The McPherson Foundation
The McPherson Foundation is a private foundation based in Incline Village, Nevada. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable, religious, educational, and amateur sports organizations, alongside charitable activities involving wild birds, wildlife observation, and coral reef rehabilitation.
The McPherson Foundation at a glance
In short: The McPherson Foundation gave $4K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $351.8), mostly in Nevada. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,518
- -93.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $352
- -94.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $151
- Total assets
- $440,716
- -1.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (5 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Nevada (84% 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 McPherson 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: PO Box 3464, Incline Vlg, NV 89450-3464
Phone: (775) 527-0630
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The McPherson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Rotary ($1K). Together the top 10 received $4K.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 52 grants of 53 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Nevada, 84%; Hawaii, 15%; and California, 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The McPherson Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 10 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $159; repeat grants $544. How we count
Medians: $75 first-time, $252 repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 66% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 66% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $4K (2025) to $55K (2024). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $4K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Rotary Incline Village, NV | charitable | $1,279 |
| The Village Church Incline Village, NV | Religious | $1,000 |
| Maui Ocean Center Wailuku, HI | Charitable | $524 |
| Tahoe Family Solutions Incline Village, NV | charitable | $252 |
| Village Christian Academy Incline Village, NV | Educational | $170 |
| Village Christian Thrift Store Incline Village, NV | charitable | $132 |
| Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundati Incline Village, NV | Amateur Sports | $75 |
| Tahoe Forest Hospice Incline Village, NV | charitable | $58 |
| Maui Cat Rescue Kahului, HI | Prevention of Animal Cruelty | $15 |
| Mammoth Lakes Hospital Mammoth Lakes, CA | charitable | $13 |
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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 | $440,716 | $18,271 | $20,764 | $3,518 | 10 | $14,310 | $18,046 | $21,658 |
| 2024 | $447,622 | $26,981 | $73,122 | $55,161 | 9 | $73,122 | $21,451 | $22,761 |
| 2023 | $503,494 | $3,216 | $44,939 | $25,321 | 12 | $44,939 | $3,171 | $24,581 |
| 2022 | $516,069 | $20,374 | $30,114 | $10,429 | 8 | $30,114 | $20,274 | $24,379 |
| 2021 | $518,245 | $13,514 | $23,751 | $8,831 | 14 | $10,237 | — | $25,804 |
| 2020 | $529,630 | $2,823 | $38,456 | $21,264 | 9 | — | — | $27,088 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The McPherson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $22K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2025 filing describes direct activities including feeding and observing wild birds, observing wild animals in their native habitat, and researching coral reef rehabilitation. It also reports a grant to Maui Ocean Center for coral gardening.
Among its grantees, Tahoe Family Solutions describes its mission as providing key resources and enhancing skills for families in the Tahoe Basin. Maui Cat Rescue describes its work as promoting animal welfare through rescue, care, temporary housing, adoption placement, volunteer-supported transport, community engagement, education, and public outreach supporting Hawai‘i’s rescue cat population.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $3,518 through 10 grants. Grants ranged from $13 to $1,279, with a median of $151. The largest grants included $1,279 to Rotary in Incline Village, Nevada, for charitable purposes; $1,000 to The Village Church in Incline Village for religious purposes; and $524 to Maui Ocean Center in Wailuku, Hawaii, for charitable purposes. Other recipients included Tahoe Family Solutions ($252), Village Christian Academy ($170), Village Christian Thrift Store ($132), Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundation ($75), Tahoe Forest Hospice ($58), Maui Cat Rescue ($15), and Mammoth Lakes Hospital ($13).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Judith A Spees, Frank W Spees Jr, and Kristen C Marchello as directors.
The McPherson Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Frank W Spees Jr.
Director
Secretary → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$3K (2020) → $0 (2025)
Judith A Spees
Director
President → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$8K (2020) → $6K (2025)
Kristen C Spees Marchello
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $6K, to Judith A Spees (Director).
Frequently asked questions about The McPherson Foundation
How much does The McPherson Foundation give each year?
The McPherson Foundation gave $4K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $55K across 9 grants.
What is The McPherson Foundation's typical grant size?
The McPherson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $151, and its average grant was $352, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The McPherson Foundation that year got $159 on average.
Where does The McPherson Foundation give grants?
The McPherson Foundation gives mostly in Nevada: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Hawaii (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Incline Village, NV (7 grants).
Does The McPherson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The McPherson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (6 grants).
Who are The McPherson Foundation's largest grantees?
The McPherson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Rotary ($1,279), The Village Church ($1,000) and Maui Ocean Center ($524), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The McPherson Foundation?
The McPherson Foundation reported $441K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $14K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $22K (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 McPherson Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The foundation’s 2025 filing describes direct activities including feeding and observing wild birds, observing wild animals in their native habitat, and researching coral reef rehabilitation. It also reports a grant to Maui Ocean Center for coral gardening. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The McPherson 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 McPherson Foundation's EIN?
The McPherson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0639053. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The McPherson 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 October 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 May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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