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Mark & Kathy Larson Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Mark & Kathy Larson Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$36k
Granted FY2025still arriving
17
Grants FY2025still arriving
6
States reached
$22k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
01What it funds
0193% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.

Religion$101kHuman Services$65kEducation$18kEnvironment$14kPhilanthropy$9kHealth$8kArts & Culture$6kRecreation & Sports$5kOther$0
02FY2025 · 17 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k16 grants · $14k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $22k
$500
Median grant
6
States reached
$452k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
ST TIM'S CHURCH$21,500
CHAPEL BY THE SEA CHURCH$4,100
YMCA OF GREATER DES MOINES$2,500
DOWLING CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL$1,500
CLEARWATER FOR YOUTH$1,000
DES MOINES CAROUSEL FOUNDATION$1,000
COLORADO OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER$500
AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION$500
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF BOISE IDAHO$500
A THOUSAND SUMMERS - JOHN AUSTIN CHELEY FOUNDATION$500
BLANK CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL - CENTRAL IOWA HOSPITAL CORPORATION$500
CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION$400
DES MOINES ART CENTER$290
HOLY FAMILY SHRINE$250
IOWA BICYCLE COALITION$250
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:

Its human-services grants (FY17–25, $2k) land where the poverty rate runs at 11%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 67% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF BOISE IDAHO: $500 → 8%Randon Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay: $500 → 12%IOWA RIVER HOSPICE: $500 → 11%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.

87%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$250k · 21 repeat orgs$37k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +8% since the first grant, against +3% for those funded once.

21 repeat relationships: 7 still active in FY2025, 14 since wound down; 10 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

21
35

Total granted

$250k
$32k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+8%
+3%

Still filing today

48%
34%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 86% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $5k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
EducationHealthRecreation & SportsHuman ServicesEnvironmentCommunity ImprovementOther
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

  • IN
    IOWA NATURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION
    2× · 2022–2024 · $6k · revenue +53%
  • VT
    VARIETY - THE CHILDREN'S CHARITY OF IOWA
    6× · 2017–2022 · $4k · revenue +28%
  • JA
    JOHN AUSTIN CHELEY FOUNDATION INC
    2× · 2018–2019 · $2k · revenue +21%

Funded once

  • MA
    Marshalltown Art and Civic Center and Fisher Art Museum
    one grant, 2024 · $5k
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2023 · $4k
  • RR
    Raccoon River Pedestrian Bridge
    one grant, 2022 · $4k
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
University of Iowa Facilities Corporation

The university of iowa facilities corporation acquires and holds property for the benefit and use of the university of iowa.

—
2
Iowa College Foundation

The foundation is organized to further the growth and development of private colleges and universities of higher education in iowa.

—
3
Common Good Iowa

Common good iowa engages iowans to create and advocate for research-based public policy that makes life better and more equitable for all who make iowa home.

—
4
Iowa Council of Foundations

To strengthen and promote organized philanthropy in the state of iowa; to assist and educate its membership in order to promote and facilitate effective philanthropic grantmaking; and to provide a forum for the exchange of information on…

Education
5
The Foundation for the Iowa City Community School District

The foundation for the iowa city community school district connects the community with our schools to ensure every student has extraordinary learning experiences. together we empower teachers and district staff and inspire students to…

—
6
State University of Iowa Foundation

The university of iowa center for advancement's mission is to advance the university of iowa through engagement and philanthropy. we serve our alumni and friends in the state and the region, throughout the country, and around the world. we…

Education
7
United Way of East Central Iowa

Unite the caring power of communities to invest in effective solutions to improve people's lives.

Philanthropy
8
Iowa Farm Bureau Foundation

Building iowa's values by recognizing and responding to significantchanges in iowa - those that fundamentally affect families and communities.

Housing & Shelter
9
Iowa Scholarship Fund Inc

The iowa scholarship fund solicits gifts to provide financial support exclusively for scholarships (tuition, room, board, and fees) to students who participate in intercollegiate athletics at the university of iowa.

—
10
Iowa Historical Foundation

Promoting, for the benefit and education of the general public, the preservation and interpretation of the history of the state of iowa.

Arts & Culture
11
Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation

The des moines water works park foundation is dedicated to developing and executing the master plan created for water works park. the plan turns the park into a national model incorporating recreation, education and conservation within the…

Recreation & Sports
12
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden

Exploring, explaining and celebrating the world of plants.

Environment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Iowa 4-H Foundation; the most unlike its peers is Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. 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

31 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.

