Engelstad Family Foundation

LAS VEGAS, NV EIN: 80-6008137 Website

The Engelstad Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Las Vegas, Nevada, established in 2002. It operates as a philanthropic organization focused on grantmaking across the United States, with particular emphasis on education, religion, human services, and community development.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$666.1M

-12.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$27.3M

-19.6% YoY

Grant Count

-61.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$1.0M

+107.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Engelstad Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $51.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily supports initiatives in:

Education — approximately 25% of giving
Social & Human Services — approximately 21% of giving
Health — approximately 14% of giving
Religion — with emphasis on Roman Catholic schools, organizations, and churches
Family Services and Child Welfare
Community Development

The foundation has a particular focus on Southern Nevada and beyond, supporting both local and national causes.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

of $2,000

Average Grant

of $2,000

Review Cycle

- Open to new applicants, with approximately 12% of new applicants funded

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation operates with national scope, distributing grants across the United States. Primary funding regions include Nevada and Mississippi, with significant grantmaking activity in cities including Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia, and across states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah.

Grant Distribution by State

Nevada $74.2M (68%)

New York $22.7M (21%)

North Dakota $4.8M (4%)

Texas $1.5M (1%)

California $1.4M (1%)

Mississippi $1.3M (1%)

Missouri $1.0M (1%)

Utah $600K (1%)

+9 more states

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Florida Indiana Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota Missouri Mississippi North Dakota Nebraska Nevada New York Pennsylvania Texas Utah

Cities

AlbanyBaltimoreBemidjiBiloxiBismarckBostonBoulder CityBrewsterChadronClaremontCollege StationDavisDevils LakeEast Grand ForksFargoFort WaltonGrand ForksGulfportHendersonHernando

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $666,101,769 (2024)
Total Assets (Alternative Report): $757,319,192
Total Revenues: $112,969,986 (2024)
Annual Income: $795,800,000
Total Expenses: $39,577,909 (2024)
Historical Total Giving: $593,807,318
Staff: 9 employees

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$666,101,769	$757,319,192	$826,907,501
Revenue	$112,969,986	$32,253,216	$53,710,352
Expenses	$39,577,909	$55,610,996	$78,367,858
Qualifying Distributions	$30,639,904	$38,095,702	$52,007,432
Net Investment Income	$148,861,636	$14,985,285	$34,774,774
Distributable Amount	$51,439,822	$45,091,334	$46,933,640

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

226 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Morgan Stanley Daf Account ($21,042,556), Together California ($1,200,000), Spread the Word Nevada ($724,959).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ST JOSEPH HUSBAND OF MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH LAS VEGAS, NV	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$10,400
BLIND CENTER OF NEVADA INC LAS VEGAS, NV	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$250,000
NU GIVING (STEPHEN MILLER SCHOLARSHIP) LINCOLN, NE	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$1,000
CANDLELIGHTERS CHILDHOOD CANCER FOUNDATION OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS, NV	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$350,000
COOPER COONS LTD LAS VEGAS, NV	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$1,155
CROHN'S & COLITIS FOUNDATION INC NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$50,000
D WILLIAMS CLASSIC CAR RESTORATION PROGRAM SALINAS, CA	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$6,000
EDUCATE NEVADA NOW NORTH LAS VEGAS, NV	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$10,000
EYE CARE 4 KIDS LAS VEGAS, NV	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$375,000
GARRETT MERIWETHER FOUNDATION LAS VEGAS, NV	GENERAL OPERATIONS	$140,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Kris Engelstad — CEO and Trustee
Jeffrey Cooper — Chief Financial Officer and Trustee/Treasurer
Erin McGarry — Chief Granting Officer
Jane Fielden — Finance Director
Sean Engelstad — Investment Director and Trustee
Betty Engelstad — Trustee

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
KRIS ENGELSTAD	CEO/TRUSTEE	40	$641,236
JEFFREY COOPER	CFO/TRUSTEE	30	$500,000
SEAN ENGELSTAD	INVESTMENT DIRECTOR/TRUSTEE	40	$202,917
ERIN MCGARRY	CHIEF GRANTING OFFICER/TRUSTEE	40	$202,917
BETTY ENGELSTAD	VP OF PROGRAMS/TRUSTEE	40	$250,000

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation launched the **Engelstad Warrior Scholarship Fund** in partnership with Mike Rowe, providing full-ride scholarship opportunities for high school graduates pursuing vocational and trade careers

Provided $1.5 million grant for ongoing PTSD and TBI treatment study

Farm Rescue receives $1-million grant from Engelstad Foundation

Supported Project 150 nonprofit with funding for a second Las Vegas location

Awarded $1,000,000 to Olive Crest for children and families programs

Olive Crest Celebrates Engelstad Foundation's $1,000,000 Grant Supporting

Provided $430,000 grant to Eyecare4Kids Nevada

The Engelstad Foundation Awards $430K Grant to EC4K Nevada

Partnered with New Community on the Student Scholars Program

New Community Partners with Englestad's Student Scholars Program

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Engelstad Family Foundation fund?

The foundation primarily supports initiatives in: • **Education** — approximately 25% of giving • **Social & Human Services** — approximately 21% of giving • **Health** — approximately 14% of giving • **Religion** — with emphasis on Roman Catholic schools, organizations, and churches • **Family Services and Child Welfare** • **Community Development** The foundation has a particular focus on Southern Nevada and beyond, supporting both local and national causes.

How do I apply for a grant from Engelstad Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 132 grants in the most recent reporting year • Total giving reported at $593,807,318 historically • Recent annual awards of approximately $33.9 million • Average grant size of $2,000 • Median grant amount available in recent records **Recent Grants Include:** • $1,025,000 to a university • $1,000,000 to Olive Crest for children and families support • $724,959 to Spread the Word Nevada • $600,000 to The Animal Foundation • $500,000 to Touro University Nevada • $430,000…

Where does Engelstad Family Foundation make grants?

What size grants does Engelstad Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Engelstad Family Foundation awarded 26 grants totaling $27.3M — an average of about $1.0M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Engelstad Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Engelstad Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $51.4M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.