Plank Stewardship Initiative
Plank Stewardship Initiative is a private foundation based in Sheridan, Wyoming, according to its filing information. It makes grants to strengthen the economic and ecological sustainability of rangelands in the Northern Great Plains, supporting work related to ranching and farming, succession planning, and conservation-friendly land management.
Plank Stewardship Initiative at a glance
In short: Plank Stewardship Initiative gave $284K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Montana. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $283,848
- -1.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -6.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,923
- +5.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,350
- Total assets
- $5,298,532
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Montana (58% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Plank Stewardship Initiative
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website describes a 2027 three-year Rangeland Resilience Initiative with a letter-of-interest and proposal process, as well as a short-notice grant opportunity applicants may apply for during the year. It also says the regular annual grant opportunity will be announced in early 2027. The 2025 filing says applications are evaluated on their potential to enhance sustainable stewardship in the Northern Great Plains and asks eligible nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations, educational institutions, and local, county, and state government agencies to submit projects addressing one or more stated criteria. The website says interested applicants must have a preliminary conversation with the Executive Director before proceeding with an application.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing states that applications are due annually on March 31 by email. The website says the regular annual opportunity will be announced in early 2027.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing states that applications are due annually on March 31 by email.
- Contact
Application contact: Milward Simpson
Mailing address: 3102 Spruce Ct, Cheyenne, WY 82001
Phone: (307) 421-4956
Email: milward.simpson@plankstewardship.org
Website: https://plankstewardship.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Plank Stewardship Initiative funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Women in Ranching Inc ($63K). Together the top 10 received $268K.
Grant Size Distribution
40 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 39 grants of 40 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its granting efforts as focused on the Northern Great Plains. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico: 58% of grant dollars went to Montana, 33% to Wyoming, and 9% to New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
How Plank Stewardship Initiative gives
- 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 796% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 $30K (2021) to $287K (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $284K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Women in Ranching Inc Cohagen, MT | Ranching Education for Women | $62,750 |
| Montana Land Reliance Helena, MT | Land Conservation and Stewardship | $48,000 |
| University of Wyoming Laramie, WY | Managing Grasses Invading Ecosystems | $36,940 |
| Quivira Coalition Santa Fe, NM | Sustainable Ag Tech Assistance | $25,600 |
| Clear Creek Conservation District Buffalo, WY | Seeding Fire Lines with Native Grass | $22,500 |
| Petroleum County Conservation District Winnett, MT | Water Conservation Projects for Ag | $22,500 |
| Sheridan County WY Conservation District Sheridan, WY | Sustainable Ag Ed for Ranchers | $21,542 |
| Montana Association of Conservation Districts Helena, MT | Conservation Education for Ranchers | $11,350 |
| Sheridan Community Land Trust Sheridan, WY | Wildlife-Friendly Fencing Education | $10,000 |
| Intertribal Agriculture Council Billings, MT | Ag Ed for Native American Youth | $6,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Plank Stewardship Initiative?
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 | $5,298,532 | $448,128 | $454,260 | $283,848 | 15 | $361,338 | $360,297 | $352,047 |
| 2024 | $5,304,809 | $514,483 | $457,719 | $287,035 | 16 | $364,902 | $425,960 | $334,351 |
| 2023 | $5,248,045 | $326,595 | $341,954 | $161,325 | 7 | $253,925 | $238,566 | $303,295 |
| 2022 | $5,261,273 | $52,810 | $228,849 | $31,670 | 1 | $65,149 | — | $312,622 |
| 2021 | $5,442,556 | $607,941 | $269,756 | $29,549 | 1 | — | $607,941 | — |
| 2020 | $5,105,341 | $171,663 | $255,867 | $35,000 | 1 | — | $171,663 | — |
| 2019 | $5,191,716 | $387,087 | $287,067 | — | — | — | $387,087 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Plank Stewardship Initiative reported a distributable amount of $352K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated priorities include succession planning for farm and ranch families; training and resources for successful farm and ranch operations and financial management; and sustainable conservation practices in land management. Its filing also identifies support for diverse representation in ranching, with an emphasis on under-represented communities and women and young producers.
