The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Lincoln, Nebraska. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including food assistance, social services, healthcare, education, and religious services.
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation gave $363K across 28 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Nebraska. 4% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $363,000
- -8.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 28
- +3.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,964
- -12.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $8,235,156
- +15.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 4% first-time grantees (1 of 28, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Nebraska (87% 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 Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. No particular form is required, there are no deadlines, and there are no restrictions on awards. The filing lists “VOLKMER FAM FDTN GRANT APPLICATION” as the contact.
- Contact
Application contact: Volkmer Fam Fdtn Grant Application
Mailing address: Lee M Volkmer 5405 Ellendale Road, Lincoln, NE 68510
Phone: (402) 489-7914
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Catholic Social Services ($50K). Together the top 10 received $201K.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 127 grants of 129 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nebraska. Colorado, South Dakota, and Montana each accounted for 4%. Listed Nebraska recipients include organizations in Lincoln, Omaha, and Waverly; the largest listed out-of-state grants went to recipients in Denver, Colorado, Pine Ridge, South Dakota, and Ashland, Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation open to new grantees?
4%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 1 of 28 grantees (4%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 70% 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 $224K (2020) to $398K (2023). In 2024 it made 28 grants totaling $363K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic Social Services Lincoln, NE | To support general programs of the organization $25,000; to support the gianna house $25,000. | $50,000 |
| Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach Lincoln, NE | To Support General Programs of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Food Bank of Lincoln Lincoln, NE | To Support General Programs of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Women's Care Center Lincoln, NE | To Support General Programs of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Focus Denver, CO | To Support Missionaries in the Organization. | $16,000 |
| St Teresa's Catholic School Lincoln, NE | To Support General Programs of the Organization | $15,000 |
| Tabitha Health Care Services Lincoln, NE | To support meals on wheels program of the organization | $15,000 |
| Cues Omaha, NE | To Support General Programs of the Organization | $15,000 |
| Red Cloud Indian School Pine Ridge, SD | To Support General Programs of the Organization | $15,000 |
| St Labre Indian School Ashland, MT | To Support General Programs of the Organization | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family 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 | $8,235,156 | $1,443,555 | $364,854 | $363,000 | 28 | $363,653 | $956,963 | $521,940 |
| 2023 | $7,156,455 | $814,581 | $420,945 | $398,000 | 27 | $398,583 | $267,512 | $447,094 |
| 2022 | $6,762,819 | $3,788,410 | $369,127 | $354,000 | 24 | $357,347 | $882,706 | $404,788 |
| 2021 | $3,343,816 | $1,126,290 | $329,946 | $314,000 | 26 | $319,644 | $406,495 | $335,170 |
| 2020 | $2,547,859 | $968,459 | $232,199 | $224,000 | 24 | — | $262,248 | $176,541 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $522K 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 reported grants include support for general programs, food assistance, a Meals on Wheels program, the Gianna House, and missionaries.
Grantees describe their work in varied ways. Catholic Social Services says it performs works of mercy that include providing food, clothing, shelter, and prison ministry, as well as counseling and other spiritual works. The Food Bank of Lincoln says it meets emergency food needs across 16 southeastern Nebraska counties by distributing food through nonprofit partner agencies. Clinic with a Heart says it provides free health and spiritual care to uninsured and underinsured people. People’s City Mission says it provides temporary housing and assistance to homeless individuals in the Lincoln area.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $363,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Among the largest grants were $50,000 to Catholic Social Services, including support for its general programs and the Gianna House; $20,000 each to Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach, Food Bank of Lincoln, and Women’s Care Center; and $16,000 to FOCUS.
Other reported 2024 recipients include St. Teresa’s Catholic School, Tabitha Health Care Services, CUES, Red Cloud Indian School, St. Labre Indian School, Villa Marie School, and Cedar’s Home for Children. Additional recipients listed for 2024 include Clinic with a Heart ($10,000), Bethlehem House ($8,000), and People’s City Mission ($8,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mary Volkmer as president; Lee M. Volkmer as secretary/treasurer; and Michael G. Volkmer and Jill T. Edstrand as directors.
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation is led by Mary Volkmer, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mary Volkmer
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jill T. Edstrand
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael G. Volkmer
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lee M. Volkmer
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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 Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation
How much does The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation give each year?
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation gave $363K across 28 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $398K across 27 grants.
What is The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,964, across 28 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation give grants?
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation gives mostly in Nebraska: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lincoln, NE (17 grants) and Omaha, NE (4 grants).
Does The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 89% of The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Catholic Social Services ($50,000), Matt Talbot Kitchen and Outreach ($20,000) and Food Bank of Lincoln ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation?
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation reported $8.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $364K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $522K (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 Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported grants include support for general programs, food assistance, a Meals on Wheels program, the Gianna House, and missionaries. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation's EIN?
The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3937168. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lee-and-mary-volkmer-family-foundation-morg_e3f0463e448b4627bb9fbda30ab600f7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203937168_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lee and Mary Volkmer Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lee-and-mary-volkmer-family-foundation-morg_e3f0463e448b4627bb9fbda30ab600f7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Lee and Mary Volkmer Family 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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