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Form 990-PFTax year 2025EIN 42-1207818

The Nelson Foundation

A private foundation in Des Moines, IA. Its return for tax year 2025 lists 5 grants and $300,000 paid in grants.

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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

Preselected only

The return checks the box saying the foundation gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.

Assets and giving by year

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

  • Tax year 2025

    $300,000

    Grants listed
    5
    Assets, end of year
    $4,078,178

  • Tax year 2024

    $260,000

    Grants listed
    11
    Assets, end of year
    $3,936,573

  • Tax year 2023

    $180,000

    Grants listed
    7
    Assets, end of year
    $3,697,879

  • Tax year 2022

    $205,000

    Grants listed
    10
    Assets, end of year
    $3,520,297

  • Tax year 2021

    $165,000

    Grants listed
    8
    Assets, end of year
    $3,344,806

  • Tax year 2020

    $85,000

    Grants listed
    2
    Assets, end of year
    $3,172,854

  • Tax year 2019

    $65,000

    Grants listed
    18
    Assets, end of year
    $1,675,785

  • Tax year 2018

    $37,000

    Grants listed
    4
    Assets, end of year
    $1,644,164

Grants paid in 2025

5 grants, largest first

As listed on the return.

  1. Dowling Catholic High SchoolWest Des Moines, IA

    Science equipment purchase support

    $100,000
  2. By Degrees FoundationDes Moines, IA

    Project support

    $75,000
  3. Living History Farms FoundationUrbandale, IA

    Capital campaign support

    $60,000
  4. Easter Seals of IowaDes Moines, IA

    General support

    $35,000
  5. University of California San Francisco FoundationSan Francisco, CA

    Research support

    $30,000

Where the money goes

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

  1. Arts and culture1 grant $60,00067% of the total
  2. Education1 grant $30,00033% of the total

By State

Grants to organizations with a US address, latest year.

  1. Iowa4 grants $270,000
  2. California1 grant $30,000

Officers, directors and trustees

5 people as filed

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

  • R W NelsonFOUNDATION MANAGER Hours 1Pay $0
  • Mary NelsonFOUNDATION MANAGER Hours 1Pay $0
  • Dan RyanPRESIDENT Hours 1Pay $0
  • Michael KirlinTREASURER Hours 1Pay $0
  • Maria MasseySECRETARY Hours 1Pay $0

The return

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