Ramsey Family Foundation
The Ramsey Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Grinnell, Iowa. It makes grants to charitable organizations, including organizations whose reported purposes include church projects, scholarships and athletics, adult care, medical services, community projects, and music.
Key facts about Ramsey Family Foundation
In short: Ramsey Family Foundation gave $47K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Iowa. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 47-2517456
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $47,200
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- Average grant
- $1,523
- Median grant
- $400
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (9 of 28, 2025)
- Total assets
- $995,695
- Primary geography
- Iowa (85% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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
$996K
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$47K
+7.2% YoY
Grant Count
31
+6.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+0.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ramsey Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $48K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Ramsey Family Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 28 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $511; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $250 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 61% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 4% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas such as religious activities, education, older-adult care, health care, community projects, and the arts. For example, Mayflower Homes describes its mission as providing “a vibrant, purposeful, and compassionate community of older adults.” Grinnell Regional Medical Center describes its mission as dedication to health care for life and to patients’ and communities’ health and well-being. Grinnell School of Music says it provides community music-making, music education, and opportunities for musicians.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $47,200 through 31 grants. Awards ranged from $150 to $11,000, with a median of $400. Its largest grants included $11,000 to Grinnell United Church of Christ for church projects; $6,300 to Lawrence University for scholarships and athletics; $5,000 to Mayflower Homes for adult care activities; $4,000 to Grinnell College for college services; and $3,500 to Grinnell Regional Medical Center for medical services. Other grants included $2,500 each to Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation for museum projects and Grinnell School of Music for projects.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Grinnell, Iowa. Its 2025 filing reports grant dollars distributed by recipient state as 85% to Iowa, 13% to Wisconsin, 1% to New York, 1% to Arkansas, and less than 1% to Kansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $38K (2019) to $47K (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $47K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Grinnell United Church of Christ ($11K). Together the top 10 received $42K.
Grant Size Distribution
125 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 125 grants of 125 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grinnell United Church of Christ Grinnell, IA | Church Projects | $11,000 |
| Lawrence University Appleton, WI | Scholarships and Athletics | $6,300 |
| Mayflower Homes Grinnell, IA | Adult Care Activities | $5,000 |
| Grinnell College Grinnell, IA | College Services | $4,000 |
| Grinnell Regional Medical Center Grinnell, IA | Medical Services | $3,500 |
| Greater Poweshiek Community Foundat Grinnell, IA | Community Projectsfor the Museum | $2,500 |
| Grinnell School of Music Grinnell, IA | Projects | $2,500 |
| Mayflower Homes Grinnell, IA | Human Needs | $2,000 |
| United Church of Christ Grinnell, IA | Church Services | $2,000 |
| Greater Poweshiek Comm Foundation Grinnell, IA | Veterans Memorial | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grants given | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $47,200 | 31 |
| 2024 | $44,050 | 29 |
| 2023 | $40,375 | 21 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $995,695 | $949,454 | $871,078 |
| Revenue | $48,351 | $105,369 | $26,560 |
| Expenses | $2,110 | $45,476 | $41,816 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,110 | $45,476 | $41,816 |
| Net Investment Income | $48,351 | $105,369 | $59,424 |
| Distributable Amount | $47,812 | $43,366 | $40,207 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 25, 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 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Richard Ramsey as president, James Ramsey as secretary, and Michael Ramsey as treasurer.
Ramsey Family Foundation is led by Richard Ramsey, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Richard Ramsey
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Ramsey
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Ramsey
Teasurer
Treasurer → Teasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Susan Ramsey (2019–2024) — Vice President
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 715 5Th Ave, Grinnell, IA 50112
Phone: (641) 236-3141
Frequently asked questions about Ramsey Family Foundation
How much does Ramsey Family Foundation give each year?
Ramsey Family Foundation gave $47K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $44K across 29 grants.
What is Ramsey Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Ramsey Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $400, and its average grant was $1,523, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ramsey Family Foundation that year got $511 on average.
Where does Ramsey Family Foundation give grants?
Ramsey Family Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Wisconsin (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Grinnell, IA (22 grants) and Des Moines, IA (4 grants).
Does Ramsey Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Ramsey Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Projects" (12 grants).
Who are Ramsey Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Ramsey Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Grinnell United Church of Christ ($11,000), Mayflower Homes ($7,000 across 2 grants) and Lawrence University ($6,300), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ramsey Family Foundation?
Ramsey Family Foundation reported $996K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $48K (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.
What does Ramsey Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas such as religious activities, education, older-adult care, health care, community projects, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ramsey Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ramsey Family Foundation's EIN?
Ramsey Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2517456. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Ramsey Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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