Phelps Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker ST HELENA, CA EIN: 94-2842878 Website

The Phelps County Community Foundation Inc is a nonprofit organization management company headquartered in Holdrege, Nebraska. The foundation provides grant opportunities for Phelps County organizations and scholarships for area students, working directly with donors to realize their charitable goals.

Key facts about Phelps Foundation

EIN: 94-2842878
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $4,412,669
Grants made (2024): 4
Average grant: $1,103,167
Median grant: $1,109,309
Total assets: $64,035
Primary geography: Massachusetts (27% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026.

Who Phelps Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Phelps Foundation's 4 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (27%), Pennsylvania (27%) and New York (23%). None of its 4 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (4 grants).

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$64K

-98.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$4.4M

+1102.2% YoY

Grant Count

+100.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$1.1M

+501.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Phelps Foundation reported a distributable amount of $178K 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 is committed to supporting charitable initiatives within Phelps County. Primary activities include:

Grant opportunities for local organizations
Scholarship programs for area students
Donor services and philanthropic planning

Grantmaking

The foundation offers scholarships with an application deadline of February 15. Specific grant sizes and detailed application procedures are not detailed in available sources.

Grant Range

s and detailed application procedures are not detailed in available sources.

Review Cycle

of February 15. Specific grant sizes and detailed application procedures are not detailed in available sources.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation focuses exclusively on Phelps County, Nebraska and the surrounding area.

Grant Distribution by State

Massachusetts $1.2M (27%)

Pennsylvania $1.2M (27%)

New York $1.0M (23%)

Kentucky $999K (23%)

Share of all 4 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

California Kentucky Massachusetts New York Pennsylvania

Cities

NapaSt HelenaCovingtonSacramentoSanta RosaCohoesColiseum Drive CoJenkintownMa BostonSanta Clara

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Annual Revenue: $4,799,749
Employees: 3 staff members

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$64,035	$3,731,481	$3,421,192
Revenue	$1,962,608	$229,873	$196,378
Expenses	$4,426,123	$434,789	$15,893
Qualifying Distributions	$4,412,669	$367,051	—
Net Investment Income	$1,949,154	$220,897	$130,667
Distributable Amount	$177,833	$179,550	$171,243

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 4 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

38 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include William and Andrea Phelps Family Fund ($1,194,930), The Lap Charitable Fund ($1,194,930), The Todd and Laurie Anderson Fund ($1,023,687).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
WILLIAM AND ANDREA PHELPS FAMILY FUND MA BOSTON, MA	CHARITABLE	$1,194,930
THE LAP CHARITABLE FUND JENKINTOWN, PA	CHARITABLE	$1,194,930
THE TODD AND LAURIE ANDERSON FUND COLISEUM DRIVE CO, NY	CHARITABLE	$1,023,687
LYNN PHELPS AND RICHARD FINCH CHARITABLE FUND COVINGTON, KY	CHARITABLE	$999,122

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Patty Freburg - Associate Director
Tracy Thorpe-Jenkins - Board Member

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LYDIA RAU	SECRETARY	1	—
LESLIE ANN PHELPS	DIRECTOR	1	—
ALEXANDRA PHELPS	DIRECTOR	1	—
ELIZABETH NEUMAN	DIRECTOR	1	—
CLAIRE FINCH	DIRECTOR	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Phelps Foundation fund?

The foundation is committed to supporting charitable initiatives within Phelps County. Primary activities include: • Grant opportunities for local organizations • Scholarship programs for area students • Donor services and philanthropic planning

How do I apply for a grant from Phelps Foundation?

The foundation offers scholarships with an application deadline of February 15. Specific grant sizes and detailed application procedures are not detailed in available sources.

Where does Phelps Foundation make grants?

The foundation focuses exclusively on Phelps County, Nebraska and the surrounding area.

What size grants does Phelps Foundation award?

In 2024, Phelps Foundation awarded 4 grants totaling $4.4M — an average of about $1.1M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

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

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Phelps Foundation reported a distributable amount of $178K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.