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    1. Home
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    3. Great River Foundation
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    Great River Foundation

    Active
    WEST BURLINGTON, IAWebsite3197681000

    About Great River Foundation

    Great River Foundation Inc. is a narrowly focused health-sector funder that made very large, one-time asset transfers tied to corporate transactions. Its giving appears driven by hospital-system merger/sale activity and redistribution of proceeds to regional healthcare institutions, concentrating support on Southeast Iowa medical infrastructure rather than broad programmatic grants.

    Focus Areas

    Asset transfers and endowment funding tied to hospital mergers/consolidationsSupport for regional acute care hospitals in Southeast IowaCapital and operating support following healthcare facility sales

    Who They Fund

    receiving/merged nonprofit organizationssuccessor entities/affiliate organizations

    Giving Approach

    Extremely concentrated, one-off large disbursements linked to corporate/asset transactions (two very large grants totaling the foundation's reported giving); not a pattern of recurring, small grants or diversified portfolios.

    Funding Style

    merger-driven asset transfer

    About Great River Foundation

    Great River Foundation Inc. is defined by a single 2024 transfer of assets tied to a merger: $176,036,809 went to Grhs Holdings Inc in West Burlington, Iowa. That transaction-driven grantmaking profile shapes the foundation’s public record, which is dominated by very large distributions connected to healthcare consolidation and the movement of assets after organizational change. A second 2024 grant of $10,000,000 went to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Inc, also in West Burlington, as a distribution of proceeds from the sale of assets. Together, these grants point to a funder that functions less like a conventional open grantmaker and more like a vehicle for reallocating hospital-related capital in Southeast Iowa. The pattern is reinforced by the foundation’s stated focus on asset transfers, endowment funding tied to hospital mergers and consolidations, and capital and operating support following healthcare facility sales. Its recent record centers on regional medical infrastructure rather than a broad portfolio of program grants.

    What Great River Foundation Funds

    The foundation’s clearest cause area is healthcare restructuring. In 2024, it made a $176,036,809 contribution of assets due to merger to Grhs Holdings Inc in West Burlington, Iowa, showing how closely its funding is tied to organizational consolidation. A second major grant, $10,000,000 to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Inc, supported the distribution of proceeds from the sale of assets and points to continued support for regional hospital systems after asset changes. Beyond large transaction-based transfers, Great River Foundation Inc. also maintains community-facing healthcare support through its Community Donations & Sponsorships Support Request Form, which accepts requests for donations, sponsorships, tours, and event representation from organizations in Southeast Iowa, Western Illinois, and Northeast Missouri. The foundation also administers scholarships for health careers, including the Tracey Howe Scholarship and the Kathleen Canella Family Scholarship.

    How Great River Foundation Gives

    Grant size is highly concentrated at the top end: the 25th percentile is $51,509,202, the median is $93,018,404, and the 75th percentile is $134,527,607. That spread reflects unusually large, one-time transfers rather than a broad ladder of small awards. The recent record shows asset-transfer activity tied to merger and sale events, with both listed grants occurring in 2024. The foundation is locally focused, and all reported recipient grants go to organizations in Iowa. It also includes an online Support Request Form for donations, sponsorships, tours, and event representation, indicating a separate community-request channel alongside the transaction-related distributions.

    Financial Snapshot

    Annual Giving

    $186M

    Total Assets

    $0

    Total Revenue

    $5.2M

    Total Expenses

    $186M

    Typical Grant Size

    Most grants fall between $51.5M and $134.5M, with a median of $93M.

    25th Percentile

    $51.5M

    Median

    $93M

    75th Percentile

    $134.5M

    Geographic Reach

    Local1 state funded
    Funding intensity
    Low
    High
    Headquarters

    Leadership

    MATT WENZEL

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    EIN (Tax ID): 42-1469162Latest Form 990: 20241 filings on recordFind their full 990 filing →
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    one-time/transactional funding
    proceeds distribution from asset liquidation

    Notable grantees: GRHS Holdings Inc., Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Inc.

    Topics

    organizational consolidationasset redistributioncapital reallocation following merger

    Where Great River Foundation Makes Grants

    Great River Foundation Inc. gives locally, and the recipient distribution is entirely in the United States. The strongest concentration is in Iowa, which accounts for 100% of grants by recipient location and is also the top state by grant count. Recent recipients include organizations in West Burlington, Iowa. Its community support channel also reaches Southeast Iowa, with additional geographic references to Western Illinois and Northeast Missouri.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Great River Foundation

    How does Great River Foundation Inc. typically make grants?

    Its public record is dominated by very large, transaction-linked transfers. The 25th percentile grant size is $51,509,202, the median is $93,018,404, and the 75th percentile is $134,527,607, which points to large one-time distributions rather than routine smaller awards.

    What areas does Great River Foundation Inc. support?

    The foundation focuses on healthcare restructuring, asset transfers, endowment funding tied to hospital mergers and consolidations, and capital and operating support after healthcare facility sales. It also supports health careers through scholarships.

    Can organizations submit requests to Great River Foundation Inc.?

    Yes. Its Community Donations & Sponsorships Support Request Form accepts requests for donations, sponsorships, tours, and event representation from organizations in Southeast Iowa, Western Illinois, and Northeast Missouri.

    Does Great River Foundation Inc. fund outside Iowa?

    The grant record provided is entirely in the United States, and 100% of grants go to recipients in Iowa. The community support channel also names Southeast Iowa, Western Illinois, and Northeast Missouri as its service area.

    Does Great River Foundation Inc. support education?

    Yes. It administers the Tracey Howe Scholarship and the Kathleen Canella Family Scholarship, both described as supporting students pursuing health careers in Southeast Iowa.

    Latest 990 Filing

    2024

    Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.

    Open Grant Opportunities

    Current and upcoming funding from Great River Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.

    Open nowRolling / open intake

    Community Donations & Sponsorships (Support Request Form)

    Community health and wellnessCivic and community activitiesHealthcare access

    Who can apply: Requests must be submitted at least 45 days before the event or activity. The requesting organization must demonstrate effective program performance, financial responsibility, and accountability, and the group, program, or event must provide appropriate visibility and value-added opportunities for Great River Health. Support is generally limited to one sponsorship or donation per organization per year. Exclusions include events featuring alcohol or tobacco; fraternal, labor, political, or religious organizations; political candidates; individuals; school yearbook ads; school, travel, or youth sports teams and clubs; and general fundraisers for public or private schools.

    Deadline: Requests must be submitted at least 45 days before the event or activity; requests are reviewed twice a month.

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    Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.

    Recent Grants

    Most recent grants reported to the IRS.

    RecipientLocationAmountYearPurpose
    GRHS HOLDINGS INCWEST BURLINGTON, IA$176,036,8092024CONTRIBUTION OF ASSETS DUE TO MERGER
    SOUTHEAST IOWA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER INCWEST BURLINGTON, IA$10,000,0002024DISTRIBUTION OF PROCEEDS FROM SALE OF ASSETS

    GRHS HOLDINGS INC

    $176,036,809
    WEST BURLINGTON, IA2024

    CONTRIBUTION OF ASSETS DUE TO MERGER

    SOUTHEAST IOWA REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER INC

    $10,000,000
    WEST BURLINGTON, IA2024

    DISTRIBUTION OF PROCEEDS FROM SALE OF ASSETS