Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa
Variety – the Children’s Charity of Iowa is a public charity based in Des Moines, Iowa. It supports children in Iowa who are at risk, underprivileged, critically ill, or living with special needs through grants to children’s nonprofits and programs that provide equipment, mobility support, inclusive play opportunities, and assistance to families of hospitalized children.
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa at a glance
In short: Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa gave $1.8M across 90 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in Iowa. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,758,405
- -56.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 90
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,538
- -69.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $12,945
- Total assets
- $6,929,812
- -1.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (29 of 82, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa
- How to Apply
-
The website says children’s nonprofits can apply for grants annually. The 2025 general grant guidelines required an application and supporting checklist materials; the review included follow-up and a short presentation to a subcommittee. Mobility equipment applications are submitted through the program’s application process.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 general grant application deadline was May 23, 2025, at noon. The listed 2026 deadline for the general funding and van funding programs is May 22, 2026.
- Deadline
- The 2025 general grant application deadline was May 23, 2025, at noon.
- Contact
Mailing address: 505 Fifth Ave Ste 310, Des Moines, IA 50309
Phone: (515) 243-4660
Website: https://varietyiowa.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa
Compassion Fund
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling (quarterly review)
Mobility Equipment Program
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling (quarterly review)
Traditional Bikes Program
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling (quarterly review)
Who Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Blank Children's Hospital ($136K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $704K.
Grant Size Distribution
347 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 286 grants of 347 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Variety’s grant and van programs serve nonprofit organizations across Iowa. In 2025, 99% of reported grant dollars went to Iowa recipients and 1% to Georgia recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 90 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 29 of 82 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $1.8M (2025) to $4.1M (2024). In 2025 it made 90 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Childserve Foundation Johnston, IA | New Center Construction | $92,965 |
| Crittenton Center Sioux City, IA | Renovations to the Transitional Therapeutic Home Building | $75,000 |
| Mercyone Des Moines Foundation Des Moines, IA | Panda Warmer Cabinets | $63,985 |
| Blank Children's Hospital Des Moines, IA | Compassion Fund | $60,954 |
| Oakridge Neighborhood Services Des Moines, IA | 15-Passenger Van | $56,580 |
| Urban Dreams Des Moines, IA | 15 Passenger Van | $56,580 |
| Blank Children's Hospital Des Moines, IA | Equipment for Children Procedure Rooms | $55,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Siouxland Sioux City, IA | Renovate Outdoor Playground | $50,000 |
| Focuss Inc Ankeny, IA | Building to use as a youth crisis service center | $50,000 |
| Dubuque Community YMCA Dubuque, IA | Minivan | $40,871 |
Ready to take the next step with Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,929,812 | $5,104,940 | $3,824,837 | $1,758,405 | 90 | $366,240 |
| 2024 | $7,041,948 | $6,223,654 | $6,151,903 | $4,083,693 | 63 | $296,587 |
| 2023 | $5,308,168 | $4,301,115 | $4,063,003 | $2,828,958 | 68 | $141,732 |
| 2022 | $5,073,530 | $4,223,560 | $3,575,003 | $2,354,871 | 55 | $30,276 |
| 2021 | $4,487,310 | $3,946,899 | $2,973,519 | $2,193,549 | 71 | $18,545 |
| 2020 | $3,836,361 | $3,864,567 | $3,832,169 | $2,666,321 | 56 | $25,039 |
| 2019 | $3,696,956 | $3,667,377 | $3,218,077 | $2,057,531 | 60 | $34,052 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Variety’s mission is to improve the lives of children throughout Iowa who are at risk, underprivileged, critically ill, or living with special needs. It provides funding to nonprofit children’s organizations, primarily for building projects, equipment, and other tangible items that directly benefit children; administrative needs such as staffing, salaries, and office space, as well as other intangible items, are not considered for general grants.
Its grant categories cover children’s health and wellness, pathways to success, and access, independence, and inclusion. Examples include medical equipment, mental health services, specialized therapy, child and family essentials, educational support, accessible programs, inclusive spaces, camp equipment, and transportation. Variety also operates mobility, van, playground, and Compassion Fund programs.
The grantees’ missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. ChildServe Foundation says it partners with families to help children with special health care needs live a great life. Focuss Inc describes its mission as educating and empowering youth with skills to succeed. Camp High Hopes provides adaptive recreational experiences for people with disabilities, special needs, and chronic illnesses, while Orchard Place describes its work as developing strong futures for Iowa children and youth dealing with mental and behavioral health challenges.