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 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 31 of the 67 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)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
29/31
Grantees still filing
17/31
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

ST TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL: $69,900 · OtherST TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOLTHE YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF GREATER DES MOINES: $54,200 · OtherTHE YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF GREATER DES MOINESST TIM'S CHURCH: $42,200 · OtherST TIM'S CHURCHDMARC: $20,000 · OtherDMARCYMCA: $13,550 · Other+42 more: $66,663 · Other+42 moreIOWA NATURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION: $6,000 · EnvironmentColorado Outdoor Education Center Inc: $1,250 · EnvironmentGUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE: $3,000 · EducationUniversity of St Thomas: $450 · EducationVALOR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS: $250 · EducationIOWA GOLF ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION: $250 · Education+1 more: $100 · EducationELLIPSIS INC: $1,000 · HealthMAYO CLINIC: $1,000 · HealthAMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION: $500 · HealthBRIDGES OF IOWA: $500 · HealthCYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION: $400 · HealthJOHN AUSTIN CHELEY FOUNDATION INC: $1,500 · Recreation & SportsTHE DES MOINES CAROUSEL FOUNDATION: $1,000 · Recreation & SportsIOWA BICYCLE COALITION INC: $350 · Recreation & SportsNATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION: $250 · Recreation & SportsGREAT OUTDOORS FOUNDATION: $3,000 · AnimalsIOWA RIVER HOSPICE INC: $500 · Human ServicesRandom Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay Inc: $500 · Human ServicesASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF BOISE IDAHO: $500 · Human Services
Other$266,513Environment$7,250Education$4,050Health$3,400Recreation & Sports$3,100Animals$3,000Human Services$1,500

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

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetTHE YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF GREATER DES MOINES: $54,200 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetMARSHALLTOWN COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUNDATION: $7,700 over 2y, 9.4% of budgetIOWA NATURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION: $6,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetVARIETY - THE CHILDREN'S CHARITY OF IOWA: $3,750 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetGUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetGREAT OUTDOORS FOUNDATION: $3,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetUNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWA: $3,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetJOHN AUSTIN CHELEY FOUNDATION INC: $1,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetColorado Outdoor Education Center Inc: $1,250 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetELLIPSIS INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE DES MOINES CAROUSEL FOUNDATION: $1,000 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetMAYO CLINIC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBRIDGES OF IOWA: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetFOOD BANK OF IOWA: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetDES MOINES SWIMMING FEDERATION: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetIOWA 4-H FOUNDATION: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetRandom Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay Inc: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF BOISE IDAHO: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of St Thomas: $450 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetEdmundson Art Foundation Inc: $430 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetIOWA BICYCLE COALITION INC: $350 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetVALOR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNATIONAL PARKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR FOUNDATION: $250 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetIOWA GOLF ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHOLY FAMILY SHRINE INC: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHistoric Valley Junction Foundation: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLITTLETON 1650 SCHOLARSHIP CHARITY FUND INC: $100 over 1y, 0.9% 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 THE YOUNG MENS CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF GREATER DES MOINES ↗
  • Who funds MARSHALLTOWN COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds IOWA NATURAL HERITAGE FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds VARIETY - THE CHILDREN'S CHARITY OF IOWA ↗
  • Who funds GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS COLLEGE ↗
  • Who funds GREAT OUTDOORS FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL IOWA ↗
  • Who funds JOHN AUSTIN CHELEY FOUNDATION INC ↗
  • Who funds Colorado Outdoor Education Center Inc ↗
  • Who funds ELLIPSIS INC ↗
  • Who funds CLEARWATER FOR YOUTH INC ↗
  • Who funds THE DES MOINES CAROUSEL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds MAYO CLINIC ↗
  • Who funds AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION ↗
  • Who funds BRIDGES OF IOWA ↗
  • Who funds IOWA RIVER HOSPICE INC ↗
  • Who funds FOOD BANK OF IOWA ↗
  • Who funds DES MOINES SWIMMING FEDERATION ↗

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.

EMC Insurance Foundat…Community Fdn of Grea…William C Knapp Chari…Kyle J & Sharon Kraus…GreenState Credit Uni…Meredith Corporation …Prairie Meadows Race …Deb & Bob Pulver Foun…The Noble FoundationJohn Ruan Foundation …Wt and Edna M Dahl Tr…Fred Maytag Family Fo…
EMC Insurance FoundationIA19.9× affinity7 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: EMC Insurance Foundation · Community Fdn of Greater Des Moines F/K/A Greater Des Moines Community Fdn · William C Knapp Charitable Fdn · Kyle J & Sharon Krause Family Foundation · GreenState Credit Union · Meredith Corporation Foundation · Prairie Meadows Race Track and Casino Inc · Deb & Bob Pulver Foundation · The Noble Foundation · John Ruan Foundation Trust · Wt and Edna M Dahl Trust · Fred Maytag Family Foundation

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 Mark & Kathy Larson Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Mark & Kathy Larson Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%0%1%3%5%funder's share of their income ↑0%3%5%8%10%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    9report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    ⤢ axis zoomed · 0–10%
    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 67 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 Mark & Kathy Larson’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