The Usibelli Foundation
The Usibelli Foundation is a private foundation based in Fairbanks, Alaska. Incorporated in 1991 with a $1 million endowment contributed by Usibelli Coal Mine, it supports nonprofit organizations and programs intended to enhance quality of life in the communities where it lives and works.
The Usibelli Foundation at a glance
In short: The Usibelli Foundation gave $175K across 69 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Alaska. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $174,640
- +6.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 69
- -6.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,531
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $3,667,265
- +6.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (11 of 69, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Alaska (100% 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 Usibelli Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation’s Allocations Committee reviews applications quarterly. Current application information, required materials, and award restrictions are available through the Foundation’s application process. Requests must be submitted before the event or activity takes place; the Foundation advises allowing up to a quarter for planning. Its 2025 filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- For 2026, the committee meetings are February 11, May 6, August 5, and November 11. Requests should be submitted at least three days before a meeting.
- Deadline
- For 2026, the committee meetings are February 11, May 6, August 5, and November 11.
- Contact
Application contact: Lisa Putnam, Executive Director
Mailing address: 100 Cushman St Suite 210, Fairbanks, AK 99701
Phone: (907) 452-2625
Email: lisa@usibelli.com
Website: https://usibellifoundation.org
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 Usibelli Foundation
Who The Usibelli Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department ($21K). Together the top 10 received $87K.
Grant Size Distribution
359 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 359 grants of 359 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation says it supports programs across Alaska. Its 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Alaska.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 69 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Usibelli Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 69 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% 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 (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 $120K (2021) to $175K (2025). In 2025 it made 69 grants totaling $175K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department Healy, AK | For health/social services | $21,310 |
| Neighbor to Neighbor Healy, AK | For health/social services | $14,330 |
| Alaskan Bounty for Children Denali Park, AK | For health/social services | $10,000 |
| Running Club North Fairbanks, AK | To provide operating funds for this civic organization | $8,000 |
| Healy Hockey Association Healy, AK | For services to youth | $7,020 |
| Denali Preschool and Learning Center Healy, AK | For educational services | $6,800 |
| Alaska Resource Education Anchorage, AK | For educational services | $5,885 |
| Fairbanks Childrens Museum Fairbanks, AK | For educational services | $5,500 |
| Denali Borough School District Healy, AK | For educational services | $5,000 |
| Tri-Valley Community Library Healy, AK | For educational services | $3,110 |
Ready to take the next step with The Usibelli Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing data reports the following grantmaking totals:
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,667,265 | $568,558 | $190,665 | $174,640 | 69 | $175,508 | $358,886 | $202,204 |
| 2024 | $3,430,564 | $591,060 | $175,686 | $164,285 | 74 | $166,114 | $384,382 | $180,535 |
| 2023 | $3,151,436 | $388,179 | $155,567 | $150,070 | 69 | $151,001 | $234,017 | $158,617 |
| 2022 | $3,009,607 | $352,766 | $165,420 | $150,055 | 75 | $150,891 | $248,508 | $155,234 |
| 2021 | $2,886,950 | $604,963 | $130,079 | $120,015 | 72 | $121,662 | $498,194 | $165,555 |
| 2020 | $2,569,242 | $359,408 | $130,833 | $121,141 | 77 | — | $255,504 | $137,754 |
| 2019 | $2,385,332 | $357,745 | $126,121 | $120,021 | 81 | — | $153,100 | $126,751 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Usibelli Foundation reported a distributable amount of $202K 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 Foundation describes its focus as supporting programs that align with its values and make a measurable difference across Alaska. Its listed funding areas include K–12 and higher education, scholarships, STEM, resource education and reading; arts and culture; health and social services; youth activities; and civic organizations.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Alaska Resource Education says its mission is to educate students about Alaska’s natural resources. The Fairbanks Children’s Museum says it aims to inspire and connect families through discovery and play. Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department says it provides emergency fire and ambulance service and training. Other 2025 grantees include organizations whose stated missions involve disability inclusion, food and shelter, performing arts, and youth hockey.
The stated eligibility for the grant opportunity is registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, charitable organizations.
Grantmaking
The Foundation reported 69 grants totaling $174,640 in 2025. Individual grants ranged from $23 to $21,310, with a median grant of $1,500. Recent annual giving reported by the Foundation was:
Among the largest 2025 grants were $21,310 to Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department, $14,330 to Neighbor to Neighbor, and $10,000 to Alaskan Bounty for Children, each designated for health or social services. Other grants included $8,000 to Running Club North for operating funds, $7,020 to Healy Hockey Association for youth services, and $6,800 to Denali Preschool and Learning Center for educational services.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joseph E Usibelli Jr as Chairman/President; Glen Weaver as Secretary/Treasurer; Mitchel Usibelli, Shelley Helzer, Karl Hanneman, Alan Krause, and Kurt Lindsey as trustees; Lisa Putnam as Executive Director; and Katrina Abramowicz as Committee Secretary/Treasurer.
The Foundation’s website lists Lisa Putnam as Executive Director and Katrina Abramowicz as Treasurer/Secretary on its Allocations Committee.
The Usibelli Foundation is led by Joseph E Usibelli Jr., Chairman & President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joseph E Usibelli Jr.
Chairman & President
President → Chairman & President, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Lisa Putnam
Executive Director
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karl Hanneman
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Alan Krause
Trustee
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Mitchel Usibelli
Trustee
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Shelley Helzer
Trustee
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Kurt Lindsey
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Glen Weaver
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Katrina Abramowicz
Committee Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Lisa Cassino (2022–2024) — Executive Director
- Former: R Marc Langland (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Richard A Wien (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Joseph E Usibelli (2019–2022) — Chairman
- Former: Rosalie Whyel (2019–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Lisa Herbert (2019–2021) — Executive Director
- Former: A Kirk Lanterman (2019) — Secretary & Treasurer
- Former: Jane Lanford (2019) — Committee Secretary & Treasurer
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Usibelli Foundation
How much does The Usibelli Foundation give each year?
The Usibelli Foundation gave $175K across 69 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $164K across 74 grants.
What is The Usibelli Foundation's typical grant size?
The Usibelli Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,531, across 69 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Usibelli Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Usibelli Foundation give grants?
The Usibelli Foundation gives mostly in Alaska: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Fairbanks, AK (46 grants), Healy, AK (7 grants), Anchorage, AK (6 grants) and Denali Park, AK (2 grants).
Does The Usibelli Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 30% of The Usibelli Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 69) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "For health/social services" (22 grants), "For educational services" (14 grants) and "For services to youth" (12 grants).
Who are The Usibelli Foundation's largest grantees?
The Usibelli Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Tri-Valley Volunteer Fire Department ($21,310), Neighbor to Neighbor ($14,330) and Alaskan Bounty for Children ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Usibelli Foundation?
The Usibelli Foundation reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $176K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $202K (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 Usibelli Foundation fund?
The Foundation describes its focus as supporting programs that align with its values and make a measurable difference across Alaska. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Usibelli Foundation?
The Foundation’s Allocations Committee reviews applications quarterly. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Usibelli Foundation's EIN?
The Usibelli Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3152617. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 11, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Usibelli Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Usibelli Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-usibelli-foundation-morg_a9f6671235af4e9aa3fdfc40a21b1522
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943152617_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Usibelli Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-usibelli-foundation-morg_a9f6671235af4e9aa3fdfc40a21b1522},
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 Usibelli 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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