Grantmaking
Variety’s general grant program is open annually to Iowa children’s nonprofits.
Among the largest reported 2025 grants were $92,965 to ChildServe Foundation for new center construction; $75,000 to Crittenton Center for renovations to a transitional therapeutic home; $63,985 to MercyOne Des Moines Foundation for panda warmer cabinets; and $56,580 each to Oakridge Neighborhood Services and Urban Dreams for passenger vans. Other notable awards included $55,000 to Blank Children’s Hospital for procedure-room equipment, $50,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Siouxland for an outdoor playground renovation, and $50,000 to Focuss Inc for a youth crisis service center.
The general grant application requires a 501(c)(3) organization. Applicants submit an application and checklist materials; each request is assigned a board liaison, followed by a review and short presentation to a subcommittee. Subcommittees make recommendations, and the full board makes final approval. The application asks about the organization, the project, children served, the requested amount, and local financial information. The 2025 guidelines exclude incomplete or late applications.
Variety also offers van funding for nonprofit organizations transporting children to medical appointments, therapy, or program-related activities. Its mobility program provides specialized equipment to eligible children with special needs through an application process involving physical therapists. These participant services are separate from grants to outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katie Stull as president; Stuart Ruddy as vice president of operations; Matt Davis as vice president of marketing; Tom Triplett as vice president of development; Jon Phillips as vice president of finance; Danny Beyer as immediate past president; and Kathy Anderson, Lisa Baker, Doug Beech, and Jackie Boeding-Tewes as members.
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa is led by Wendy Ingham, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 2 of 47 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wendy Ingham
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
50 hrs/week
$93K (2025)
Katie Stull
President
Vice President Marketing → Vice President Operations, 2024
Vice President Operations → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sheri McMichael
Former Executive Director
Executive Director → Former Executive Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
50 hrs/week
$116K (2019) → $159K (2025)
Danny Beyer
Immediate Past President
Vice President Operations → President, 2024
President → Immediate Past President, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joe Sheridan
Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jon Phillips
Vice President Finance
Member → Vice President Finance, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kim Hegedus
Member
President → Immediate Past President, 2023
Immediate Past President → Member, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Roberts
Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Nucaro
Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Koster
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Doug Beech
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kenny Chasten
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Baker
Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christina Cooper
Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Davis
Vice President Marketing
Vice President Finance → Vice President Development, 2024
Vice President Development → Vice President Marketing, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Polly Loneman
Member
President → Immediate Past President, 2024
Immediate Past President → Member, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stuart Ruddy
Vice President Operations
Vice President Development → Vice President Marketing, 2024
Vice President Marketing → Vice President Operations, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Triplett
Vice President Development
Member → Vice President Finance, 2024
Vice President Finance → Vice President Development, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Colby Elmitt
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Heather Dayton
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Milnes
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Anderson
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Liz Cumpton
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nick Callison
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paige Roth
Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bret Wiltse
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gavin Scroggin
Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Jones
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Abby McConnaughhay
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jenica Lensmeyer
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Wiles
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ross Taets
Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Abbie Schurman
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Wise
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dan Edsen
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Devin Boyer
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dustyn Curran
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Greg Lagan
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jackie Boeding-Tewes
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Hupp
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Ressler
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Gallagher
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Mulford
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Maletta
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Walsh
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Trey Rice
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vu Nguyen
Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (51)
- Former: David Adams (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Gabe Olson (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Jason Wegner (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Kevin Sherlock (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Todd Lantz (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Josh Loeffler (2021–2024) — Member
- Former: Mike Brewington (2021–2024) — Member
- Former: Jenae Sikkink (2022–2023) — Member
- Former: Jeff Ulferts (2023) — Member
- Former: Kim Craft (2023) — Member
- Former: Amanda Brunkhorst (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Emily Toribio (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Joel North (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Lance Gardner (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Pete Cartwright (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Susan Hatten (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Andrew Kelen (2020–2022) — Member
- Former: Amber Weger (2021–2022) — Member
- Former: Mike Dekock (2021–2022) — Member
- Former: Nate Ogbourne (2021–2022) — Member
- Former: Randy Tennison (2021–2022) — Member
- Former: Jamie Franck (2022) — Member
- Former: Steve Drysdale (2022) — Member
- Former: Bob Culbert (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Mike Crowley (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Tim Fricke (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Tom Cox (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Chris Neal (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Jacob Repp (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: David Bridgewater (2021) — Member
- Former: Jenae Jenison (2021) — Member
- Former: Shannon Weaklen (2021) — Member
- Former: Brad Holub (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Christina Tim (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Cynthia Harmeyer-Fisher (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Kirk Besh (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Megan Ruble (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Michael Hamilton (2019–2020) — Vice President of Development
- Former: Rick Breuss (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Vicki Signor (2019–2020) — Member
- Former: Shannon Daniels (2020) — Member
- Former: Adam Petersen (2019) — Member
- Former: Don Seibel (2019) — Member
- Former: Joe Standefer (2019) — Member
- Former: Kirk Sadilek (2019) — Member
- Former: Lisa Logan (2019) — Member
- Former: Mitch Harris (2019) — Member
- Former: Rick Tierney (2019) — Member
- Former: Sean Simonis (2019) — Member
- Former: Steve Hauschilt (2019) — Member
- Former: Tim Coonan (2019) — Member
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $159K, to Sheri McMichael (Former Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa
How much does Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa give each year?
