Tomson Family Foundation Trust
Tomson Family Foundation Trust is a private foundation based in Mason City, Iowa. It supports organizations through grants, including educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, and charitable and religious organizations.
Tomson Family Foundation Trust at a glance
In short: Tomson Family Foundation Trust gave $966K across 79 grants in 2025 (avg $12K), mostly in Iowa. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $965,500
- -16.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 79
- +2.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,222
- -18.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $12,453,029
- -1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (16 of 77, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (65% 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 Tomson Family Foundation Trust
- How to Apply
-
Contact O Jay Tomson or Patricia A Tomson. The foundation lists no standard application form and states that requests must be exclusively for educational, scientific, and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Code. Its filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: O Jay Tomson Patricia A Tomson
Mailing address: 2601 Fourth Street Sw, Mason City, IA 50401
Phone: (641) 423-1600
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Tomson Family Foundation Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Olaf College ($125K). Together the top 10 received $569K.
Grant Size Distribution
352 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 319 grants of 352 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Iowa recipients received 65% of grant dollars, Minnesota recipients 20%, and recipients in Illinois and Virginia 5% each. Georgia recipients received 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 79 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Tomson Family Foundation Trust open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 16 of 77 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 78% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 69% 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 (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 $748K (2020) to $1.2M (2024). In 2025 it made 79 grants totaling $966K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Olaf College Northfield, MN | St. Olaf Choir Broadcase of Christmas Concert | $125,000 |
| Vesterheim Norweigan-American Museum Decorah, IA | Vesterheim Commons Project Matching Pledge | $65,000 |
| Clear Lake Classical Clear Lake, IA | Building Acquisition | $50,000 |
| Elca World Hunger Merrifield, VA | World Hunger | $50,000 |
| Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Chicago, IL | General Support | $50,000 |
| Mason City Foundationmusic Man Square Mason City, IA | General Support | $50,000 |
| Mason City YMCA & Rehabilitation Center Mason City, IA | General Support | $50,000 |
| University of Northern Iowa Foundation Cedar Falls, IA | Center for Violence Prevention | $50,000 |
| Waldorf Lutheran College Forest City, IA | General Support, Building a Permanent Endowment for Waldorf | $50,000 |
| Norwegian American Historical Society Northfield, MN | General Support | $28,500 |
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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 | $12,453,029 | $1,448,223 | $1,022,582 | $965,500 | 79 | $968,335 | $544,321 | $1,407,135 |
| 2024 | $12,622,769 | $459,789 | $1,244,453 | $1,156,510 | 77 | $1,159,240 | $401,758 | $1,273,089 |
| 2023 | $13,407,433 | $1,067,232 | $952,459 | $915,500 | 69 | $918,000 | $1,034,498 | $1,081,540 |
| 2022 | $13,726,838 | $1,522,172 | $1,064,469 | $1,048,000 | 71 | $1,050,600 | $636,389 | $1,053,758 |
| 2021 | $14,292,761 | $1,581,108 | $1,115,690 | $1,100,000 | 56 | $1,102,450 | $786,240 | $1,096,129 |
| 2020 | $13,827,343 | $2,386,507 | $766,359 | $747,500 | 36 | — | $357,313 | $767,276 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Tomson Family Foundation Trust reported a distributable amount of $1.4M 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for education, arts and culture, historical organizations, and charitable and religious purposes. For example, recipient Clear Lake Classical describes itself as a private school providing a classical and biblically based education; St. Olaf College says it promotes liberal arts learning and explores faith, values, and vocation; and Cedar Summerstock Theatre describes its work as cultivating theater talent and connecting communities through productions and workshops.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 79 grants totaling $965,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $125,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Notable awards included $125,000 to St. Olaf College for a broadcast of its Christmas concert; $65,000 to Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum for a matching pledge to its Commons project; and $50,000 each to Clear Lake Classical for building acquisition, ELCA World Hunger, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for general support, and the University of Northern Iowa Foundation’s Center for Violence Prevention.
Other 2025 grants included $50,000 to Mason City Foundation/Music Man Square, Mason City YMCA & Rehabilitation Center, and Waldorf Lutheran College; $28,500 to Norwegian American Historical Society; $26,000 to 43 North Iowa; and $25,000 to Cedar Summerstock Theatre. In 2024, recipients included Clear Lake Classical ($50,000), Cedar Summerstock Theatre ($27,400), Wartburg College ($25,500), and St. Olaf College ($25,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists O Jay Tomson as president/secretary and Patricia A Tomson as vice president.
Tomson Family Foundation Trust is led by O. Jay Tomson, President & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
O. Jay Tomson
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia A. Tomson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Tomson Family Foundation Trust
How much does Tomson Family Foundation Trust give each year?
Tomson Family Foundation Trust gave $966K across 79 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 77 grants.
What is Tomson Family Foundation Trust's typical grant size?
Tomson Family Foundation Trust's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $12,222, across 79 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Tomson Family Foundation Trust that year got $5K on average.
Where does Tomson Family Foundation Trust give grants?
Tomson Family Foundation Trust gives mostly in Iowa: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (20%) and Illinois (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Mason City, IA (29 grants), Charles City, IA (10 grants), Eatonton, GA (5 grants) and Waverly, IA (4 grants).
Does Tomson Family Foundation Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 80% of Tomson Family Foundation Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (63 of 79) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Tomson Family Foundation Trust's largest grantees?
Tomson Family Foundation Trust's largest 2025 grantees include St Olaf College ($125,000), Vesterheim Norweigan-American Museum ($65,000) and Clear Lake Classical ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Tomson Family Foundation Trust?
Tomson Family Foundation Trust reported $12.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $968K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (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 Tomson Family Foundation Trust fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for education, arts and culture, historical organizations, and charitable and religious purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Tomson Family Foundation Trust?
Contact O Jay Tomson or Patricia A Tomson. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Tomson Family Foundation Trust's EIN?
Tomson Family Foundation Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-6947483. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Tomson Family Foundation Trust funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Tomson Family Foundation Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Tomson Family Foundation Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/tomson-family-foundation-trust-morg_37a87471c9184afd88e36cf4ea438925
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_356947483_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Tomson Family Foundation Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/tomson-family-foundation-trust-morg_37a87471c9184afd88e36cf4ea438925},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Tomson Family Foundation Trust'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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