About Carlson Family Foundation
The Carlson Family Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of substantial, locally focused community nonprofits in the Urbandale/Des Moines area, funding basic needs and youth services. Grants are large and appear intended for general or program support rather than narrow project funding, signaling flexible support for organizational capacity and service delivery. The foundation’s priorities center on youth development, affordable housing, and food security within its community.
Focus Areas
Local youth services and youth development programs (e.g., Ellipsis)Affordable housing and homeownership support (Habitat for Humanity)Emergency food assistance and local food pantry operations (Urbandale Food Pantry)
Who They Fund
children and youth (teens, minors)low-income individuals and familiesfood-insecure populationscommunity-based nonprofit organizations (as grant recipients)
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated: very few grants (3) that are relatively large and likely unrestricted or general operating support; funding is locally targeted and focused on core community service providers rather than a wide portfolio of small awards.
About Carlson Family Foundation
A $550,000 grant to Ellipsis in 2025 stands out in the Carlson Family Foundation’s recent giving and points to how it uses large, flexible awards to support youth services. The Carlson Family Foundation backs a small set of community nonprofits with substantial grants, often at levels that suggest general or broad program support rather than tightly scoped projects. In the recent grants list, Habitat for Humanity received $550,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025, while Urbandale Food Pantry received $300,000 in 2025, showing repeated support for organizations serving basic needs in the Des Moines area. Other large awards went to Iowa Homeless Youth Centers, Hope Ministries, Food Bank of Iowa, and DMARC, reinforcing a pattern of support for housing stability, food assistance, and youth-serving organizations. The foundation’s active programs also show a clear interest in youth development, family support, and community well-being, including support for K-12 schools, out-of-school programs, parents and caregivers, and prevention work for youth up to age 24. Its giving is regional, with a heavy concentration in Iowa, and the grants data points to a foundation that funds established local partners over time.
What Carlson Family Foundation Funds
Youth services are a clear priority. The foundation gave $550,000 to Ellipsis in 2025 for youth services, and it also supported Iowa Homeless Youth Centers with multiple $60,000 grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025 for general support. Housing stability is another major theme: Habitat for Humanity received $550,000 in 2024 and another $50,000 in 2025, both listed as general fund support. Basic-needs work appears in food security funding as well, including a $300,000 2025 grant to Urbandale Food Pantry for food pantry operations and repeated $50,000 awards to Food Bank of Iowa for food. The foundation also funded Meals From the Heartland with $60,000 in 2025 for meals for the poor, connecting its grantmaking to direct relief for low-income households.
How Carlson Family Foundation Gives
Typical grants are substantial: the p25 is $22,500, the median is $35,000, and the p75 is $50,000, even though several recent awards were much larger. Recurring support is common; organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, DMARC, Iowa Homeless Youth Centers, Food Bank of Iowa, Hope Ministries, and Cystic Fibrosis Foundation appear in multiple years. The pattern suggests a grantmaker that favors repeat relationships and ongoing support rather than one-time awards. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its active programs include invitation-based and unsolicited-grant options, with some initiatives accepting unsolicited applications and others working through partner invitations.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.5M
Total Assets
$5.5M
Total Revenue
$1.2M
Total Expenses
$1.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $23K and $50K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$23K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
Regional5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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