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa gave $1.8M across 90 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $4.1M across 63 grants.
What is Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's typical grant size?
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's median grant in 2025 was $12,945, and its average grant was $19,538, across 90 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa that year got $18K on average.
Where does Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa give grants?
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa gives mostly in Iowa: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (35 grants), Cedar Rapids, IA (8 grants), Dubuque, IA (6 grants) and Sioux City, IA (4 grants).
Does Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 90 grants with a stated purpose on Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Compassion Fund" (10 grants).
Who are Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's largest grantees?
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's largest 2025 grantees include Blank Children's Hospital ($136,454 across 3 grants), Childserve Foundation ($92,965) and Mercyone Des Moines Foundation ($85,038 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa?
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa reported $6.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.1M.
What does Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa fund?
Variety’s mission is to improve the lives of children throughout Iowa who are at risk, underprivileged, critically ill, or living with special needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa?
The website says children’s nonprofits can apply for grants annually. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's EIN?
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-6077108. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 10, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 16, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 19, 2023)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/a Greater Des Moines Community Fdn
Des Moines, IA
The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines supports projects that improve quality of life in Greater Des Moines, including housing and transportation access, health, economic opportunity, inclusive communities, and nonprofit capacity-building. Its 2024 itemized grants had a median of about $12,900, though awards ranged from roughly $5,000 to $7.34 million.
Assets
$918.7M
Grants
1,259
Total Given
$55.7M
Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc
Altoona, IA
Prairie Meadows supports Iowa nonprofits in arts and culture, education, economic development, human services, and youth sports and recreation; Legacy grants focus on large-scale projects in central Iowa. Its programs offer $100–$1 million for Legacy, $100–$99,999 for Community Betterment, and $1,000–$50,000 for Youth Sports and Recreation. It accepts applications through its online system; the 2026 deadline was February 27, 2026, and has passed.
Assets
$327.6M
Grants
409
Total Given
$33.0M
United Way of Central Iowa
Des Moines, IA
United Way of Central Iowa funds local programs addressing essential needs, early childhood and education success, economic opportunity, and health and well-being. Its 2025 grants ranged from $5,004 to $763,711, with a median of $54,504, and supported recipients in Polk, Warren, and Dallas counties in Iowa. It accepts new applicants through a letter-of-intent process, but the new-applicant process is currently closed.
Assets
$37.5M
Grants
111
Total Given
$12.4M
EMC Insurance Foundation
Des Moines, IA
The EMC Insurance Foundation supports nonprofits serving children and youth, people with health needs, and arts, cultural, and community purposes, generally in Iowa. Its 2025 grants had a median of $5,000, with awards ranging from $5 to $166,500. It does not limit giving to preselected organizations; the profile describes how to submit a request but does not explicitly state whether unsolicited requests are accepted.
Assets
$28.8M
Grants
108
Total Given
$1.5M
The Merchants Bonding Company Foundation
West Des Moines, IA
Assets
$1.7M
Grants
186
Total Given
$469K
The West Bancorporation Foundation Inc
West Des Moines, IA
The West Bancorporation Foundation funds human services, education, and arts and culture, prioritizing programs benefiting low- and moderate-income people in communities where West Bank operates, especially in Iowa and Minnesota. Its 2025 grants ranged from $250 to $15,000, with a median of $2,500; it provides a grant application, but does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$946K
Grants
111
Total Given
$332K
More similar funders
More Funders in Iowa
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/variety-the-children-s-charity-of-iowa-morg_05cb8884b940434d9bd63129f327d272
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_426077108_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/variety-the-children-s-charity-of-iowa-morg_05cb8884b940434d9bd63129f327d272},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. 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 Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa'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.
Variety - the Children's Charity of Iowa down — hundreds of funders to go?