The RB and Twyla Sheldahl Foundation predominantly funds Christian ministry and faith‑based youth outreach alongside significant investments in hunger relief and child health. Their giving mixes repeat support for local churches and national religious organizations with large grants to food banks and children's medical charities, indicating a philanthropic focus on faith‑based service, youth ministry, and feeding children in need. They favor operational/program support rather than broad institutional endowments.
A defining pattern in Rb and Twyla Sheldahl Foundation Sheldahl’s recent giving is the combination of large food-security grants and steady support for Christian ministry. The foundation gave $220,000 to Midwest Food Bank in 2024 and $190,000 in 2023, both for food assistance, while also backing Sun Valley Church with $175,000 in 2024 and $127,700 in 2023 for church ministry and camp scholarships. That mix points to a grantmaker centered on direct service and faith-based programming rather than broad institutional support. Their portfolio also reaches beyond food and ministry into child-focused aid. In 2025, the foundation awarded $100,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for children’s medical services, and it has supported organizations serving children in other ways, including Children’s Hunger and Parenting Special Kids Network. Repeat awards to organizations such as Midwest Food Bank, Sun Valley Church, and Young Life International suggest ongoing relationships rather than one-time grants. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s funding style is practical and program-oriented, with named recipients spread across churches, religious instruction groups, hunger relief providers, and child-health organizations.
Food assistance is one of the clearest themes in the foundation’s portfolio. It gave $220,000 to Midwest Food Bank in 2024 and another $27,033 in 2025, both for providing food assistance, and it also awarded $100,000 to Children’s Hunger in 2023 for providing food assistance to children in need. Christian education and ministry are another major area. Young Life International received $88,500 in 2024, $65,300 in 2023, and $35,000 in 2025 for religious instruction. Spread Truth Ministries also received $45,000 in 2024 for ministry and religious instruction. The foundation has also supported children’s and family services. In 2024 it gave $10,000 to Parenting Special Kids Network to support parents of disabled children, and in 2023 it awarded $10,000 to Hope & a Future for foster children support.
Typical grants cluster at a moderate size, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $15,000, and a p75 of $55,150. The recent list shows both recurring support and larger one-time awards: Midwest Food Bank, Sun Valley Church, Young Life International, and Living Water of the Valley Church each appear in more than one year. The foundation is classified as a Regular Funder, and the available grant records point to program support, ministry support, and direct-service assistance rather than individuals or program-related investments.
$208K
$0
$34
$210K
Most grants fall between $10K and $55K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$55K
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Concentrated, mid-to-large gifts to a small set of repeat grantees with multiple grants per organization; mixes local church funding with larger gifts to national nonprofits. Predominantly program/operating support with an emphasis on faith‑based activities and direct service (food, medical, disaster).
Notable grantees: Midwest Food Bank, Sun Valley Church, Young Life International, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Children's Hunger
Grant recipients are entirely U.S.-based in the recent sample. Arizona is the top state by grant count, and 48% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Within Arizona, recipients include Gilbert, Phoenix, Chandler, Cave Creek, and Kayenta. Outside Arizona, grants also reached organizations in Colorado Springs, Memphis, Doral, Indianapolis, Staten Island, Des Moines, and Agoura Hills, showing a national footprint anchored in Arizona.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on Christian ministry and faith-based youth outreach, along with food assistance and child-focused services. Examples include grants for church ministry, religious instruction, camp scholarships, food assistance, children’s medical services, and support for parents of disabled children.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $55,150 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards range from $1,000 to $220,000, with several repeated $10,000 grants.
Yes. Midwest Food Bank appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Sun Valley Church appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Young Life International appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Living Water of the Valley Church appears in 2024 and 2025.
Arizona receives the largest share of grants by count, and 48% of all grants go to recipients in Arizona. Recent Arizona recipients include Gilbert, Phoenix, Chandler, Cave Creek, and Kayenta, while other grants went to organizations in states such as Colorado, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois, and New York.
