Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation
The Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Ankeny, Iowa. Its 2025 filing reports grants to Iowa organizations, including an agriculture endowment at Iowa State University and organizations providing general support.
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation gave $426K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $426,000
- +7000.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +400.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,600
- +1320.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,500
- Total assets
- $2,605,279
- +10.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Iowa (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3410 Ne Briarwood Drive, Ankeny, IA 50021
Phone: (515) 964-8434
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was ISU Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $426K.
Grant Size Distribution
15 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 14 grants of 15 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation gives
- Giving grew 42500% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 359% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1K (2022) to $426K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $426K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ISU Foundation Ames, IA | Agriculture Endowment | $300,000 |
| Lutheran Services in Iowa Des Moines, IA | General support | $27,000 |
| Iowa Falls First Methodist Church Iowa Falls, IA | General support | $25,000 |
| Hope Ministries Des Moines, IA | General support | $20,000 |
| Friends of Iowa PBS Johnston, IA | General support | $15,000 |
| Lutheran Church of Hope Ankeny, IA | Building campaign | $12,000 |
| Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Ankeny, IA | General support | $11,000 |
| Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp Story City, IA | General support | $11,000 |
| Gigi's Playhouse Windsor Heights, IA | General support | $3,000 |
| Food Bank of Iowa Des Moines, IA | General support | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation?
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 | $2,605,279 | $537,452 | $447,105 | $426,000 | 10 | $426,000 | $95,385 | $118,612 |
| 2024 | $2,361,827 | $111,854 | $9,181 | $6,000 | 2 | $6,000 | $108,673 | $112,155 |
| 2023 | $2,250,619 | $2,108,653 | $6,882 | $1,000 | 1 | $4,520 | — | $23,700 |
| 2022 | $150,374 | $162 | $6,400 | $1,000 | 1 | $6,240 | $2 | $7,560 |
| 2021 | $156,612 | $347 | $7,000 | $2,000 | 1 | — | — | $7,997 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $119K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for an agriculture endowment, building campaigns, and general support for charitable organizations. Among the recipients, Lutheran Services in Iowa says its mission is to respond to the love of Jesus Christ through compassionate service. Hope Ministries describes its work as providing meals, shelter, and life-recovery support to people experiencing homelessness, hunger, abuse, or addiction. Food Bank of Iowa says it distributes salvageable food to member agencies serving people in need.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $426,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $300,000, with a median grant of $13,500. The largest awards were $300,000 to ISU Foundation for an agriculture endowment, $27,000 to Lutheran Services in Iowa for general support, $25,000 to Iowa Falls First Methodist Church for general support, $20,000 to Hope Ministries for general support, and $15,000 to Friends of Iowa PBS for general support.
Other 2025 grants included $12,000 to Lutheran Church of Hope for a building campaign; $11,000 each to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church and Riverside Lutheran Bible Camp for general support; $3,000 to Gigi’s Playhouse for general support; and $2,000 to Food Bank of Iowa for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steve Afdahl and Thomas Ubben as directors, and Scott Hamilton as president.
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Steve Afdahl
Director
Vice President & Director → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$1K (2022) → $1K (2025)
Thomas Ubben
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$1K (2022) → $1K (2025)
Scott Hamilton
Presidnet
President & Director → Presidnet, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: James L. Goodman (2021–2022) — Treasurer & Director
- Former: Larry E. McKibben (2021–2022) — Secretary & Director
- Former: Mark Freidow (2021–2022) — Director
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 $1K, to Steve Afdahl (Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation
How much does Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation gave $426K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $6K across 2 grants.
What is Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,500, and its average grant was $42,600, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (3 grants) and Ankeny, IA (2 grants).
Does Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include ISU Foundation ($300,000), Lutheran Services in Iowa ($27,000) and Iowa Falls First Methodist Church ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation?
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $426K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $119K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for an agriculture endowment, building campaigns, and general support for charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1289965. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-arlene-hamilton-family-charitable-foundation-morg_698bc0ddbe334b12aae5c975e60431de
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261289965_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-arlene-hamilton-family-charitable-foundation-morg_698bc0ddbe334b12aae5c975e60431de},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Robert and Arlene Hamilton Family Charitable 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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