The Melsness Family Foundation
The Melsness Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Stevensville, Montana. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $453,102 through 20 grants to charitable organizations.
The Melsness Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Melsness Family Foundation gave $453K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $23K), mostly in Washington. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $453,102
- +5.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,655
- +5.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $980,609
- +130.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (5 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (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 Melsness Family 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: 888 South Burnt Fork, Stevensville, MT 59870
Phone: (253) 858-2922
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Melsness Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was One Spirit ($101K). Together the top 10 received $388K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 84 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Washington (50%), South Dakota (22%), Nevada (13%), Michigan (11%), and Alaska (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Melsness Family Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 20 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 69% from 2022 to 2025. 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 (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 $80K (2021) to $453K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $453K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| One Spirit Rapid City, SD | To provide assistance to lakota children and families with material needs | $101,241 |
| Watsons Childrens Shelter Mussoula, MI | To provide safety, nurturing, and stability to children & families through quality services and trauma-informed care. | $50,000 |
| Gig Harbor Kiwanis International Gig Harbor, WA | Service projects to improve the life of children in gig harbor and the world | $40,000 |
| Project 150 Reno, NV | To provide free support and services to homeless, displaced, and disadvantaged high school students so they can remain in school, graduate, and build bright futures. | $40,000 |
| Vine Maple Place Maple Valley, WA | To end family homelessness in south King county, resulting in healthier communities where every child and parent has a stable home to grow and thrive. | $40,000 |
| South Sound Care Foundation Tacoma, WA | South sound care foundation brings the opportunity for life saving, cutting edge cancer clinical trials to all patients in the south sound. | $34,000 |
| Food and Backpacks 4 Kids Lakebay, WA | To meet the nutritional needs of hungry children and families at times when other resources are not available and to be a stable source of healthy foods for those who need it most. | $25,000 |
| Caring for Kids Fircrest, WA | To help raise healthy, happy, productive kids who are ready to learn! | $25,000 |
| Serving Our Kids Foundation Henderson, NV | To provide hope and a brighter future for at-risk, food-insecure children by providing them a weekly, weekend meal bag through a vast group of donors, advocates and volunteers who work to help us end child hunger across the valley. | $20,000 |
| Compassion Washington Tacoma, WA | To unite with communities to share the compassion of christ by providing free healthcare clinics and fighting human trafficking. | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Melsness 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $980,609 | $1,013,064 | $458,391 | $453,102 | 20 | $453,102 | $13,064 | $159 |
| 2024 | $425,936 | $538,710 | $435,772 | $429,790 | 20 | $429,790 | $11,910 | $1,385 |
| 2023 | $322,998 | $327,771 | $392,138 | $380,130 | 20 | $380,130 | $5,771 | $10,367 |
| 2022 | $387,365 | $250,000 | $280,874 | $267,587 | 19 | $267,587 | — | $18,740 |
| 2021 | $418,239 | $300,000 | $84,426 | $80,497 | 5 | $80,497 | — | $9,998 |
| 2020 | $202,665 | $101,000 | $163,304 | $159,500 | 20 | — | — | $12,017 |
| 2019 | $264,969 | $400,000 | $163,400 | $159,534 | 22 | — | — | $1,595 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Melsness Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $159 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 organizations working in areas such as children’s and family support, food assistance, homelessness, cancer care, and youth programs. For example, One Spirit describes its mission as meeting basic needs of Lakota families, children, and elders while supporting Lakota culture, language, and self-sufficiency. Vine Maple Place says it works to stop family homelessness by helping single parents and children build stability and self-sufficiency. South Sound Care Foundation describes its work as advancing access to cancer clinical trials and research options.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $453,102. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $101,241, with a median of $12,500.
Among the largest grants were $101,241 to One Spirit, $50,000 to Watsons Childrens Shelter, and $40,000 each to Gig Harbor Kiwanis International, Project 150, and Vine Maple Place. Other notable grants included $34,000 to South Sound Care Foundation and $25,000 each to Food and Backpacks 4 Kids and Caring for Kids. Serving Our Kids Foundation received $20,000; Compassion Washington and The Coffee Oasis each received $12,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Larry R. Melsness as president, Sheilah K. Melsness as vice president, Mark Melsness as treasurer, and Jamie Melsness as secretary. It also lists Gordon Rush, Melia Melsness, Dan Durr, Susan Hendrix, and Terri Spriggel as board members.
The Melsness Family Foundation is led by Larry R. Melsness, President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); 6 of 9 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Larry R. Melsness
President
Secretary → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Melsness
Treasurer
Vice President → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
$1K (2022) → $500 (2025)
Jamie Melsness
Secretary
Treasurer → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
$1K (2022) → $500 (2025)
Dan Durr
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
$1K (2022) → $500 (2025)
Melia Melsness
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
$1K (2022) → $500 (2025)
Susan Hendrix
Board Member
On filings since 2022
0.3 hrs/week
$500 (2022) → $500 (2025)
Terri Spriggel
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
$500 (2023) → $500 (2025)
Gordon Rush
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sheilah K. Melsness
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Jamie Melsness Caton (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Donald R. Brink (2019) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $500, to Mark Melsness (Treasurer). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Melsness Family Foundation
How much does The Melsness Family Foundation give each year?
The Melsness Family Foundation gave $453K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $430K across 20 grants.
What is The Melsness Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Melsness Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $12,500, and its average grant was $22,655, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Melsness Family Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does The Melsness Family Foundation give grants?
The Melsness Family Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were South Dakota (22%) and Nevada (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tacoma, WA (4 grants) and Hamilton, MT (3 grants).
Does The Melsness Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on The Melsness Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Melsness Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Melsness Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include One Spirit ($101,241), Watsons Childrens Shelter ($50,000) and Gig Harbor Kiwanis International ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Melsness Family Foundation?
The Melsness Family Foundation reported $981K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $453K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $159 (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Melsness Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as children’s and family support, food assistance, homelessness, cancer care, and youth programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Melsness Family 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 Melsness Family Foundation's EIN?
The Melsness Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2154965. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Melsness Family 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Melsness Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Melsness Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Melsness Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-melsness-family-foundation-morg_54802f1e49be4cfc8b108f8633769b48
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_912154965_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Melsness Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-melsness-family-foundation-morg_54802f1e49be4cfc8b108f8633769b48},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Melsness 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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