Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County logo

Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County

Private foundation · Grantmaker Burlington, IA EIN: 42-1090677 Website

The Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County is a Form 990-PF private foundation based in Burlington, Iowa. Incorporated in 1951, it supports children and adults with disabilities and chronic health conditions through direct services and assistance related to health, rehabilitation, education, recreation, and daily activities.

Key facts about Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County

In short: Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County gave $81K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
42-1090677
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$80,890
Grants made (2025)
27
Average grant
$2,996
Median grant
$2,090
Total assets
$3,844,951
Primary geography
Iowa (76% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
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. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. 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

$3.8M

+6.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$81K

+29.7% YoY

Grant Count

27

+28.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

+0.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County reported a distributable amount of $190K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

How Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County gives

  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−16%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation’s stated mission is to provide direct service to children and adults with disabilities and chronic health conditions, and to assist with their health, welfare, rehabilitation, employment, education, recreation, and daily activities in Des Moines County.

Its E.B. Gnahn Scholarship Program is open to students with disabilities majoring in any field, as well as students majoring in health-related fields or special education. Applicants must have graduated from a Des Moines County high school or have been county residents for five years before applying; scholarships are renewable. The foundation also supports aquatic classes, activities, and camperships for people with disabilities or chronic health conditions.

In 2025, the foundation’s largest reported grants were for scholarships to colleges and universities. Southeastern Community College, which received $13,030, describes its role as awarding grants to its students; it reported that approximately 300 students received scholarships during the year. Other 2025 scholarship recipients included the University of Iowa, Central College, Drake University, Mount Mercy University, and St. Ambrose University.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $80,890. Grants ranged from $1,290 to $13,030, with a median of $2,090. The largest awards were $13,030 to Southeastern Community College and $9,650 to the University of Iowa, both for scholarships. Central College, Drake University, Mount Mercy University, and St. Ambrose University each received $4,180 for scholarships. Other listed scholarship recipients included Brown University and Creighton University, each receiving $2,090.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s direct-service programs, including medical equipment and supplies, are for Des Moines County residents. For the E.B. Gnahn Scholarship Program, applicants must be graduates of a Des Moines County high school or have been county residents for five years before applying. In 2025, 76% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa; the remaining reported shares included Missouri (5%), Rhode Island (3%), Nebraska (3%), and Maryland (3%).

Grant Distribution by State

11states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.

Cities

Des MoinesCedar RapidsAmesBurlingtonCedar FallsDavenportDubuqueGrimesIowa CityW BurlingtonDecorahMacombCedar RadipsFultonKirksvilleMarionMount PleasantOmahaPellaSpringfield

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$25K$50K$75K$100K17 grants2020 16 grants2021 19 grants2022 23 grants2023 21 grants2024 27 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $62K (2024) to $96K (2022). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $81K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Grant Size Distribution

106 grants across all recorded years

106<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 106 grants of 106 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
27 individual scholarships Recipients not named —$80,890

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grants reported Grant count
2025 $80,890 27
2024 $62,360 21
2023 $77,238 23
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$100K$200K$300K$400K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$3,844,951$3,603,214$3,282,537
Revenue$118,349$184,781$215,822
Expenses$251,280$218,106$197,895
Qualifying Distributions$191,674$171,578$154,428
Net Investment Income$58,492$126,683$163,468
Distributable Amount$189,772$174,888$164,784

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 11, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 5, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 6, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 24, 2025)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation’s website lists Margie Swanner as president, Dennis Stewart as first vice president, Leah Matteson as second vice president, Ed Carter as treasurer, and Barb Garcia as secretary. It lists Ricci Neilson and Kathy Ewinger as staff.

The 2025 filing also lists Dennis Stewart as first vice president and names Ruth Metzger, Sue Kristensen, Jodi Reusch, and Brian Helling as volunteers; Pat Cummings, Jill Mehaffy-Nalley, Christine Ertz, and Mark McGuire as board members; and Burton Prugh as a volunteer.

Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County is led by Margie Swanner, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 28 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Margie Swanner

    President

    2nd Vice President → 1st Vice President, 2023

    1st Vice President → President, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • US Bank

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    $20K (2020) → $0 (2025)

  • Brian Helling

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Burton Prugh

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Christine Ertz

    Board Member

    Volunteer → Board Member, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Dennis Stewart

    1st Vice President

    Volunteer → 1st Vice President, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Ed Carter

    Treasurer

    Volunteer → Board Member, 2024

    Board Member → Treasurer, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Evelyn Swearingen

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Janelle McGuire

    Board Member

    Volunteer → Board Member, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Joanie Power

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Judy Riffel

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Mark McGuire

    Board Member

    1st Vice President → President, 2023

    President → Board Member, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Pat Cummings

    Board Member

    Volunteer → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Robin Cushman

    Board Member

    Volunteer → Board Member, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Ruth Metzger

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Sue Kristensen

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • William Fry

    Board Memeber

    Treasurer → Board Memeber, 2025

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Jill Mehaffy-Nalley

    Board Member

    Volunteer → Board Member, 2025

    On filings since 2022

    No compensation reported

  • Jodi Reusch

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2022

    No compensation reported

  • Barb Garcia

    Secretary

    Volunteer → Secretary, 2025

    On filings since 2024

    No compensation reported

  • Debbie LONGCORE

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2024

    No compensation reported

  • Gary ORTH

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2024

    No compensation reported

  • Janet SCHNOEBLEN

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2024

    No compensation reported

  • Sue SATTLER

    Volunteer

    On filings since 2024

    No compensation reported

  • Heather Kienol

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    No compensation reported

  • Leah Matteson

    2nd Vice President

    New on the 2025 filing

    No compensation reported

  • Rhonda Miller

    Board Member

    New on the 2025 filing

    No compensation reported

  • Wayne Helmus

    Case Services Coordinator

    New on the 2025 filing

    No compensation reported

Former officers (17)
  • Former: Briana Martson (2023–2024) — Volunteer
  • Former: Roger Schulz (2023–2024) — Volunteer
  • Former: Chloe Hayes (2024) — Case Services Coordinator
  • Former: Barb Fenton (2020–2023) — Volunteer
  • Former: Paula Renard (2020–2023) — Volunteer
  • Former: Sam Warner (2020–2023) — Volunteer
  • Former: Amy Hayes (2021–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Howard Toops (2021–2023) — Volunteer
  • Former: Lisa Daly-Begner (2023) — Volunteer
  • Former: Patty Penrod (2020–2022) — Volunteer
  • Former: Sue Kristen (2022) — Volunteer
  • Former: Dianne Smrdel (2020–2021) — Volunteer
  • Former: Mark Rosenberg (2020–2021) — Volunteer
  • Former: Jake Hanks (2020) — Volunteer
  • Former: Joyce Cross (2020) — Volunteer
  • Former: Karen Olson (2020) — Volunteer
  • Former: Sherry Zeller (2020) — Secretary

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

US Bank — Trustee: $23KUS BankTrustee$23K

The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $23K, to US Bank (Trustee).

Contact

Mailing address: 829 Harrison Ave, Burlington, IA 52601
Phone: (319) 752-8222
Website: https://specialneedsdmc.org

Frequently asked questions about Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County

How much does Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County give each year?

Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County gave $81K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $62K across 21 grants.

What is Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County's typical grant size?

Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County's median grant in 2025 was $2,090, and its average grant was $2,996, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County give grants?

Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County gives mostly in Iowa: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (5%).

Does Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (27 grants).

How large is Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County?

Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County reported $3.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $192K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $190K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County fund?

The foundation’s stated mission is to provide direct service to children and adults with disabilities and chronic health conditions, and to assist with their health, welfare, rehabilitation, employment, education, recreation, and daily activities in Des Moines County. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County?

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 Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County's EIN?

Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1090677. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County 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.

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