The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004
The Steele-Reese Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It supports rural communities and tax-exempt organizations serving Idaho, Montana, Native nations sharing that geography, and Appalachian Kentucky.
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 at a glance
In short: The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 gave $2.1M across 87 grants in 2025 (avg $24K), top state Kentucky. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,067,000
- +13.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 87
- +17.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $23,759
- -3.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $37,417,087
- +2.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (46 of 87, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kentucky (46% 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 Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004
- How to Apply
-
The foundation uses an online application process. The Idaho and Montana program begins with a Letter of Inquiry; the foundation encourages prospective applicants to review its program information and discuss proposals with its Western Director before submitting. Kentucky applicants use a separate application form, with distinct forms for public schools and other nonprofits. Applicants must apply to the appropriate regional program. The foundation’s stated restrictions include its rural and regional focus; its Idaho and Montana program excludes work benefiting urban or suburban areas and nearby rural areas. The 2026 Idaho and Montana LOI process is closed, and the 2026 Kentucky application deadline has passed.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 Kentucky application deadline was March 2, 2026. The Idaho and Montana 2026 LOI process closed after the foundation received more than 100 LOIs. The foundation says the 2027 Idaho and Montana cycle begins with conversations between August and early December 2026.
- Deadline
- The 2026 Kentucky application deadline was March 2, 2026.
- Contact
Application contact: Online Application Only
Mailing address: Wwwsteele-Reeseorg, Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (800) 496-2583
Email: info@idahononprofits.org
Website: https://steele-reese.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004
Who The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Pulaski County Board of Education ($50K). Together the top 10 received $435K.
Grant Size Distribution
416 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 392 grants of 416 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website identifies rural Idaho and Montana, Native nations sharing that geography, and Appalachian Kentucky as its service areas. For Appalachian Kentucky grants, eligible locations are confined to counties designated as Appalachian by the federal Appalachian Regional Commission. The Idaho and Montana program focuses on rural and tribal communities and gives priority to organizations based in rural communities, including Native-led organizations.
In 2025, 46% of grant dollars went to Kentucky recipients, 34% to Montana, 16% to Idaho, 2% to North Carolina, and 1% to Utah.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 87 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 46 of 87 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 26% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 103% 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 $1.4M (2020) to $2.2M (2021). In 2025 it made 87 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County Board of Education Somerset, KY | General | $50,000 |
| Lincoln County Schools Stanton, KY | General | $50,000 |
| Corbin Independent Schools Corbin, KY | General | $50,000 |
| Cumberland County Board of Education Burkesville, KY | General | $45,000 |
| Casey County Board of Education Liberty, KY | General | $40,000 |
| Perry County Board of Education Viper, KY | General | $40,000 |
| Penland School of Craft Penland, NC | General | $40,000 |
| Cumberland County Public Library Burkesville, KY | General | $40,000 |
| Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky Hazard, KY | General | $40,000 |
| Paintsville Independent Schools Paintsville, KY | General | $40,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation is based in Chicago, Illinois, and files Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,417,087 | $3,607,846 | $2,701,819 | $2,067,000 | 87 | $2,318,613 | $3,280,140 | $2,259,984 |
| 2024 | $36,510,346 | $7,166,201 | $2,556,436 | $1,815,600 | 74 | $2,078,571 | $6,810,615 | $2,069,741 |
| 2023 | $31,896,464 | $4,631,727 | $2,606,442 | $2,005,900 | 89 | $2,219,813 | $4,255,863 | $1,903,125 |
| 2022 | $29,971,012 | $2,863,832 | $2,496,146 | $1,830,400 | 83 | $2,047,509 | $2,443,686 | $2,170,491 |
| 2021 | $29,592,983 | $3,425,257 | $2,815,667 | $2,197,400 | 83 | — | $2,982,719 | $2,203,254 |
| 2020 | $28,987,736 | $1,803,628 | $1,974,251 | $1,387,000 | 60 | — | $1,422,532 | $1,906,823 |
| 2019 | $29,159,360 | $2,165,012 | $2,346,214 | $1,714,500 | 77 | — | $1,841,437 | $1,913,361 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 reported a distributable amount of $2.3M 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
The foundation describes its commitment as supporting rural communities and the tax-exempt entities that serve them. Its stated program areas include rural education, rural human and social services, rural conservation and preservation, rural health, and rural arts and humanities.
In Idaho, Montana, and Native nations sharing that geography, the foundation supports federally tax-exempt organizations working in those areas. Its Appalachian Kentucky program supports early childhood education, elementary and secondary schools, and public libraries offering programs for children through high school. For its 2025 Kentucky grantmaking, the foundation specified elementary and secondary education, early childhood education, social services that reduce barriers to learning for Pre-K–12 students, and public library programs for children.
The grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Penland School of Craft describes itself as an international center for craft education, with workshops, artist residencies, outreach programs, and a gallery. The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky says its mission is to foster community collaboration and charitable giving and to build endowment funds supporting quality of life in eastern Kentucky. Lemhi County Historical Society says it works to restore and preserve the history of Lemhi County, Idaho. Montana Pediatrics describes its work as improving access to pediatric care and collaboration among physicians across Montana.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 87 grants totaling $2,067,000. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median of $25,000. The largest listed grants included $50,000 each to Pulaski County Board of Education, Lincoln County Schools, and Corbin Independent Schools in Kentucky. Other notable awards included $40,000 to Penland School of Craft in North Carolina and $40,000 to the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky.
Other 2025 grants included $30,000 each to Waterford Institute, Lemhi County Historical Society, Commonwealth Fund for KET, Montana Pediatrics, BridgerCare, and Alliance for Curriculum Enhancement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William T. Buice and Charles U. Buice as co-trustees, and Judy K. Owens and Linda Tracy as directors.
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; all 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charles U. Buice
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
17 hrs/week
$49K (2019) → $76K (2025)
Judy K. Owens
Director
On filings since 2019
17 hrs/week
$38K (2019) → $49K (2025)
Linda Tracy
Director
On filings since 2019
17 hrs/week
$41K (2019) → $51K (2025)
William T. Buice
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2019
17 hrs/week
$49K (2019) → $72K (2025)
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 $76K, to Charles U Buice (Co-Trustee). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004
How much does The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 give each year?
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 gave $2.1M across 87 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.8M across 74 grants.
What is The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's typical grant size?
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $23,759, across 87 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 that year got $23K on average.
Where does The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 give grants?
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's top state is Kentucky, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Montana (34%) and Idaho (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Billings, MT (5 grants), Missoula, MT (4 grants), Stanton, KY (3 grants) and Salmon, ID (3 grants).
Does The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (87 of 87) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's largest grantees?
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's largest 2025 grantees include Pulaski County Board of Education ($50,000), Lincoln County Schools ($50,000) and Corbin Independent Schools ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 7% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004?
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 reported $37.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 fund?
The foundation describes its commitment as supporting rural communities and the tax-exempt entities that serve them. Its stated program areas include rural education, rural human and social services, rural conservation and preservation, rural health, and rural arts and humanities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004?
The foundation uses an online application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's EIN?
The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6034763. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 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 June 10, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-steele-reese-foundation-xxxxx1004-morg_9e807c2601124f96af5376a767ed809a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136034763_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004 funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-steele-reese-foundation-xxxxx1004-morg_9e807c2601124f96af5376a767ed809a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Steele-Reese Foundation XXXXX1004'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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