Willard E and Ella P Thompson
Willard E and Ella P Thompson is a private foundation based in Algona, Iowa. It provides scholarships to Algona Community School District graduates for post-secondary education.
Willard E and Ella P Thompson at a glance
In short: Willard E and Ella P Thompson gave $360K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), mostly in Iowa. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $360,014
- +20.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +13.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,401
- +5.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,758
- Total assets
- $7,538,109
- +96.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Iowa (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Willard E and Ella P Thompson
- How to Apply
-
The filing says to contact the Thompson Scholarship Selection Committee. Applicants are asked to provide a resume or biographical sheet, two recommendations, a transcript of high school work, and a student aid report. Awards are restricted to Algona High School graduates seeking higher education at colleges or universities in Iowa. The filing says the deadline is the first week in April each year; the 2026 cycle has passed.
- Contact
Application contact: Thompson Scholarship Selection Comm
Mailing address: 600 South Hale, Algona, IA 50511
Phone: (515) 295-7207
Email: jcarter@algona.k12.ia.us
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Willard E and Ella P Thompson funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Iowa State University ($64K). Together the top 10 received $179K.
Organizations only. It also paid 7 individual scholarships ($156,758), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 65 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing restricts scholarship awards to Algona High School graduates attending colleges or universities in Iowa. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Willard E and Ella P Thompson gives
- 59% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 116% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $249K (2021) to $360K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $360K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 7 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $156,758 |
| Iowa State University Ames, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $64,316 |
| University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $33,904 |
| University of Iowa Iowa City, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $28,468 |
| Palmer College of Chiropractic Davenport, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $11,516 |
| Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $10,936 |
| Grand View University Des Moines, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $6,988 |
| Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $5,758 |
| Buena Vista University Storm Lake, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $5,758 |
| Drake University Des Moines, IA | Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates | $5,758 |
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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 | $7,538,109 | $4,110,229 | $412,009 | $360,014 | 25 | $377,204 | $4,075,166 | $325,927 |
| 2024 | $3,836,989 | $334,787 | $352,864 | $299,680 | 22 | $324,149 | $306,032 | $389,550 |
| 2023 | $3,834,631 | $210,079 | $352,802 | $291,641 | 16 | $318,866 | $180,337 | $322,266 |
| 2022 | $3,972,672 | $378,300 | $397,827 | $342,875 | 1 | $361,286 | $348,802 | $361,385 |
| 2021 | $3,945,160 | $413,621 | $297,085 | $248,713 | 1 | $267,675 | $384,114 | $357,790 |
| 2020 | $3,822,793 | $277,534 | $301,478 | $251,900 | 1 | — | $250,164 | $297,659 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Willard E and Ella P Thompson reported a distributable amount of $326K 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
The foundation states that its direct charitable activity is providing scholarships to Algona Community School District graduates for post-secondary education. Its 2025 grants went to Iowa colleges and universities, including an individual recipient Community College, Iowa State University, the University of an individual recipient, and the University of Iowa.
The grantees describe their own purposes in varied terms. For example, the University of Northern Iowa Foundation says it grows and sustains private resources to support the university and its students, faculty, staff, and programs. An individual recipient Community College’s foundation says it receives and manages gifts and contributions for the college. Other recipients include institutions whose stated missions include liberal arts education, healthcare professional preparation, and Christian academic learning.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $360,014. Grant amounts ranged from $258 to $78,116, with a median of $5,758.
Its largest 2025 grants included $78,116 to an individual recipient Community College, $64,316 to Iowa State University, $33,904 to the University of an individual recipient, $28,468 to the University of Iowa, $24,660 to an individual recipient Community College, and $24,144 to an individual recipient Community College. The stated purpose for these grants was scholarships for Algona Community School District graduates.
Other 2025 recipients included Briar Cliff University, Luther College, Drake University, and Buena Vista University, each receiving $5,758; Allen College and Northwestern College each received $2,718.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Iowa State Bank and Joe Carter as trustees.
Willard E and Ella P Thompson's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Iowa State Bank
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joe Carter
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Bank Of America (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Theresa Kuecker (2022–2024) — Co-Trustee
- Former: Bank Of America N A (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.
Frequently asked questions about Willard E and Ella P Thompson
How much does Willard E and Ella P Thompson give each year?
Willard E and Ella P Thompson gave $360K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $300K across 22 grants.
What is Willard E and Ella P Thompson's typical grant size?
Willard E and Ella P Thompson's median grant in 2025 was $5,758, and its average grant was $14,401, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Willard E and Ella P Thompson give grants?
Willard E and Ella P Thompson gives mostly in Iowa: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ames, IA (2 grants), Cedar Rapids, IA (2 grants), Des Moines, IA (2 grants) and Waterloo, IA (2 grants).
Does Willard E and Ella P Thompson give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Willard E and Ella P Thompson's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships for Algona Community School District Graduates" (25 grants).
Who are Willard E and Ella P Thompson's largest grantees?
Willard E and Ella P Thompson's largest 2025 grantees include Iowa State University ($64,316), University of Northern Iowa ($33,904) and University of Iowa ($28,468), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 7 individual scholarships ($156,758), which are not listed by name. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Willard E and Ella P Thompson?
Willard E and Ella P Thompson reported $7.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $377K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $326K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Willard E and Ella P Thompson fund?
The foundation states that its direct charitable activity is providing scholarships to Algona Community School District graduates for post-secondary education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Willard E and Ella P Thompson?
The filing says to contact the Thompson Scholarship Selection Committee. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Willard E and Ella P Thompson's EIN?
Willard E and Ella P Thompson's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-6028029. 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 18, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Willard E and Ella P Thompson funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Willard E and Ella P Thompson's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Willard E and Ella P Thompson funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/willard-e-and-ella-p-thompson-morg_5a4d0dc905594c7ea4a0a4737979cbe5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_366028029_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Willard E and Ella P Thompson funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/willard-e-and-ella-p-thompson-morg_5a4d0dc905594c7ea4a0a4737979cbe5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Willard E and Ella P Thompson'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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