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J Ralph And Gladys Meier Scholarship Trust at a glance

· Private foundation

J Ralph And Gladys Meier Scholarship Trust

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$5k
Granted FY2025still arriving
5
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$3k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Education$60k
02FY2025 · 5 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

$500
Median grant
1
States reached
$137k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
University of Iowa$3,050
Kirkwood Community College$725
Indian Hills Community College$500
Iowa State University$363
Coe College$363
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Dollar for dollar, its grants (FY17–25) land where the poverty rate runs at 12%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 82% of its dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY: $1k → 12%SIMPSON COLLEGE: $750 → 6%WARTBURG COLLEGE: $1k → 7%NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE: $530 → 8%CENTRAL COLLEGE: $2k → 8%COE COLLEGE: $500 → 9%LUTHER COLLEGE: $530 → 10%DRAKE UNIVERSITY: $530 → 10%WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY: $2k → 10%LORAS COLLEGE: $1k → 11%ST AMBROSE UNIVERSITY: $1k → 12%IOWA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY: $500 → 12%University of Iowa: $3k → 15%INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $2k → 16%UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA: $300 → 17%NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY: $462 → 17%UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE: $228 → 13%UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS: $350 → 9%CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY: $500 → 12%NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE: $415 → 8%CENTRAL COLLEGE: $1k → 8%Coe College: $363 → 9%MERCY COLLEGE: $720 → 10%WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY: $1k → 10%UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE: $500 → 11%ST AMBROSE UNIVERSITY: $400 → 12%IOWA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY: $500 → 12%UNIVERSITY OF IOWA: $2k → 15%INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $2k → 16%CENTRAL COLLEGE: $750 → 8%COE COLLEGE: $350 → 9%DES MOINES ARE COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $500 → 10%WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY: $720 → 10%ST AMBROSE: $285 → 12%UNIVERSITY OF IOWA: $2k → 15%INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $2k → 16%MOUNT MERCY UNIVERSITY: $228 → 9%GRANDVIEW UNIVERSITY: $400 → 10%UNIVERSITY OF IOWA: $1k → 15%Indian Hills Community College: $500 → 16%UNIVERSITY OF IOWA: $1k → 15%KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $1k → 9%UNIVERSITY OF IOWA: $792 → 15%Kirkwood Community College: $725 → 9%UNIVERSITY OF IOWA: $500 → 15%KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $500 → 9%KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $470 → 9%KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $455 → 9%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

86%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$51k · 13 repeat orgs$9k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +28% since the first grant, against +12% for those funded once.

13 repeat relationships: 5 still active in FY2025, 8 since wound down.

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

13
15

Total granted

$51k
$9k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+28%
+12%

Still filing today

69%
53%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $0 went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • IH
    INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
    4× · 2021–2025 · $6k · revenue +1%
  • CC
    CENTRAL COLLEGE
    4× · 2021–2024 · $4k · revenue +34%
  • WP
    WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY
    4× · 2020–2024 · $4k · revenue +28%

Funded once

  • WC
    WARTBURG COLLEGE
    one grant, 2022 · $1k · revenue -24%
  • LC
    LORAS COLLEGE
    one grant, 2020 · $1k · revenue +12%
  • CS
    COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
    one grant, 2024 · $750
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Union College

Union college is a seventh-day adventist community of higher education, inspired by jesus christ, and dedicated to empowering students to learn, serve, and lead.

Education
2
Augustana University Association

Inspired by lutheran scholarly tradition and the liberal arts, augustana provides an education of enduring worth that challenges the intellect, fosters integrity and integrates faith with learning and service in a diverse world.

Education
3
Cornell College

Cornell college offers an innovative and rigorous learning community where faculty and staff collaborate with students to develop the intellectual curiosity, creativity and moral courage necessary for a lifetime of learning and engaged…

Education
4
Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the reformed christian perspective, dordt university equips students, alumni, and the broader community to work effectively toward christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary…

Education
5
Clarke University of Dubuque Iowa

We are a Catholic, co-educational, liberal arts university founded in 1843 by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Dubuque, Iowa. Clarke educates students at the post-secondary level in the liberal arts and sciences, the…

Education
6
California Lutheran University

The mission of the university is to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice.

Education
7
St Marys University of Minnesota

Enriched by the lasallian catholic heritage, saint mary's university of minnesota awakens, nurtures, and empowers learners to ethical lives of service and leadership.