No. The recent awards cover several fields: food assistance, church ministry, religious instruction, children’s medical services, disaster support, veterans benefits, support for disabled children and their parents, foster children support, homelessness assistance, and youth mentoring in business.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $100,000 | 2025 | CHILDREN'S MEDICAL SERVICES |
| YOUNG LIFE INTERNATIONAL | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $35,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION |
| MIDWEST FOOD BANK | GILBERT, AZ | $27,033 | 2025 | PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE |
| SUN VALLEY CHURCH | GILBERT, AZ | $25,000 | 2025 | CHURCH MINISTRY & CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS |
| LIVING WATER OF THE VALLEY CHURCH | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | CHURCH MINISTRY |
| TUNNELS TO TOWERS FOUNDATION | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | VETERANS BENEFITS |
| CHRISTIAN CARE CENTER INC | LEESBURG, FL | $1,000 | 2025 | CHURCH MINISTRY |
| MIDWEST FOOD BANK | GILBERT, AZ | $220,000 | 2024 | PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE |
| SUN VALLEY CHURCH | GILBERT, AZ | $175,000 | 2024 | CHURCH MINISTRY & CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS |
| YOUNG LIFE INTERNATIONAL | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $88,500 | 2024 | RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION |
| SPREAD TRUTH MINISTRIES | BLOOMINGTON, IL | $45,000 | 2024 | MINISTRY RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION |
| GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION | DORAL, FL | $30,000 | 2024 | DISASTER SUPPORT |
| INSTITUTE FOR AFFORDABLE TRANSBUV MINISTRY | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | MINISTRY AND CAR HOME RELIEF |
| LIVING WATER OF THE VALLEY CHURCH | PHOENIX, AZ | $13,500 | 2024 | CHURCH MINISTRY |
| JONI&FRIENDS | AGOURA HILLS, CA | $10,000 | 2024 | CHRISTIAN MINISTRY TO DISABLED |
| MAGI INITIATIVE | GILBERT, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | MENTORING YOUTH IN BUSINESS |
| PARENTING SPECIAL KIDS NETWORK | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT PARENTS OF DISABLED CHILDREN |
| EAST VALLEY ATHELETES FOR CHRIST | CHANDLER, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | EXEMPLIFYING CHRIST IN ATHLETIC COMP |
| THE SHERRARD INSTITUTE | BATAVIA, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | MINISTRY, EDUCATION, HUMANITARIANISM |
| TREMBLE CLEFS AZ SUN LAKES | TEMPE, AZ | $1,000 | 2024 | MUSIC THERAPY FOR DISABLED |
| MIDWEST FOOD BANK | GILBERT, AZ | $190,000 | 2023 | PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED |
| SUN VALLEY CHURCH | GILBERT, AZ | $127,700 | 2023 | MINISTRY |
| CHILDRENS HUNGER | SYLMAR, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN IN NEED |
| YOUNG LIFE INTERNATIONAL | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $65,300 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION |
| HOUSE OF JOY CHURCH | KAYENTA, AZ | $43,900 | 2023 | CHURCH MINISTRY |
| BUY MINISTRY | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $15,000 | 2023 | MINISTRY AND CAR HOME RELIEF |
| HOPE & A FUTURE | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | FOSTER CHILDREN SUPPORT |
| LIFE CHURCH | WESLEY CHAPEL, FL | $10,000 | 2023 | CHURCH MINISTRY |
| AZ URBAN YOUTH MINISTRIES | CAVE CREEK, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | CHURCH MINISTRY |
| JOPPA IOWA | DES MOINES, IA | $10,000 | 2023 | HOMELESS ASSISTANCE |
| YOUTH FOR CHRIST | ENGLEWOOD, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS EDUCATION |
YOUNG LIFE INTERNATIONAL
$35,000RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION
MIDWEST FOOD BANK
$27,033PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE
SUN VALLEY CHURCH
$25,000CHURCH MINISTRY & CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
LIVING WATER OF THE VALLEY CHURCH
$10,000CHURCH MINISTRY
TUNNELS TO TOWERS FOUNDATION
$10,000VETERANS BENEFITS
CHRISTIAN CARE CENTER INC
$1,000CHURCH MINISTRY
SUN VALLEY CHURCH
$175,000CHURCH MINISTRY & CAMP SCHOLARSHIPS
YOUNG LIFE INTERNATIONAL
$88,500RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION
INSTITUTE FOR AFFORDABLE TRANSBUV MINISTRY
$20,000MINISTRY AND CAR HOME RELIEF
LIVING WATER OF THE VALLEY CHURCH
$13,500CHURCH MINISTRY
MAGI INITIATIVE
$10,000MENTORING YOUTH IN BUSINESS
PARENTING SPECIAL KIDS NETWORK
$10,000SUPPORT PARENTS OF DISABLED CHILDREN
EAST VALLEY ATHELETES FOR CHRIST
$10,000EXEMPLIFYING CHRIST IN ATHLETIC COMP
THE SHERRARD INSTITUTE
$10,000MINISTRY, EDUCATION, HUMANITARIANISM
TREMBLE CLEFS AZ SUN LAKES
$1,000MUSIC THERAPY FOR DISABLED
SUN VALLEY CHURCH
$127,700MINISTRY
CHILDRENS HUNGER
$100,000PROVIDING FOOD ASSISTANCE TO CHILDREN IN NEED
HOUSE OF JOY CHURCH
$43,900CHURCH MINISTRY
BUY MINISTRY
$15,000MINISTRY AND CAR HOME RELIEF
HOPE & A FUTURE
$10,000FOSTER CHILDREN SUPPORT
LIFE CHURCH
$10,000CHURCH MINISTRY
AZ URBAN YOUTH MINISTRIES
$10,000CHURCH MINISTRY
JOPPA IOWA
$10,000HOMELESS ASSISTANCE
YOUTH FOR CHRIST
$10,000RELIGIOUS EDUCATION