The Frankhauser Trust concentrates its modest giving on a few repeated local and national charities, with a strong emphasis on supporting a regional cultural institution, pediatric specialty healthcare, and general social service relief. Most dollars are directed to a single museum in the Dakota region, with the remainder split between repeated gifts to Shriners Hospitals for Children and The Salvation Army, indicating a preference for sustaining established organizations rather than many small new projects.
Concentrated giving: few, relatively large repeat grants to a small set of grantees (three organizations account for all giving). Preference for sustaining established institutions via multiple grants rather than broad, one-off funding.
A Coe & Dorothy Frankhauser Trust shows a clear preference for sustained general support, with three consecutive $25,000 grants to Dakota Sunset Museum in Gettysburg, South Dakota across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That repeated commitment is the clearest signal in the trust’s recent giving: it backs established organizations over a wide spread of one-time awards. The museum grants sit alongside continuing support for pediatric specialty care through Shriners Hospitals for Children and emergency and basic social services through The Salvation Army. The trust’s giving pattern also includes support for South Dakota organizations such as The Abbott House, LifeScape Foundation, Children’s Home Society, Gettysburg School District, Scottish Rite Educational Foundation, and Dakotas United Methodist Foundation. The recipients suggest a blend of cultural preservation, child and family services, and community relief. Most awards are labeled general support, indicating the trust often funds organizations at the operating level rather than for tightly defined projects. Its recent record points to a small, relationship-based grantmaker with a consistent local footprint and a few recurring national beneficiaries.
Regional history and cultural preservation is the most visible theme in the trust’s grantmaking. It gave $25,000 to Dakota Sunset Museum in Gettysburg, South Dakota in 2025 for general support, matching the same amount in the prior two years. In child and family services, the trust supported several South Dakota organizations with repeated general-support grants: $5,436 to LifeScape Foundation in Sioux Falls in 2024, $4,953 in 2025, and $4,992 in 2023; $5,436 to Children’s Home Society in Sioux Falls in 2024, with $4,992 in 2023 and $4,953 in 2025; and $5,437 to The Abbott House in Mitchell in 2024, alongside $4,992 in 2023 and $4,953 in 2025. Education and faith-linked community institutions also appear in smaller awards. Gettysburg School District received $1,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Scottish Rite Educational Foundation and Dakotas United Methodist Foundation each received $500 grants in multiple years.
Typical grants cluster in a modest range, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $4,992, and a p75 of $9,777. The trust’s recent record shows repetition rather than one-off experimentation: Dakota Sunset Museum, Shriners Hospitals for Children, The Salvation Army, Gettysburg School District, and several South Dakota human-services organizations all received grants across multiple years. Awards are most often listed as general support, suggesting unrestricted or core operating backing. The pattern is that of a private family trust making recurring gifts to a small set of organizations, not a program-driven funder or one that funds individuals.
$68K
$1.3M
$109K
$98K
Most grants fall between $1K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Notable grantees: Dakota Sunset Museum, Shriners Hospitals for Children, The Salvation Army
Grantmaking is heavily centered in South Dakota, which accounts for 78% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Recipient cities in the state include Gettysburg, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, Aberdeen, and other South Dakota locations. Outside the state, grants in the recent record go to Tampa, Florida, and Hoffman Estates, Illinois. All recorded grants in the dataset are to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants support a mix of cultural preservation, pediatric specialty healthcare, emergency and basic social services, education, and child and family services. Named recipients include Dakota Sunset Museum, Shriners Hospitals for Children, The Salvation Army, Gettysburg School District, and several South Dakota human-services organizations.
It favors recurring support. Multiple recipients appear in three consecutive years, including Dakota Sunset Museum, Shriners Hospitals for Children, The Salvation Army, Gettysburg School District, LifeScape Foundation, Children’s Home Society, The Abbott House, Scottish Rite Educational Foundation, and Dakotas United Methodist Foundation.
The typical grant size is small to mid-sized for a private trust: p25 is $1,000, median is $4,992, and p75 is $9,777. Recent awards range from $500 to $25,000, with many grants falling around the median level.
South Dakota is the top state by grant count, with 78% of grants going to recipients in the state. Recent South Dakota recipients include organizations in Gettysburg, Sioux Falls, Mitchell, and Aberdeen.
