b2940e3b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 Olson Tom & Cynthia Family 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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