The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson is a private foundation based in Fountain Hills, Arizona. It reported 22 grants totaling $281,500 in 2025.
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson at a glance
In short: The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson gave $282K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), top state South Dakota. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $281,500
- +38.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +83.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,795
- -24.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,500
- Total assets
- $2,144,499
- -1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (5 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- South Dakota (49% 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 Johnnie and Shirley Johnson
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 10123 North Azure Vista Trail, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
Phone: (612) 751-1750
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Black Hills State University Foundation ($127K). Together the top 10 received $252K.
Grant Size Distribution
92 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 92 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in South Dakota (49%), Minnesota (28%), Arizona (19%), Colorado (2%), and New York (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 22 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 41% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 293% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $100K (2020) to $290K (2023). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $282K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Black Hills State University Foundation Spearfish, SD | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $127,000 |
| Scottsdale Bible Church Scottsdale, AZ | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $50,000 |
| St Andrews Luthern Church Mahtomedi, MN | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Children's Hospital Association St. Paul, MN | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $10,000 |
| Eagle Brook Church Centerville, MN | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $10,000 |
| Spearfish Senior Center Spearfish, SD | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $10,000 |
| Warrior Dog Rescue Savage, MN | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $6,500 |
| Liberty Classical Academy White Bear Lake, MN | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $6,000 |
| Reaching Our Communities Kids Prior Lake, MN | To achieve the goals of the Organization | $6,000 |
| Hill Murray Foundation Maplewood, MN | Nicholas Center | $6,000 |
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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 | $2,144,499 | $157,119 | $327,373 | $281,500 | 22 | $301,301 | $144,876 | $102,855 |
| 2024 | $2,176,868 | $546,626 | $261,567 | $203,545 | 12 | $224,488 | $509,547 | $97,543 |
| 2023 | $2,035,158 | $53,014 | $320,537 | $290,382 | 17 | $309,875 | $42,352 | $92,010 |
| 2022 | $1,886,160 | $577,411 | $290,040 | $259,926 | 20 | $279,295 | $563,666 | $84,654 |
| 2021 | $2,143,350 | $384,568 | $222,730 | $158,000 | 21 | $159,114 | $320,952 | $87,649 |
| 2020 | $1,812,521 | $77,165 | $124,988 | $99,587 | 13 | — | $69,970 | $71,633 |
| 2019 | $1,569,415 | $51,199 | $109,820 | $99,700 | 13 | — | $43,064 | $72,806 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson reported a distributable amount of $103K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a university foundation, churches, a children’s hospital association, a senior center, a dog rescue, and a private school.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Children’s Hospital Association says it supports supplemental and essential health care programs and services for children and families receiving care at Children’s Minnesota. Warrior Dog Rescue says it works to rescue, care for, foster, and find homes for dogs. Liberty Classical Academy describes itself as an independent private school offering college-preparatory academics and Christian faith in the classical tradition.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 22 grants totaling $281,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $127,000, with a median of $4,500. The largest grants included $127,000 to Black Hills State University Foundation, $50,000 to Scottsdale Bible Church, and $20,000 to St Andrews Luthern Church. Other grants included $10,000 each to Children’s Hospital Association, Eagle Brook Church, and Spearfish Senior Center.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Johnnie D Johnson as Chair/President, Shirley J Johnson as Vice-Chair, Jason J Johnson as Treasurer, Leslie A Helmbacher as Secretary, and Stacia A Wilson as Director.
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson is led by Johnnie D Johnson, Chair & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Johnnie D Johnson
Chair & President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stacia A Wilson
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason J Johnson
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leslie A Helmbacher
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shirley J Johnson
Vice Chair
On filings since 2019
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson
How much does The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson give each year?
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson gave $282K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $204K across 12 grants.
What is The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's typical grant size?
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's median grant in 2025 was $4,500, and its average grant was $12,795, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson that year got $13K on average.
Where does The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson give grants?
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's top state is South Dakota, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Minnesota (28%) and Arizona (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Spearfish, SD (2 grants), St. Paul, MN (2 grants), Prior Lake, MN (2 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (2 grants).
Does The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To achieve the goals of the Organization" (20 grants).
Who are The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's largest grantees?
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's largest 2025 grantees include Black Hills State University Foundation ($127,000), Scottsdale Bible Church ($50,000) and St Andrews Luthern Church ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson?
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $301K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $103K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for a university foundation, churches, a children’s hospital association, a senior center, a dog rescue, and a private school. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson?
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 Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's EIN?
The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3808606. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 21, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 12, 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 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 5, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-johnnie-and-shirley-johnson-morg_b36bbef59a2e448aac128416f778f89b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453808606_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Johnnie and Shirley Johnson funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-johnnie-and-shirley-johnson-morg_b36bbef59a2e448aac128416f778f89b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-24. 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 Johnnie and Shirley Johnson'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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