The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation
THE JOHN R AND ZELDA Z GRUBB is a private foundation based in Urbandale, Iowa. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, nearly all of the grant dollars going to recipients in Iowa.
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation gave $569K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $44K), mostly in Iowa. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $569,321
- +46.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- -7.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $43,794
- +57.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $11,999,085
- -3.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 16131 Sharon Court, Urbandale, IA 50323
Phone: (515) 707-7202
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Variety Club ($250K). Together the top 10 received $556K.
Grant Size Distribution
82 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 82 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Iowa and 1% to recipients in Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $54K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $385K (2020) to $590K (2022). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $569K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Variety Club Des Moines, IA | Donation to general fund to provide aid/services to childserve committment | $250,250 |
| Iowa Health Care Association Foundation West Des Moines, IA | Donation to General Fund for Health Care Scholarships | $84,000 |
| Easter Seals Iowa Des Moines, IA | Donation to General Fund | $75,000 |
| Urbandale Parks and Recreation Urbandale, IA | Donation to General Fund | $57,071 |
| First United Methodist Church Des Moines, IA | Donation to General Fund | $40,000 |
| Animal Rescue League of Central Iowa Des Moines, IA | Animal protection and welfare - prevention of cruelty to animals | $15,000 |
| Festival of Trees and Lights Des Moines, IA | 2024 PLEDGE | $15,000 |
| Tori's Angels Foundation Panora, IA | Donation to General Fund | $10,000 |
| Children and Families of Iowa Des Moines, IA | Donation to General Fund | $5,000 |
| Hope Ministries Des Moines, IA | Donation to general fund to provide basic human services to those in need | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,999,085 | $436,887 | $728,735 | $569,321 | 13 | $598,390 | $427,779 | $605,263 |
| 2023 | $12,455,378 | $88,211 | $529,370 | $389,650 | 14 | $419,270 | $433,516 | $577,462 |
| 2022 | $12,755,731 | $1,133,026 | $905,493 | $590,250 | 20 | $720,893 | $321,495 | $533,284 |
| 2021 | $12,465,569 | $3,157,752 | $3,812,775 | $439,650 | 15 | $3,612,458 | $214,891 | $425,745 |
| 2020 | $14,084,214 | $6,286,223 | $5,754,590 | $385,019 | 20 | — | $201,234 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $605K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, the Iowa Health Care Association Foundation says its mission is to provide scholarships for employees of member facilities pursuing further health care education. Tori’s Angels Foundation says it assists Iowa families whose children have life-threatening medical conditions. Children and Families of Iowa says it assists youth, individuals, and families in becoming fully functioning members of society. Hope Ministries describes its work as providing meals, shelter, and life-recovery support to people in need.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $569,321. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $250,250, with a median of $15,000. Among the largest reported grants were $250,250 to Variety Club, $84,000 to the Iowa Health Care Association Foundation for health care scholarships, $75,000 to Easter Seals Iowa, $57,071 to Urbandale Parks and Recreation, and $40,000 to First United Methodist Church in Des Moines.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John W. Grubb as president and Kimberly D. Grubb as vice president, secretary, and treasurer.
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation is led by John W. Grubb, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John W. Grubb
President
President & Secretary → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly D. Grubb
Vice President, Secretary & Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation
How much does The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation give each year?
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation gave $569K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $390K across 14 grants.
What is The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $43,794, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation that year got $22K on average.
Where does The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation give grants?
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (9 grants).
Does The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 69% of The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Variety Club ($250,250), Iowa Health Care Association Foundation ($84,000) and Easter Seals Iowa ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation?
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation reported $12.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $598K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $605K (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 John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, the Iowa Health Care Association Foundation says its mission is to provide scholarships for employees of member facilities pursuing further health care education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation?
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 The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-6521745. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 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 October 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-r-and-zelda-z-grubb-charitable-foundation-morg_e1cc6cbe877a4e71be8282c116a94611
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_426521745_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-r-and-zelda-z-grubb-charitable-foundation-morg_e1cc6cbe877a4e71be8282c116a94611},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 John R and Zelda Z Grubb Charitable 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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