Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational
VERNON A & ADA L VESPER EDUCATIONAL is a private foundation based in Hill City, Kansas. Its 2025 filing reports grants for student loans, and its 2023 filing describes assistance for graduates of Graham County High School pursuing further study.
Key facts about Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational
In short: Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational gave $43K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Kansas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 48-6121219
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $42,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $2,361
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $189,073
- Primary geography
- Kansas (86% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The 2023 filing states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The filing lists May 1 for summer and fall studies and December 1 for spring studies.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$189K
-1.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$43K
+1.2% YoY
Grant Count
18
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+1.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational reported a distributable amount of $51K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational gives
- Giving fell 24% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The 2023 filing says awards assist graduates of Graham County High School, with first priority given to students studying medicine, dentistry, nursing, medical technology, or prerequisites for those fields.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $42,500 through 18 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $6,000, with a median of $1,500. The listed 2025 grants were for student loans. The largest included $6,000 to Brooklyn Sloan of Farmington, New Mexico; $4,500 to Conner Dinkel of Hill City, Kansas; and $4,000 to Raygan Garrison of Hill City, Kansas.
Review Cycle
The filing lists May 1 for summer and fall studies and December 1 for spring studies. These deadlines are past cycles, not open deadlines.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 filing specifies graduates of Graham County High School. In 2025, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kansas and 14% to recipients in New Mexico.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $41K (2021) to $56K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $43K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Brooklyn Sloan ($6K). Together the top 10 received $33K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 101 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Sloan Farminton, NM | Student Loans | $6,000 |
| Conner Dinkel Hill City, KS | Student Loans | $4,500 |
| Raygan Garrison Hill City, KS | Student Loans | $4,000 |
| Leah Lindenman Morland, KS | Student Loans | $3,500 |
| Brody McDowell Hill City, KS | Student Loans | $3,000 |
| Geoffrey Zohner Hill City, KS | Student Loans | $3,000 |
| Kaleb Atkins Morland, KS | Student Loans | $3,000 |
| Dylan Gansel Hill City, KS | Student Loans | $2,500 |
| Cade Elliot Hill City, KS | Student Loans | $1,500 |
| Dalen Journigan Hill City, KS | Student Loans | $1,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $189,073 | $46,690 | $48,982 | $42,500 (18 grants) |
| 2024 | $191,365 | $42,293 | $50,318 | $42,000 (18 grants) |
| 2023 | $199,390 | $42,662 | $59,869 | $52,500 (20 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $189,073 | $191,365 | $199,390 |
| Revenue | $46,690 | $42,293 | $42,662 |
| Expenses | $48,982 | $50,318 | $59,869 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $48,244 | $49,768 | $59,860 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,060 | $4,928 | $1,352 |
| Distributable Amount | $50,760 | $49,082 | $51,691 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 4, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bryant Muir, Joe Green, and Beth Beam as trustees.
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joe Green
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Beth Beam
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bryant Muir
Trustee
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Schulz (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Dianna Hart (2020) — Trustee
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.
Contact
Application contact: Vernon Ada Vesper Education Trust
Mailing address: PO Box 369, Hill City, KS 67642
Phone: (785) 421-2168
Email: n/a
Frequently asked questions about Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational
How much does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational give each year?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational gave $43K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $42K across 18 grants.
What is Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's typical grant size?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,361, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational give grants?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational gives mostly in Kansas: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Mexico (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Hill City, KS (12 grants) and Morland, KS (4 grants).
Does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Student Loans" (18 grants).
Who are Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's largest grantees?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's largest 2025 grantees include Brooklyn Sloan ($6,000), Conner Dinkel ($4,500) and Raygan Garrison ($4,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational reported $189K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $48K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $51K (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 Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational fund?
The 2023 filing says awards assist graduates of Graham County High School, with first priority given to students studying medicine, dentistry, nursing, medical technology, or prerequisites for those fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational?
The 2023 filing states that the foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's EIN?
Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 48-6121219. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Vernon a & Ada L Vesper Educational 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.
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