Vess Family Foundation
The Vess Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wichita, Kansas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in voter rights, family services, health care, children’s welfare, and disaster relief.
Vess Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Vess Family Foundation gave $615K across 23 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), mostly in Texas. 9% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $614,500
- +43.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 23
- +27.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,717
- +12.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,000
- Total assets
- $13,388,023
- +0.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (2 of 23, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Texas (52% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Vess Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1700 Waterfront Parkway Bldg 500, Wichita, KS 67206
Phone: (316) 682-1537
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Vess Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was True the Vote ($310K). Together the top 10 received $512K.
Grant Size Distribution
96 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 96 (85%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipient-state shares of grant dollars were Texas 52%, Kansas 35%, California 3%, Tennessee 3%, and Colorado 3%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Vess Family Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 23 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $13K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 69% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $364K (2021) to $944K (2022). In 2024 it made 23 grants totaling $615K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| True the Vote Rosenberg, TX | Education and training | $310,000 |
| Share the Season Wichita, KS | Unrestricted general fund | $50,000 |
| Wichita Children's Home Wichita, KS | Unrestricted general fund | $30,000 |
| Cambodian Children's Fund Santa Monica, CA | Unrestricted general fund | $20,000 |
| Catholic Charities Inc Wichita, KS | Anthony Family Shelter, Harbor House | $20,000 |
| Center of Hope Inc Wichita, KS | Unrestricted general fund | $20,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Unrestricted general fund | $16,000 |
| Tom's Door Carbondale, CO | Unrestricted general fund | $16,000 |
| Guadalupe Clinic Wichita, KS | Unrestricted general fund | $15,000 |
| Samaritan's Purse Boone, NC | Hurricane Helene relief | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Vess Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,388,023 | $786,612 | $775,890 | $614,500 | 23 | $665,510 | $468,667 | $655,782 |
| 2023 | $13,378,444 | $477,266 | $566,023 | $428,250 | 18 | $477,501 | $318,093 | $639,560 |
| 2022 | $13,471,785 | $2,477,039 | $1,057,752 | $944,250 | 22 | $993,278 | $251,862 | $623,214 |
| 2021 | $12,058,437 | $1,983,027 | $577,022 | $364,000 | 17 | $417,489 | $204,835 | $517,273 |
| 2020 | $10,655,114 | $513,102 | $755,733 | $492,500 | 16 | — | $192,523 | $474,876 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vess Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $656K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, True the Vote says it empowers organizations and individuals to protect the rights of legitimate voters. Catholic Charities Inc. in Wichita says it alleviates poverty and builds strong families through programs including shelters, food assistance, and counseling. Cambodian Children’s Fund says it provides education, family support, and community development programs to children and families in impoverished communities. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital says its mission is to advance cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Other 2024 recipients include Guadalupe Clinic, which says it works to provide necessary health care to people in need; Samaritan’s Purse, which says it provides spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine; Kansans for Life, which describes itself as an advocacy and educational organization; and ICT Food Rescue, which says it distributes surplus food to people experiencing food insecurity in Wichita.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 23 grants totaling $614,500. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $310,000, with a median grant of $12,000. It made 18 grants totaling $428,250 in 2023 and 22 grants totaling $944,250 in 2022.
The largest 2024 grant was $310,000 to True the Vote for education and training. Other notable awards included $50,000 to Share the Season; $30,000 to Wichita Children’s Home; $20,000 each to Cambodian Children’s Fund, Catholic Charities Inc., and Center of Hope Inc.; and $16,000 each to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Tom’s Door. The filing also lists $15,000 grants to Guadalupe Clinic and Samaritan’s Purse.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rhonda R Vess as President, J Michael Vess as Treasurer, and Lacey N Vess as Executive Director.
Vess Family Foundation is led by Lacey N Vess, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lacey N Vess
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$40K (2020) → $40K (2024)
Rhonda R Vess
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J Michael Vess
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $40K, to Lacey N Vess (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Vess Family Foundation
How much does Vess Family Foundation give each year?
Vess Family Foundation gave $615K across 23 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $428K across 18 grants.
What is Vess Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Vess Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $12,000, and its average grant was $26,717, across 23 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Vess Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Vess Family Foundation give grants?
Vess Family Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kansas (35%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wichita, KS (14 grants).
Does Vess Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 87% of Vess Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Vess Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Vess Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include True the Vote ($310,000), Share the Season ($50,000) and Wichita Children's Home ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Vess Family Foundation?
Vess Family Foundation reported $13.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $666K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $656K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Vess Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, True the Vote says it empowers organizations and individuals to protect the rights of legitimate voters. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Vess Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Vess Family Foundation's EIN?
Vess Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3974304. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Vess Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 3, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Vess Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Vess Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/vess-family-foundation-morg_36c178ba9cc34fa0bc41695cf30e9c13
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453974304_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Vess Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/vess-family-foundation-morg_36c178ba9cc34fa0bc41695cf30e9c13},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Vess Family 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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