The Vredenburg Foundation
The Vredenburg Foundation is a private foundation based in Chariton, Iowa. Its grantmaking includes support for community organizations, public services, education and arts-related activities, as well as organizations serving children and families.
The Vredenburg Foundation at a glance
In short: The Vredenburg Foundation gave $327K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $327,000
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +2400.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,080
- -95.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $3,968,283
- -0.9% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Iowa (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Vredenburg Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should contact the foundation and submit a letter and documentation of 501(c)(3) or government status. The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for grants over $25,000.
- Review Cycle
- Submit materials two weeks before the annual board meeting in July.
- Deadline
- Submit materials two weeks before the annual board meeting in July.
- Contact
Application contact: The Vredenburg Foundation
Mailing address: C/O Us Bank Na PO Box 0634, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0634
Phone: (563) 589-2264
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Vredenburg Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was City of Chariton ($84K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $266K.
Grant Size Distribution
88 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 88 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The listed 2025 recipients include organizations in Iowa and Arkansas. The 2025 grant data reports Iowa as accounting for 100% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Vredenburg Foundation gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−20%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 106% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $229K (2020) to $408K (2022). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $327K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Almost Home Animal Rescue Chariton, IA | Flooring/General Support | $25,000 |
| City of Chariton Chariton, IA | Fire DepartmentEquipment | $25,000 |
| City of Chariton Chariton, IA | GPS Equipmentand Maps | $25,000 |
| Hope Learning Center Chariton, IA | General Support | $25,000 |
| Russell Volunteer Fire Dept Russell, IA | Fire DepartmentEquipment | $25,000 |
| City of Chariton Chariton, IA | Police DepartmentEquipment | $24,000 |
| Chariton Area ChamberMain Street Chariton, IA | Town SquareLights | $20,000 |
| Iowa Public Radio Des Moines, IA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Salvation Army Lucas County Chariton, IA | General Support | $15,000 |
| Chariton Community School District Chariton, IA | MusicalInstruments/Furniture | $13,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Vredenburg 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 | $3,968,283 | $321,229 | $358,784 | $327,000 | 25 | $329,000 | $302,914 | $311,406 |
| 2024 | $4,005,838 | $427,573 | $309,712 | $280,100 | 1 | $282,200 | $408,547 | $288,239 |
| 2023 | $3,884,395 | $423,179 | $388,603 | $370,000 | 23 | $372,000 | $408,296 | $258,067 |
| 2022 | $3,849,819 | $221,674 | $430,802 | $407,500 | 22 | $409,500 | $203,298 | $270,704 |
| 2021 | $4,058,757 | $433,095 | $345,176 | $317,500 | 17 | $319,500 | $415,752 | $310,483 |
| 2020 | $3,972,782 | $453,950 | $245,709 | $229,000 | 19 | — | $437,623 | $260,069 |
| 2019 | $3,766,141 | $203,249 | $291,772 | $265,400 | 26 | — | $179,528 | $259,325 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Vredenburg Foundation reported a distributable amount of $311K 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 listed grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes, including community safety, education, arts, and general organizational support.
Among its 2025 grantees, Hope Learning Center received $25,000. The center describes its mission as providing quality preschool and daycare for area children so parents can be employed. Iowa Public Radio received $20,000; it says it connects people to news, music, information, and ideas. Iowa PBS Foundation received $10,000; it says it exists to foster giving to Iowa PBS. Iowa Legal Aid received $10,000; it describes its mission as providing free legal help to strengthen Iowa families and communities.
Grantmaking
The foundation awarded 25 grants totaling $327,000 in 2025. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $25,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $25,000 each to Almost Home Animal Rescue, the City of Chariton for fire department equipment and GPS equipment and maps, Hope Learning Center, and Russell Volunteer Fire Department. Other awards included $24,000 to the City of Chariton for police department equipment, $20,000 to Chariton Area Chamber Main Street for town-square lights, and $13,500 to Chariton Community School District for musical instruments and furniture.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John Vredenburg as President/Director; Linda Vredenburg and Martha Vredenburg as Treasurer/Directors; Emily Broderick as Secretary/Director; and Christopher Wibe, Zane Vredenburg, and Grace Broderick as Directors.
The Vredenburg Foundation is led by John Vredenburg, President & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John Vredenburg
President & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Christopher Wibe
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Emily R Broderick
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Martha Vredenburg
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Zane Vredenburg
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Grace Broderick
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Linda Vredenburg
Treasurer & Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Charles Vredenburg (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: D Zane Vredenburg (2019–2022) — 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.
Frequently asked questions about The Vredenburg Foundation
How much does The Vredenburg Foundation give each year?
The Vredenburg Foundation gave $327K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $280K across 1 grant.
What is The Vredenburg Foundation's typical grant size?
The Vredenburg Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $13,080, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Vredenburg Foundation give grants?
The Vredenburg Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chariton, IA (19 grants) and Des Moines, IA (3 grants).
Does The Vredenburg Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 28% of The Vredenburg Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Vredenburg Foundation's largest grantees?
The Vredenburg Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include City of Chariton ($84,000 across 4 grants), Chariton Community School District ($26,000 across 2 grants) and Almost Home Animal Rescue ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Vredenburg Foundation?
The Vredenburg Foundation reported $4.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $329K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $311K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Vredenburg Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its listed grants show support for a range of organizations and purposes, including community safety, education, arts, and general organizational support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Vredenburg Foundation?
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Vredenburg Foundation's EIN?
The Vredenburg Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1481578. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Vredenburg Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 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 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 26, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Vredenburg Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-vredenburg-foundation-morg_4501a91bd86b4abc888aea4f353b0d69
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421481578_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Vredenburg Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-vredenburg-foundation-morg_4501a91bd86b4abc888aea4f353b0d69},
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 Vredenburg 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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