Its 2025 grants illustrate support for organizations working in these areas. For example, Women in Ranching says it champions rural women’s leadership on the land; Montana Association of Conservation says it promotes awareness of conservation districts and soil and water conservation; and Intertribal Agriculture Council says it promotes the conservation, development, and use of American Indian and Alaska Native tribes’ agricultural resources. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $283,848. Individual grants ranged from $2,500 to $62,750, with a median of $11,350. The largest awards included $62,750 to Women in Ranching for ranching education for women; $48,000 to Montana Land Reliance for land conservation and stewardship; $36,940 to the University of Wyoming for managing grasses invading ecosystems; and $25,600 to Quivira Coalition for sustainable agriculture technical assistance.
Other 2025 awards included $22,500 to Clear Creek Conservation District for seeding fire lines with native grass, $22,500 to Petroleum County Conservation for agricultural water conservation projects, and $21,542 to Sheridan County WY Conservation for sustainable agriculture education for ranchers.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Leah Burgess as Board Chair; Charlie Bettigole as Vice Chair; Tressa Lawrence as Secretary; and Katie Meiklejohn as Treasurer. Directors listed are Bea Gordon, Dr. Ben Rashford, Mantha Phillips, Beth White, Khale Century-Reno, and Kristie Maczko. The foundation’s website identifies Milward Simpson as Executive Director.
Plank Stewardship Initiative is led by Leah Burgess, Board Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 12 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Leah Burgess
Board Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bea Gordon
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marty Zeller
Director
Board Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Khale Century-Reno
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristie Maczko
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ben Rashford
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth White
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mantha Phillips
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Milward Simpson
Executive Di
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$9K (2022) → $82K (2025)
Charlie Bettigole
Vice Chairman
Vice Chair → Secretary, 2024
Secretary → Vice Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katie Meiklejohn
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tressa Lawrence
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Ann Hild (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Brooke A. Swanke (2021) — Executive Di
- Former: John Heyneman (2019–2020) — President
- Former: Nathan Graves (2019) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $82K, to Milward Simpson (Executive Di).
Frequently asked questions about Plank Stewardship Initiative
How much does Plank Stewardship Initiative give each year?
Plank Stewardship Initiative gave $284K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $287K across 16 grants.
What is Plank Stewardship Initiative's typical grant size?
Plank Stewardship Initiative's median grant in 2025 was $11,350, and its average grant was $18,923, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Plank Stewardship Initiative give grants?
Plank Stewardship Initiative gives mostly in Montana: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wyoming (33%) and New Mexico (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Helena, MT (2 grants), Sheridan, WY (2 grants) and Winnett, MT (2 grants).
Does Plank Stewardship Initiative give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Plank Stewardship Initiative's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Plank Stewardship Initiative's largest grantees?
Plank Stewardship Initiative's largest 2025 grantees include Women in Ranching Inc ($62,750), Montana Land Reliance ($48,000) and University of Wyoming ($36,940), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Plank Stewardship Initiative?
Plank Stewardship Initiative reported $5.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $361K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $352K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Plank Stewardship Initiative fund?
The foundation’s stated priorities include succession planning for farm and ranch families; training and resources for successful farm and ranch operations and financial management; and sustainable conservation practices in land management. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Plank Stewardship Initiative?
The foundation’s website describes a 2027 three-year Rangeland Resilience Initiative with a letter-of-interest and proposal process, as well as a short-notice grant opportunity applicants may apply for during the year. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Plank Stewardship Initiative's EIN?
Plank Stewardship Initiative's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4491120. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 27, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS November 20, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Plank Stewardship Initiative funds
Food, Agriculture & Nutrition Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Plank Stewardship Initiative's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Plank Stewardship Initiative funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/plank-stewardship-initiative-morg_14234ab6762741c5aabf31322837a149
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464491120_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Plank Stewardship Initiative funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/plank-stewardship-initiative-morg_14234ab6762741c5aabf31322837a149},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Plank Stewardship Initiative'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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