The Clayton and Billie Poenisch
THE CLAYTON AND BILLIE POENISCH is a private foundation based in Wray, Colorado. It makes charitable donations to educational institutions, community organizations, and organizations supporting child healthcare and well-being.
Key facts about The Clayton and Billie Poenisch
In short: The Clayton and Billie Poenisch gave $210K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Tennessee. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990 filing.
- EIN
- 45-3420290
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $210,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- Average grant
- $11,053
- Median grant
- $9,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (4 of 19, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (15% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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 filing · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$210K
+8.8% YoY
Grant Count
19
-26.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$11K
+48.9% YoY
Is The Clayton and Billie Poenisch open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 19 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $9K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes its charitable activity as educational funding for institutions of higher learning and other educational institutions and charities; support for community organizations, including those serving homeless women, volunteer fire departments, and community gardens; and funding for organizations supporting child healthcare and well-being.
Its 2025 grants included $15,000 to Alice Lloyd College. The college describes its mission as educating mountain people for leadership by making its education accessible to qualified mountain students regardless of their financial situation. The foundation also gave $5,000 to Pencils of Promise, which says it works to expand children’s access to quality education, and $9,000 to Wray Area Foundation, which says it supports local education, school recreation, community development, and families experiencing financial hardship. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $210,000 through 19 grants. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $32,500, with a median of $9,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Wray, Colorado. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states; the largest state shares were Tennessee and Colorado at 15% each, followed by Florida (14%), North Carolina (9%), and Nebraska (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2019) to $210K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $210K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Orphanos Foundation ($33K). Together the top 10 received $160K.
Grant Size Distribution
114 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 114 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Orphanos Foundation Cordova, TN | Charitable | $32,500 |
| Shriners Hospital for Children Tampa, FL | Charitable | $30,000 |
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | Charitable | $18,125 |
| Alice Lloyd College Pippa Passes, KY | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Garden County Schools Oshkosh, NE | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Operation Kids Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Salvation Army of Coastal Bend Corpus Christi, TX | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Tohono Chul Park Inc Tuscon, AZ | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Wray Area Foundation Inc Wray, CO | Charitable | $9,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $210,000 | 19 |
| 2024 | $192,986 | 26 |
| 2023 | $151,167 | 24 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Clayton Poenisch as president; Carl M. Poenisch as vice president; Donna Patterson as treasurer; Sydonia Ann Poenisch as secretary; and Billie Neil Poenisch, Brady Poenisch, and Jeff Cooper as directors.
The Clayton and Billie Poenisch is led by Clayton Poenisch, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Clayton Poenisch
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Billie Neil Poenisch
Director
Vice President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brady Poenisch
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeff Cooper
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carl M. Poenisch
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sydonia Ann Poenisch
Secretary
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Donna Patterson
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 314, Wray, CO 80758
Phone: (970) 332-5091
Frequently asked questions about The Clayton and Billie Poenisch
How much does The Clayton and Billie Poenisch give each year?
The Clayton and Billie Poenisch gave $210K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2024 it gave $193K across 26 grants.
What is The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's typical grant size?
The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's median grant in 2025 was $9,000, and its average grant was $11,053, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Clayton and Billie Poenisch that year got $13K on average.
Where does The Clayton and Billie Poenisch give grants?
The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's top state is Tennessee, with 15% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. The next largest states were Colorado (15%) and Florida (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wray, CO (4 grants) and Oshkosh, NE (2 grants).
Does The Clayton and Billie Poenisch give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's 2025 IRS Form 990 filing were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (19 grants).
Who are The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's largest grantees?
The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's largest 2025 grantees include Orphanos Foundation ($32,500), Shriners Hospital for Children ($30,000) and Samaritan's Purse ($18,125), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does The Clayton and Billie Poenisch fund?
The foundation describes its charitable activity as educational funding for institutions of higher learning and other educational institutions and charities; support for community organizations, including those serving homeless women, volunteer fire departments, and community gardens; and funding for organizations supporting child healthcare and well-being. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Clayton and Billie Poenisch?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's EIN?
The Clayton and Billie Poenisch's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3420290. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Clayton and Billie Poenisch accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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