Education
8
LaGrange College

Education - lagrange college challenges the minds and inspires the souls of its students. founded in 1831 and committed to its relationship with the united methodist church and its wesleyan and liberal arts traditions, the college supports…

Education
9
Saint Xavier University

Saint xavier university, a catholic institution inspired by the heritage of the sisters of mercy, educates persons to search for truth, think critically, communicate effectively and serve wisely and compassionately in support of human…

Education
10
Augustana College

Rooted in the liberal arts & sciences & lutheran expression of the christian faith, & is committed to offering a challenging education that develops qualities of mind, spirit, & body necessary for a rewarding life of leadership & service…

Education
11
Xavier University

Xavier is a jesuit catholic university rooted in the liberal arts tradition. our mission is to educate each student intellectually, morally, and spiritually. we create learning opportunities through rigorous academic and professional…

Education
12
Nebraska Wesleyan University

Nebraska wesleyan university is an academic community dedicated to intellectual and personal growth within the context of a liberal arts education and in an environment of christian concern.

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is St Ambrose University; the most unlike its peers is Iowa Wesleyan University. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

17 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 17 of the 28 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
0
Early backer (in before they grew)
17/17
Grantees still filing
14/17
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY: $12,564 · OtherIOWA STATE UNIVERSITYUniversity of Iowa: $10,317 · OtherUniversity of IowaINDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $6,062 · OtherINDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGEUNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA: $3,570 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWAKIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $3,150 · OtherKIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE+9 more: $5,445 · Other+9 moreCENTRAL COLLEGE: $4,452 · EducationCENTRAL COLLEGEWILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY: $3,810 · EducationWILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITYST AMBROSE UNIVERSITY: $1,625 · EducationST AMBROSE UNIVERSITYCreighton University: $1,500 · EducationCreighton UniversityCOE COLLEGE: $1,413 · EducationCOE COLLEGEWARTBURG COLLEGE: $1,300 · EducationWARTBURG COLLEGENORTHWESTERN COLLEGE: $945 · EducationSimpson College: $750 · Education+6 more: $2,658 · Education+6 more
Other$41,108Education$18,453

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetINDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE: $6,062 over 4y, 3.1% of budgetCENTRAL COLLEGE: $4,452 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetWILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY: $3,810 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetST AMBROSE UNIVERSITY: $1,625 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCreighton University: $1,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetCOE COLLEGE: $1,413 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetWARTBURG COLLEGE: $1,300 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLORAS COLLEGE: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetIowa Wesleyan University: $1,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNORTHWESTERN COLLEGE: $945 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSimpson College: $750 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDRAKE UNIVERSITY: $530 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLUTHER COLLEGE: $530 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetGRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY: $520 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS: $350 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMOUND FARM HOLDINGS INC: $228 over 1y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds INDIAN HILLS COMMUNITY COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds CENTRAL COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds ST AMBROSE UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds Creighton University ↗
  • Who funds COE COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds WARTBURG COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds LORAS COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds Iowa Wesleyan University ↗
  • Who funds NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds Simpson College ↗
  • Who funds DRAKE UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds LUTHER COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY ↗
  • Who funds UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE ↗
  • Who funds UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS ↗
  • Who funds MOUND FARM HOLDINGS INC ↗

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Fahrney Education Fdt…Roy J Carver Charitab…Pella Rolscreen Found…Special Needs Foundat…Iowa College Foundati…Ottumwa Regional Lega…Harry and Winnie McNa…Mount Saint Clare Edu…Moore Scholarship Tru…The Eagle FoundationUnited Fire Group Fou…Community Fdn of Grea…
Fahrney Education Fdtn TrustWI22.1× affinity8 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Fahrney Education Fdtn Trust · Roy J Carver Charitable Trust · Pella Rolscreen Foundation · Special Needs Foundation of Des Moines County · Iowa College Foundation · Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation Inc · Harry and Winnie McNay Education Trust · Mount Saint Clare Education Charitable Trust · Moore Scholarship Trust · The Eagle Foundation · United Fire Group Foundation · Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/A Greater Des Moines Community Fdn

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization J Ralph And Gladys Meier Scholarship Trust funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from J Ralph And Gladys Meier Scholarship Trust. Bigger dots raise more.

2025
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    7report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 28 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on J Ralph And Gladys Meier Scholarship’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home