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Foundation Lookup

Form 990-PFTax year 2025EIN 36-3705723

Gardner Foundation

A private foundation in Wakefield, NE. Its return for tax year 2025 lists 21 grants and $1.4 million paid in grants.

See which foundations fund work like yours Matching by cause, place and grant size

Tax year 2025 (period ending Dec 31, 2025), read from the IRS e-file on Nov 11, 2026. Returns reach the IRS 5 to 18 months after the year they describe.

How to apply

Accepts applications

The return gives an application contact and rules, as below.

Contact
Board of Trustees Gardner Foundatio
P O Box 629
Wakefield, NE 68784
(402) 287-2538
Form and materials
Use gardner foundation grant application.
Deadlines
None.
Restrictions
As outlined in gardner foundation policy statement; cannot resubmit if rejected within 1 year.

Assets and giving by year

8 returns on file
Grants paid by tax year. The latest year is in blue.

  • Tax year 2025

    $1,397,188

    Grants listed
    21
    Assets, end of year
    $25,263,960

  • Tax year 2024

    $1,382,811

    Grants listed
    20
    Assets, end of year
    $23,148,365

  • Tax year 2023

    $1,356,056

    Grants listed
    19
    Assets, end of year
    $21,694,801

  • Tax year 2022

    $1,939,902

    Grants listed
    17
    Assets, end of year
    $22,157,129

  • Tax year 2021

    $1,406,403

    Grants listed
    15
    Assets, end of year
    $22,634,581

  • Tax year 2020

    $1,262,474

    Grants listed
    22
    Assets, end of year
    $22,470,908

  • Tax year 2019

    $1,356,036

    Grants listed
    24
    Assets, end of year
    $22,645,506

  • Tax year 2018

    $1,407,888

    Grants listed
    23
    Assets, end of year
    $22,936,742

Grants paid in 2025

21 grants, largest first

As listed on the return.

  1. Wayne State FoundationWayne, NE

    Scholarships

    $764,194
  2. Wayne State FoundationWayne, NE

    Scholarships

    $171,946
  3. St Peter's Catholic ChurchBeaufort, SC

    Tuition assistance

    $100,000
  4. Little Red Hen TheatreWakefield, NE

    Outreach

    $75,000
  5. Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NE

    Scholarships

    $75,000
  6. City of PoncaPonca, NE

    Playground equipment

    $38,210
  7. Wisner Police DepartmentWisner, NE

    Radio systems

    $35,000
  8. Stanton County Emergency Management AgencyStanton, NE

    Drone

    $27,595
  9. Homer Volunteer Fire DepartmentHomer, NE

    Lucas device

    $19,550
  10. Dixon CountyPonca, NE

    Drone

    $17,104
  11. Project Pinkd IncOmaha, NE

    Assistance

    $15,000
  12. Emerson Veterans Memorialpost 60Emerson, NE

    Veterans memorial

    $10,250
  13. Harrison's PlaymakersElkhorn, NE

    Sports camps

    $10,000
  14. Lindsay Area DevelopmentLindsay, NE

    Education

    $10,000
  15. Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Middle SchoolColeridge, NE

    Learning

    $8,294
  16. Pioneer Senior CitizensPender, NE

    New furnace

    $7,000
  17. Epic Youth MinistryLaurel, NE

    Ministry

    $5,000
  18. Omaha PacesetterBennington, NE

    Baseball program

    $4,500
  19. Hillrise Elementary PTOElkhorn, NE

    General funding

    $2,000
  20. Emerson Hubbard SchoolEmerson, NE

    One book, one school program

    $795
  21. Wakefield Community SchoolWakefield, NE

    School fundraising

    $750

Where the money goes

By cause: grants to organizations we matched to the IRS list of exempt organizations, by their category.

  1. Education3 grants $1,011,14096% of the total
  2. Health1 grant $15,0001% of the total
  3. Youth development2 grants $15,0001% of the total
  4. Community development1 grant $10,000<1% of the total

By State

Grants to organizations with a US address, latest year.

  1. Nebraska20 grants $1,297,188
  2. South Carolina1 grant $100,000

Officers, directors and trustees

3 people as filed

As filed on the return, with average hours per week and pay from the foundation.

  • Leslie A BebeeEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Hours 30Pay $60,000
  • David J GardnerTRUSTEE Hours 10Pay $12,000
  • Kirk N GardnerTRUSTEE Hours 10Pay $12,000

The return

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