Seele Foundation
Seele Foundation is a private foundation based in Oakley, Kansas. It made 11 grants totaling $105,000 in 2025, all to organizations in Kansas, with listed recipients including community foundations, cultural organizations, and fire departments.
Seele Foundation at a glance
In short: Seele Foundation gave $105K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Kansas. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $105,000
- +23.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -15.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,545
- +46.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,076,293
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (1 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (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. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Seele 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: 214 E South 6Th, Oakley, KS 67748
Phone: (785) 462-3919
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Seele Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Citizens Health Foundation ($25K). Together the top 10 received $103K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 74 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars listed for 2025 went to recipients in Kansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Seele Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 11 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 50% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $83K (2021) to $105K (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $105K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Citizens Health Foundation Colby, KS | General | $25,000 |
| Friends of Pioneer Memorial Library Colby, KS | General | $20,000 |
| Logan County Community Foundation Oakley, KS | General | $10,000 |
| Prairie Museum of Art & History Colby, KS | General | $10,000 |
| Thomas County Community Foundation Colby, KS | General | $10,000 |
| Wild West Historical Foundation Oakley, KS | General | $10,000 |
| Logan County Healthcare Foundation Oakley, KS | General | $10,000 |
| Western Plains Arts Association Colby, KS | General | $3,000 |
| Oakley Kansas Fire Department Oakley, KS | General | $2,500 |
| Winona Rural Fire Dept Winona, KS | General | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Seele 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 | $2,076,293 | $188,712 | $124,945 | $105,000 | 11 | $109,987 | $156,320 | $221,008 |
| 2024 | $2,012,589 | $146,934 | $93,276 | $85,000 | 13 | $87,044 | $133,065 | $98,540 |
| 2023 | $1,958,931 | $230,238 | $119,735 | $101,500 | 17 | $106,030 | $237,440 | $90,675 |
| 2022 | $1,848,866 | $338,427 | $113,079 | $103,500 | 18 | $105,840 | $331,297 | $104,602 |
| 2021 | $1,623,080 | $141,715 | $90,814 | $83,000 | 15 | — | $136,699 | $102,982 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Seele Foundation reported a distributable amount of $221K 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 went to organizations including the Wild West Historical Foundation, which says its mission is to share the stories, history, and landscape of Plains culture and provide a venue for local community events and meetings. The Thomas County Community Foundation says its mission is to endow funds to improve the quality of life for all citizens of Thomas County.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $105,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $25,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest grants were $25,000 to Citizens Health Foundation and $20,000 to Friends of Pioneer Memorial Library. It also gave $10,000 each to Logan County Community Foundation, Prairie Museum of Art & History, Thomas County Community Foundation, Wild West Historical Foundation, and Logan County Healthcare Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nancy Kuhlman as president, Michael Kough as secretary, and Linda Sims as treasurer.
Seele Foundation is led by Nancy Kuhlman, President on every filing since 2023; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nancy Kuhlman
President
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$500 (2025)
Michael Kough
Secretary
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$500 (2021) → $500 (2025)
Linda Sims
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
$500 (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Patricia Criss (2021–2022) — President
- Former: William Dowell (2021–2022) — Treasurer
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 $500, to Nancy Kuhlman (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Seele Foundation
How much does Seele Foundation give each year?
Seele Foundation gave $105K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $85K across 13 grants.
What is Seele Foundation's typical grant size?
Seele Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $9,545, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Seele Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Seele Foundation give grants?
Seele Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Colby, KS (5 grants), Oakley, KS (4 grants) and Winona, KS (2 grants).
Does Seele Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Seele Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Seele Foundation's largest grantees?
Seele Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Citizens Health Foundation ($25,000), Friends of Pioneer Memorial Library ($20,000) and Logan County Community Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Seele Foundation?
Seele Foundation reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $110K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $221K (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 Seele Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including the Wild West Historical Foundation, which says its mission is to share the stories, history, and landscape of Plains culture and provide a venue for local community events and meetings. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Seele 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 Seele Foundation's EIN?
Seele Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5861027. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Seele 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
Live grants for the work Seele Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Seele Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Seele Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/seele-foundation-morg_94d4de9911424257a39fcff36bbe6e86
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205861027_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Seele Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/seele-foundation-morg_94d4de9911424257a39fcff36bbe6e86},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Seele 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.
Seele Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?