The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation is a private foundation based in Omaha, Nebraska. It funds a competitive college scholarship for eligible Nebraska students and makes grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in reproductive health and international health.
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation at a glance
In short: The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation gave $1.5B across 417 grants in 2025 (avg $3.5M), top state District of Columbia. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,460,871,411
- +60.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 417
- +4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,503,289
- +53.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $602,713
- Total assets
- $2,723,259,744
- -4.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (53 of 298, 2025)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (11% 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 Susan Thompson Buffett 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. For its scholarship program, applicants submit an online application, one recommendation, a financial document, a high school transcript, short answers, and a consent form. Applicants must also complete the FAFSA. Scholarship eligibility includes a minimum 2.0 unweighted cumulative GPA (or 77 on a 100-point scale) and a Student Aid Index below 10,000. Scholarship decisions consider financial need, academic merit, short answers, and a recommendation. The scholarship is limited to the listed Nebraska public colleges; it cannot be used at private or out-of-state colleges. Awards can renew each semester, subject to scholarship requirements, for up to five years at a four-year college or three years at a two-year college.
- Review Cycle
- The Foundation’s website states that the 2026 scholarship application was due February 1 before 5 p.m. CT/4 p.m. MT, and that the 2027 application opens November 1.
- Deadline
- The Foundation’s website states that the 2026 scholarship application was due February 1 before 5 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: See Website
Mailing address: 808 Conagra Drive Ste 300, Omaha, NE 68102
Phone: (402) 943-1300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
Who The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Nigeria ($80.5M). Together the top 10 received $554.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 individual scholarships ($206,993), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,897 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 434 grants of 1,897 (23%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The scholarship is restricted to eligible Nebraska residents attending Nebraska public colleges. In 2025, the largest reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were DC (11%), NY (9%), MD (5%), and NE (4%). The filing also reports a 59% share for an unspecified state. Listed recipients include organizations in the United States and health ministries in several countries.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 417 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 53 of 298 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4.8M; repeat grants $4.9M. How we count
Medians: $798K first-time, $752K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 195% 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 (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 $495.5M (2022) to $1.5B (2025). In 2025 it made 417 grants totaling $1.5B.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Nigeria | Program Support | $80,536,284 |
| NAF Hotline Fund Annapolis Junction, MD | Program Support | $67,322,157 |
| International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Washington, DC | Program Support | $60,000,000 |
| Oromia Health Bureau | Program Support | $50,540,000 |
| Ministry of Health Burkina Faso | Program Support | $47,020,000 |
| The Global Fund to Fight AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria | Program Support | $40,000,000 |
| Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean | Program Support | $38,634,559 |
| Ministry of Health and Sanitation Sierra Leone | Program Support | $38,020,830 |
| Center for International Reproductive Health Training (Cirht) | Program Support | $36,818,845 |
| Sand Tech Holdings Limited | Program Support | $35,201,379 |
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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 | $2,723,259,744 | $2,731,854,610 | $1,612,275,108 | $1,460,871,411 | 417 | $1,589,388,023 | $1,513,523,667 | $123,422,880 |
| 2024 | $2,839,484,794 | $1,717,825,889 | $996,611,994 | $908,844,493 | 398 | $987,011,618 | $591,728,411 | $115,799,032 |
| 2023 | $2,272,738,773 | $1,270,458,581 | $763,281,148 | $695,209,110 | 373 | $756,422,797 | $370,145,905 | $96,991,476 |
| 2022 | $1,922,627,251 | $958,109,905 | $547,735,315 | $495,514,975 | 342 | $542,860,673 | $174,754,263 | $82,518,256 |
| 2021 | $1,642,998,709 | $489,302,262 | $558,499,695 | $505,268,767 | 367 | $575,485,871 | $164,953,646 | $92,485,841 |
| 2020 | $1,617,409,744 | $438,584,092 | $495,455,837 | $647,206,641 | 493 | — | $234,503,054 | $87,777,341 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation reported a distributable amount of $123.4M 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
The available information does not state an overall mission for the Foundation. Its scholarship program supports access to higher education for eligible Nebraska students. Its 2025 filing also reports $34,005,734 paid in scholarships as direct charitable activity.
The Foundation’s 2025 grants included support for health ministries and other organizations. For example, the NAF Hotline Fund says its mission is to ensure patients have the information and resources needed to access quality abortion care. Planned Parenthood Federation of America says its mission includes providing leadership in comprehensive reproductive and complementary health care and advocating public policies.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 417 grants totaling $1,460,871,411. Grant amounts ranged from $3,425 to $80,536,284, with a median of $602,713. The listed grant purposes were “program support.”
Among the largest reported grants were $80,536,284 to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Nigeria; $67,322,157 to the NAF Hotline Fund; $60 million to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development; $50,540,000 to the Oromia Health Bureau; and $47,020,000 to the Ministry of Health Burkina Faso. Other large grants included $40 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, $38,020,830 to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation Sierra Leone, and $32,735,077 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Allen Greenberg as president/director; Michelle Martinson as treasurer/VP of finance; Tamara Watts as secretary/VP legal and general counsel; Susan A. Buffett as board chair; and Peter A. Buffett and Emily Greenberg as directors.
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation is led by Allen Greenberg, President & Director on every filing since 2020; 3 of 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Allen Greenberg
President & Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$744K (2020) → $924K (2025)
Susan A. Buffett
Board Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Greenberg
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peter A. Buffett
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Martinson
Treasurer & Vice President of Finance
Secretary, Treasurer & Director Finance → Secretary, Treasurer & Vice President Finance, 2024
Secretary, Treasurer & Vice President Finance → Treasurer & Vice President of Finance, 2025
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$266K (2022) → $529K (2025)
Tamara Watts
Secretary, Vice President Legal & General Counsel
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$505K (2025)
Former officers (7)
- Former: Allison Cowan (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Carol Loomis (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Geoffrey Cowan (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Patti Matson (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Wallace Weitz (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Michael Greenberg (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Melissa How (2020–2022) — Secretary, Director Grants & Finance
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 $924K, to Allen Greenberg (President/Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
How much does The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation give each year?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation gave $1.5B across 417 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $908.8M across 398 grants.
What is The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's typical grant size?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $602,713, and its average grant was $3,503,289, across 417 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation that year got $4.8M on average.
Where does The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation give grants?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 11% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (9%) and Maryland (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (62 grants), New York, NY (45 grants), Lincoln, NE (19 grants) and San Francisco, CA (16 grants).
Does The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 29% of The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (122 of 417) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (261 grants) and "Scholarships" (34 grants).
Who are The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's largest grantees?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Nigeria ($80,536,284), Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc ($75,186,048 across 7 grants) and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ($75,000,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 individual scholarships ($206,993), which are not listed by name. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation reported $2.7B in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6B in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $123.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation fund?
The available information does not state an overall mission for the Foundation. Its scholarship program supports access to higher education for eligible Nebraska students. Its 2025 filing also reports $34,005,734 paid in scholarships as direct charitable activity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Susan Thompson Buffett 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 Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's EIN?
The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-6032365. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Susan Thompson Buffett 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-susan-thompson-buffett-foundation-morg_be5fa0690274436c99cb69092ab43f99
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_476032365_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-susan-thompson-buffett-foundation-morg_be5fa0690274436c99cb69092ab43f99},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Susan Thompson Buffett 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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