Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation

DES MOINES, IA EIN: 42-1293625

The Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1987 and based in Des Moines, Iowa. The foundation is supported by The Waldinger Corporation and operates as an independent foundation focused on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors and geographic regions.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$4.7M

+97.0% YoY

Grant Count

+20.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$163K

+63.0% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's official purpose centers on gifts, grants, and loans to other organizations. Primary areas of interest include:

Arts and culture (performing arts, opera, orchestral music)
Education
Science
Philanthropy and grantmaking
Human services
Children and youth initiatives

Grantmaking

The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds.

Grant Range

$51,000

Average Grant

amount: $417,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

Iowa
Florida
New York
Ohio

Grant Distribution by State

Iowa $13.7M (91%)

Florida $1.2M (8%)

New York $80K (1%)

Illinois $10K (0%)

Ohio $1K (0%)

States

Florida Iowa Illinois New York Ohio

Cities

AMESANKENYCHAGRIN FALLSDES MOINESEARLHAMFORT MYERSINDIANOLAJOHNSTONMOUNT VERNONNAPLESNEW YORKOKOBOJIPALMETTO BAYURBANDALE

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year Ending November 2024:

Total assets: $64,172,421
Total giving: $4,727,279
Total revenues: $32,440,358
Total expenses: $4,801,398
Number of employees: 0

As of Fiscal Year Ending November 2023:

Total assets: $47,128,114
Total revenues: $25,265,851

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	—	—
Revenue	—	—	—
Expenses	—	—	—
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	—	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

113 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Friends of Des Moines Parks ($1,000,000), Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens ($1,000,000), Science Center of Iowa ($750,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ARTIS - NAPLES NAPLES, FL	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$5,000
AVENUE SCHOLARS DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$147,100
BAKER SENIOR CENTER NAPLES, FL	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$1,000
BALLET DES MOINES DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$10,000
BRAVO DES MOINES, IA	TRANSPORTATION FOR SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS TO CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS	$100,000
CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA NAPLES, FL	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$51,000
CORNELL COLLEGE MOUNT VERNON, IA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$25,000
DENTAL CONNECTIONS DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$67,278
DES MOINES ART CENTER EDMUNDSON ART FOUNDATION DES MOINES, IA	SUPPORT ACQUISITION OF ARTWORK	$311,411
DES MOINES ART CENTER DES MOINES, IA	GENERAL OPERATING FUND	$20,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Thomas Koehn – President (0.5 hours/week, no compensation)
Linda Koehn – Secretary (0.5 hours/week, no compensation)

Thomas Koehn serves as chairman of the Waldinger Corp.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
THOMAS KOEHN	PRESIDENT	0.5	—
LINDA KOEHN	SECRETARY	0.5	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

In April 2025, the foundation announced an $800,000 donation to the Des Moines Public Schools to expand the Montessori education program. The grant will support the transition of Jackson Elementary School on Des Moines' south side to a Montessori school beginning in the 2026-27 school year, including the addition of seventh and eighth grades. Over four years, the foundation's donation will fund teacher training, curriculum development, classroom furnishings, and other implementation costs.

Koehn Foundation donates $800,000 to Des Moines school district - Business

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation fund?

The foundation's official purpose centers on gifts, grants, and loans to other organizations. Primary areas of interest include: • Arts and culture (performing arts, opera, orchestral music) • Education • Science • Philanthropy and grantmaking • Human services • Children and youth initiatives

How do I apply for a grant from Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical award range: $240 to $1,000,000 • Median grant size: $51,000 • Average grant amount: $417,000 **Application Process:** The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited applications for funds. **Recent Grant Activity:** In fiscal year 2024, the foundation made 21 grants totaling approximately $4.7 million. Notable recent grants include: • Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden: $1,000,000 (Capital Ca…

Where does Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in: • Iowa • Florida • New York • Ohio

What size grants does Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation award?

In 2024, Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $4.7M — an average of about $163K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation's EIN?

Thomas & Linda Koehn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1293625. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.