Sunnen Foundation
Sunnen Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 filing reports grants for community and educational support, including awards to organizations working in areas such as food access, disability services, reproductive health, family support, and early-childhood literacy.
Sunnen Foundation at a glance
In short: Sunnen Foundation gave $1.4M across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $48K), mostly in Missouri. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,435,145
- +8.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- +7.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $47,838
- +1.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $15,122,511
- +0.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (10 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (88% 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 Sunnen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Kurt Kallaus. The initial approach must be by letter or a copy of the complete proposal; the filing says program policies and application guidelines are available. Refer to the policy statement for award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are taken throughout the year. The board generally meets once a year in the fall.
- Deadline
- Applications are taken throughout the year.
- Contact
Application contact: Kurt Kallaus
Mailing address: PO Box 430007, St Louis, MO 63143
Phone: (314) 707-7007
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sunnen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was YMCA of the Ozarks ($336K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
130 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 130 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri. The filing also reports shares for Alabama (6%), Connecticut (5%), Georgia (1%), and Virginia (0%). The reported figures may not sum to 100% because of rounding.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sunnen Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 30 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $70K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $22K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 44% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 118% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 $604K (2021) to $1.4M (2025). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| YMCA of the Ozarks Potosi, MO | Community Support | $336,026 |
| Operation Food Search St. Louis, MO | Community Support | $230,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of St Louis St. Louis, MO | Educational Support | $225,000 |
| L'arche St Louis Brentwood, MO | Community Support | $135,000 |
| Home Sweet Home Brentwood, MO | Community Support | $100,000 |
| Planned Parenthood - Southeast Birmingham, AL | Educational Support | $80,056 |
| Planned Parenthood of Southern New England New Haven, CT | Educational Support | $70,000 |
| Ranken Jordan Maryland Heights, MO | Community Support | $51,000 |
| CASA of St Louis St. Louis, MO | Community Support | $50,000 |
| BCI Inc St Peters, MO | Community Support | $24,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sunnen 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 | $15,122,511 | $1,770,276 | $1,805,587 | $1,435,145 | 30 | $1,437,508 | $1,613,400 | $1,213,716 |
| 2024 | $14,993,212 | $2,492,844 | $1,514,627 | $1,318,959 | 28 | $1,324,850 | $2,312,303 | $1,132,697 |
| 2023 | $14,014,995 | $1,491,407 | $1,171,220 | $955,750 | 29 | $967,090 | $1,325,785 | $956,971 |
| 2022 | $13,734,224 | $2,030,669 | $1,235,286 | $1,000,000 | 22 | $1,006,744 | $1,906,663 | $951,710 |
| 2021 | $12,934,533 | $1,321,789 | $829,114 | $603,775 | 21 | $612,140 | $1,178,779 | $1,052,606 |
| 2020 | $12,421,397 | $821,762 | $859,177 | $755,900 | 24 | — | $722,324 | $812,552 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sunnen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include awards designated for community support and educational support. Among the grantees, Operation Food Search describes its mission as addressing hunger through food and collaborative solutions; L’Arche St. Louis describes providing neighborhood-home support and inclusive educational opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities; and Home Sweet Home describes providing basic household furnishings to underserved families.
Other 2025 grantees describe work in reproductive health and education, advocacy for children and youth, family support during divorce, early-childhood literacy, and home-based services for babies and families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $1,435,145. Grants ranged from $500 to $336,026, with a median of $10,000. The largest awards included $336,026 to YMCA of the Ozarks, $230,000 to Operation Food Search, $225,000 to Planned Parenthood of St. Louis, $135,000 to L’Arche St. Louis, and $100,000 to Home Sweet Home.
The filing identifies Kurt Kallaus as the contact for applications. It states that policy statements for the program and grant-application guidelines are available, and that the initial approach must be by letter or a copy of the complete proposal. Applications are taken throughout the year; the board generally meets once a year in the fall. For restrictions on awards, the filing directs applicants to the policy statement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kurt Kallaus as president, Matthew S Kreider as vice president, Susan Brasel as secretary/treasurer, and Kate Dando as director.
Sunnen Foundation is led by Kurt Kallaus, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kurt Kallaus
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kate Dando
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew S. Kreider
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan Brasel
Secretary & Treasurer
Treasurer → Secretary & Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Helen Sly (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Ruth Cardinale (2020–2022) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about Sunnen Foundation
How much does Sunnen Foundation give each year?
Sunnen Foundation gave $1.4M across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.3M across 28 grants.
What is Sunnen Foundation's typical grant size?
Sunnen Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $47,838, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sunnen Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Sunnen Foundation give grants?
Sunnen Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Alabama (6%) and Connecticut (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (10 grants), Brentwood, MO (2 grants), Birmingham, AL (2 grants) and Maplewood, MO (2 grants).
Does Sunnen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Sunnen Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Support" (25 grants) and "Educational Support" (5 grants).
Who are Sunnen Foundation's largest grantees?
Sunnen Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include YMCA of the Ozarks ($336,026), Operation Food Search ($230,000) and Planned Parenthood of St Louis ($225,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sunnen Foundation?
Sunnen Foundation reported $15.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sunnen Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include awards designated for community support and educational support. Among the grantees, Operation Food Search describes its mission as addressing hunger through food and collaborative solutions; L’Arche St. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sunnen Foundation?
Contact Kurt Kallaus. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sunnen Foundation's EIN?
Sunnen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-6029156. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 22, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sunnen Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sunnen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sunnen-foundation-morg_de532a3f0d8c4c208ef10bd6336bd8c4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_436029156_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sunnen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sunnen-foundation-morg_de532a3f0d8c4c208ef10bd6336bd8c4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Sunnen 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.
Sunnen Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?