Recent grantees include Dakota Sunset Museum in Gettysburg, Shriners Hospitals for Children in Tampa, The Salvation Army in Hoffman Estates, The Abbott House in Mitchell, LifeScape Foundation in Sioux Falls, and Children’s Home Society in Sioux Falls.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Sunset Museum | Gettysburg, SD | $25,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children | Atlanta, GA | $14,200 | 2026 | General Support |
| The Salvation Army | Hoffman Estates, IL | $10,143 | 2026 | General Support |
| The Abbott House | Mitchell, SD | $5,409 | 2026 | General Support |
| LifeScape Foundation | Sioux Falls, SD | $5,409 | 2026 | General Support |
| Children's Home Society | Sioux Falls, SD | $5,409 | 2026 | General Support |
| Gettysburg School District | Gettysburg, SD | $1,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Dakotas United Methodist Foundation | Mitchell, SD | $500 | 2026 | General Support |
| Scottish Rite Educational Foundation | Aberdeen, SD | $500 | 2026 | General Support |
| Dakota Sunset Museum | Gettysburg, SD | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children | Tampa, FL | $13,001 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Salvation Army | Hoffman Estates, IL | $9,287 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Abbott House | Mitchell, SD | $4,953 | 2025 | General Support |
| Children's Home Society | Sioux Falls, SD | $4,953 | 2025 | General Support |
| LifeScape Foundation | Sioux Falls, SD | $4,953 | 2025 | General Support |
| Gettysburg School District | Gettysburg, SD | $1,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Scottish Rite Educational Foundation | Aberdeen, SD | $500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Dakotas United Methodist Foundation | Mitchell, SD | $500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Dakota Sunset Museum | Gettysburg, SD | $25,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children | Tampa, FL | $14,270 | 2024 | General Support |
| The Salvation Army | Hoffman Estates, IL | $10,193 | 2024 | General Support |
| The Abbott House | Mitchell, SD | $5,437 | 2024 | General Support |
| LifeScape Foundation | Sioux Falls, SD | $5,436 | 2024 | General Support |
| Children's Home Society | Sioux Falls, SD | $5,436 | 2024 | General Support |
| Gettysburg School District | Gettysburg, SD | $1,000 | 2024 | General Support |
| Scottish Rite Educational Foundation | Aberdeen, SD | $500 | 2024 | General Support |
| Dakotas United Methodist Foundation | Mitchell, SD | $500 | 2024 | General Support |
| Dakota Sunset Museum | Gettysburg, SD | $25,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Shriners Hospitals for Children | Tampa, FL | $13,105 | 2023 | General Support |
| The Salvation Army | Hoffman Estates, IL | $9,361 | 2023 | General Support |
| LifeScape Foundation | Sioux Falls, SD | $4,992 | 2023 | General Support |
| The Abbott House | Mitchell, SD | $4,992 | 2023 | General Support |
| Children's Home Society | Sioux Falls, SD | $4,992 | 2023 | General Support |
| Gettysburg School District | Gettysburg, SD | $1,000 | 2023 | General Support |
| Scottish Rite Educational Foundation | Aberdeen, SD | $500 | 2023 | General Support |
| Dakotas United Methodist Foundation | Mitchell, SD | $500 | 2023 | General Support |
Dakota Sunset Museum
$25,000General Support
Shriners Hospitals for Children
$14,200General Support
The Salvation Army
$10,143General Support
The Abbott House
$5,409General Support
LifeScape Foundation
$5,409General Support
Children's Home Society
$5,409General Support
Gettysburg School District
General Support
Dakotas United Methodist Foundation
$500General Support
Scottish Rite Educational Foundation
$500General Support
Dakota Sunset Museum
$25,000General Support
Shriners Hospitals for Children
$13,001General Support
The Salvation Army
$9,287General Support
The Abbott House
$4,953General Support
Children's Home Society
$4,953General Support
LifeScape Foundation
$4,953General Support
Gettysburg School District
$1,000General Support
Scottish Rite Educational Foundation
$500General Support
Dakotas United Methodist Foundation
$500General Support
Dakota Sunset Museum
$25,000General Support
Shriners Hospitals for Children
$14,270General Support
The Salvation Army
$10,193General Support
The Abbott House
$5,437General Support
LifeScape Foundation
$5,436General Support
Children's Home Society
$5,436General Support
Gettysburg School District
$1,000General Support
Scottish Rite Educational Foundation
$500General Support
Dakotas United Methodist Foundation
$500General Support
Dakota Sunset Museum
$25,000General Support
Shriners Hospitals for Children
$13,105General Support
The Salvation Army
$9,361General Support
LifeScape Foundation
$4,992General Support
The Abbott House
$4,992General Support
Children's Home Society
$4,992General Support
Gettysburg School District
$1,000General Support
Scottish Rite Educational Foundation
$500General Support
Dakotas United Methodist Foundation
$500General Support