The Growmark Foundation
The GROWMARK Foundation is a private foundation based in Bloomington, Illinois. It supports education and programming for the future of agriculture, including scholarships, agricultural education and leadership development, cooperative education, and community activities.
The Growmark Foundation at a glance
In short: The Growmark Foundation gave $1.0M across 171 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Illinois. 42% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,031,713
- +20.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 171
- -9.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,033
- +32.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $2,333,366
- -26.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (66 of 157, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (50% 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 The Growmark Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its community college funding request form asks for an event description, how the event will develop students, fundraising being completed, and the amount requested.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 scholarship application deadline was March 31, 2026; the Foundation’s scholarship page states that the application is closed.
- Deadline
- The 2026 scholarship application deadline was March 31, 2026; the Foundation’s scholarship page states that the…
- Contact
Mailing address: 1705 Towanda Ave, Bloomington, IL 61701
Phone: (309) 557-6469
Website: https://growmark.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Growmark Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Illinois Foundation ($133K). Together the top 10 received $631K.
Organizations only. It also paid 10 individual scholarships ($24,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
860 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 837 grants of 860 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 50% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 13% to Iowa, 10% to Indiana, 7% to Wisconsin, and 6% to Missouri. The scholarship program is open to eligible students at institutions in the United States and Ontario, Canada.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 171 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Growmark Foundation open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 66 of 157 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 41% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $809K (2021) to $2.5M (2023). In 2025 it made 171 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Foundation Chicago, IL | For Student Scholarships | $132,950 |
| IAA Foundation Bloomington, IL | For Support of Agricultural Activities | $120,000 |
| National FFA Foundation Indianapolis, IN | For Support of Agricultural Leadership Activities | $100,800 |
| Midwest Food Bank Normal, IL | For Support of Community Charitable Activities | $55,150 |
| Agriculture Future of America Kansas City, MO | For Support of Agricultural Activities | $55,000 |
| Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation Bloomington, IL | For Support of Agricultural Leadership Activities | $42,800 |
| Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation Madison, WI | For Support of Agricultural Activities | $42,500 |
| Iowa Agriculture Literacy West Des Moines, IA | For Support of Agricultural Activities | $29,500 |
| Iowa State University Foundation Ames, IA | For Support of Education | $26,527 |
| Childrens Discovery Museum Normal, IL | For Support of Community Charitable Activities | $25,500 |
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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 | $2,333,366 | $188,238 | $1,043,198 | $1,031,713 | 171 | $1,031,713 | $69,316 | $27,491 |
| 2024 | $3,185,826 | $133,351 | $869,134 | $854,906 | 188 | $854,906 | $105,430 | $21,119 |
| 2023 | $3,930,630 | $269,277 | $2,522,778 | $2,505,692 | 180 | $2,505,692 | $130,829 | $18,841 |
| 2022 | $6,175,344 | $4,114,733 | $1,296,076 | $906,843 | 159 | $906,843 | $95,744 | $61,654 |
| 2021 | $3,358,953 | $2,062,034 | $926,912 | $808,597 | 162 | $808,597 | $53,046 | $31,611 |
| 2020 | $2,240,246 | $134,770 | $895,739 | $879,186 | 154 | — | $69,514 | $26,088 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Growmark Foundation reported a distributable amount of $27K 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
The Foundation says it focuses on programs that support the vitality of agriculture, agricultural education, consumer understanding of agriculture’s contributions to society and the economy, agricultural leadership development, and education about the benefits of the cooperative way of doing business. It also describes funding programs related to education, the cooperative spirit, agriculture, community involvement, youth, and leadership development.
Its grants include support for scholarships, agricultural activities and leadership, education, and community charitable activities. Among the supported organizations, Agriculture Future of America describes its mission as building bridges for young leaders to foster engagement and innovation in food and agriculture. Wisconsin Farm Bureau Foundation says it conducts or financially aids activities that educate young people and develop leadership in the agricultural sector. Midwest Food Bank’s 2025 grant was designated for community charitable activities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the Foundation reported 171 grants totaling $1,031,713. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $132,950, with a median grant of $2,000.
The largest reported grants included $132,950 to the University of Illinois Foundation for student scholarships; $120,000 to IAA Foundation for agricultural activities; $100,800 to National FFA Foundation for agricultural leadership activities; $55,150 to Midwest Food Bank for community charitable activities; and $55,000 to Agriculture Future of America for agricultural activities. Other notable awards included $42,800 to Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation for agricultural leadership activities and $29,500 to Iowa Agriculture Literacy for agricultural activities.
The Foundation’s scholarship program offers 55 scholarships of $2,000 each to students pursuing agriculture- or business-related degrees or certificates at colleges, universities, and technical schools in the United States and Ontario, Canada. Separately, the Foundation says it partners with select schools to support agricultural student groups through costs such as technology, networking events, competitions, and program enhancements. These are student-support programs, not general grant application opportunities for outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bradley Drake, Karmy Kays, Matthew Lurkins, Jeff Lynch, Mark Weilbacher, Mark Orr, and Ashley McClintock as directors, and Mark Hansen as secretary.
The Growmark Foundation's 2025 filing lists 8 officers; none of the 8 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jeff Lynch
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mark Orr
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Bradley Drake
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Karmy Kays
Director
Director → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Mark Weilbacher
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Ashley McClintock
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Matthew Lurkins
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Mark Hansen
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Barry Schmidt (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Bill Covey (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Wade Mittelstadt (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Ann Kafer (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Brent D Bostrom (2020) — Director
- Former: Brent Ericson (2020) — Director
- Former: James W Spradlin (2020) — Director
- Former: Mike Turner (2020) — Director
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 The Growmark Foundation
How much does The Growmark Foundation give each year?
The Growmark Foundation gave $1.0M across 171 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $855K across 188 grants.
What is The Growmark Foundation's typical grant size?
The Growmark Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $6,033, across 171 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Growmark Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Growmark Foundation give grants?
The Growmark Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Iowa (13%) and Indiana (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bloomington, IL (17 grants), Normal, IL (10 grants), Bellevue, IA (5 grants) and Springfield, IL (4 grants).
Does The Growmark Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 171 grants with a stated purpose on The Growmark Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "For Support of Community Charitable Activities" (72 grants), "For Student Scholarships" (48 grants) and "For Support of Agricultural Activities" (24 grants).
Who are The Growmark Foundation's largest grantees?
The Growmark Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Illinois Foundation ($132,950), IAA Foundation ($120,000) and National FFA Foundation ($100,800), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 10 individual scholarships ($24,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Growmark Foundation?
The Growmark Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $27K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Growmark Foundation fund?
The Foundation says it focuses on programs that support the vitality of agriculture, agricultural education, consumer understanding of agriculture’s contributions to society and the economy, agricultural leadership development, and education about the benefits of the cooperative way of doing business. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Growmark Foundation?
The Foundation 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 The Growmark Foundation's EIN?
The Growmark Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 37-1401632. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Growmark 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Growmark Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-growmark-foundation-morg_f2c80d407aa7454d9996505c0d618d0c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_371401632_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Growmark Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-growmark-foundation-morg_f2c80d407aa7454d9996505c0d618d0c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Growmark 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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