The Buck Foundation
The Buck Foundation is a private foundation based in Rogers, Arkansas. Established in 1986 by Douglas and Mildred Meyer Buck, it supports peace and social justice initiatives and climate action, and awards grants to nonprofit organizations.
The Buck Foundation at a glance
In short: The Buck Foundation gave $351K across 72 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Arkansas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $350,500
- +9.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 72
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,868
- +9.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $4,828,752
- -2.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Arkansas (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 The Buck Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and says it identifies and invites potential grantees to apply. Its website says grants are limited to 501(c)(3) organizations and nongovernmental agencies; it will not accept requests from individuals, for endowments or for capital campaigns. The 2024 filing describes a separate scholarship process: applications and information are available through the Rogers High School guidance counselor’s office, and certain prior recipients may apply for upperclassmen scholarships through the scholarship website. The filing says scholarships are currently limited to students graduating from Benton County, Arkansas, schools and recipients of Rogers Community Based Scholarships; selection factors include scholastic ability, need, and community and school service. Deadlines vary from year to year.
- Contact
Application contact: Rogers High School
Mailing address: 2300 S Dixieland Rd, Rogers, AR 72758
Phone: (479) 636-2202
Website: https://thebuckfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Buck Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rogers Development Foundation ($30K). Together the top 10 received $119K.
Organizations only. It also paid 57 individual scholarships ($220,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
347 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 347 grants of 347 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it awards grants mainly to qualified organizations in Colorado, particularly the Denver metro area, and occasionally makes small grants in board members’ home communities. The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to Arkansas recipients. Its scholarship restrictions, as described in the 2024 filing, concern students graduating from Benton County, Arkansas, schools and recipients of Rogers Community Based Scholarships.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 72 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Buck Foundation gives
- Giving grew 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 89% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $266K (2021) to $351K (2025). In 2025 it made 72 grants totaling $351K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rogers Development Foundation Rogers, AR | Support Organization | $30,000 |
| NWA Humane Society Rogers, AR | Support Organization | $20,000 |
| NWA Food Bank Bethel Heights, AR | Support Organization | $20,000 |
| First Friends Preschool Rogers, AR | Support Organization | $12,000 |
| Children's Advocacy Center of Benton CO Rogers, AR | Support Organization | $10,000 |
| 39 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $188,500 |
| Circle of Life Hospice Springdlae, AR | Support Organization | $8,000 |
| First Christian Church - Rogers (Grub Program) Rogers, AR | Support Organization | $6,000 |
| Arkansas Children's Hospital Rogers, AR | Support Organization | $5,000 |
| Seven Hills Homeless Center Fayetteville, AR | Support Organization | $5,000 |
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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 | $4,828,752 | $283,546 | $389,812 | $350,500 | 72 | $374,917 | $265,648 | $419,537 |
| 2024 | $4,930,297 | $247,686 | $355,110 | $321,000 | 72 | $332,258 | $224,834 | $356,348 |
| 2023 | $5,033,493 | $186,132 | $283,583 | $271,500 | 67 | $271,500 | $218,417 | $347,431 |
| 2022 | $5,130,253 | $183,662 | $295,519 | $280,000 | 68 | $285,894 | $177,097 | $391,554 |
| 2021 | $5,107,413 | $199,787 | $277,383 | $265,500 | 68 | — | $192,538 | $314,115 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Buck Foundation reported a distributable amount of $420K 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
The foundation describes its commitment as peace, social justice and the prevention of climate catastrophe. It says climate action was added to its mission in 2021. Its website describes climate partners as working on greenhouse-gas reduction, pollution, climate policy, clean energy, climate planning and energy efficiency. It describes peace and social justice partners as addressing root causes of inequity and injustice and helping community members access housing, education and basic needs.
The 2025 filing lists grants to organizations including the Rogers Development Foundation, which says it assists with projects and planning to improve the city of Rogers; Seven Hills Homeless Center, which describes programs intended to help clients build skills and achieve sustainability; Arkansas Children’s Hospital, which says it champions children’s health; and Ozark Natural Science Center, which says it provides education programs focused on understanding and stewardship of the Ozark natural environment.
Grantmaking
The 2025 filing reports 72 grants totaling $350,500. Individual grants ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median of $3,000. The filing describes the average grant size as $10,000 to $20,000; the foundation’s website says the average is $20,000 and that most grant partners have budgets under $1 million. The website says it makes general operating support grants and awards grants proactively by identifying and inviting potential grantees to apply.
Among the largest grants reported for 2025 were $30,000 to the Rogers Development Foundation, $20,000 each to NWA Humane Society and NWA Food Bank, $12,000 to First Friends Preschool, and $10,000 to Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County. The filing also lists scholarships of $8,000 to individual recipients.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jan G. Buck as president, Richard E. Buck as vice president and John Garner Buck as secretary.
The Buck Foundation is led by Jan G. Buck, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jan G. Buck
President
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Garner Buck
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard E. Buck
Vice President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Buck Foundation
How much does The Buck Foundation give each year?
The Buck Foundation gave $351K across 72 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $321K across 72 grants.
What is The Buck Foundation's typical grant size?
The Buck Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $4,868, across 72 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Buck Foundation give grants?
The Buck Foundation gives mostly in Arkansas: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Rogers, AR (10 grants) and Fayetteville, AR (2 grants).
Does The Buck Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 72 grants with a stated purpose on The Buck Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (57 grants) and "Support Organization" (15 grants).
Who are The Buck Foundation's largest grantees?
The Buck Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Rogers Development Foundation ($30,000), NWA Humane Society ($20,000) and NWA Food Bank ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 57 individual scholarships ($220,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Buck Foundation?
The Buck Foundation reported $4.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $375K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $420K (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 The Buck Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its commitment as peace, social justice and the prevention of climate catastrophe. It says climate action was added to its mission in 2021. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Buck Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and says it identifies and invites potential grantees to apply. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Buck Foundation's EIN?
The Buck Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 71-0824287. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Buck 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 October 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 The Buck Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Buck Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Buck Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-buck-foundation-morg_541f52323b5941ffade426ce292f8f44
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_710824287_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Buck Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-buck-foundation-morg_541f52323b5941ffade426ce292f8f44},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 The Buck 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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