The Olson Brothers Family Foundation concentrates its giving on supporting students pursuing agricultural and food-animal medicine, primarily through grants to land‑grant university foundations. Nearly all funding has gone toward scholarships or student support for veterinary/animal‑agriculture education, with a strong emphasis on Iowa State University and some support to Kansas State University. The foundation appears focused, regional, and programmatic rather than broadly diversified across causes.
Concentrated, targeted giving: few, relatively large grants directed primarily to repeat grantees (Iowa State University Foundation) for a single programmatic purpose (supporting students in ag/food‑animal medicine).
The Olson Brothers Family Foundation’s recent giving is defined by support for students in ag and food animal medicine, with most of its larger grants flowing through land-grant university foundations. The biggest recent grant on file is $42,000 to Iowa State University Foundation in 2025 for supporting students in ag & food animal medicine, followed by $37,000 to the same recipient in 2024. A third Iowa State University Foundation grant of $25,000 in 2023 shows a repeated pattern rather than a one-time award. The foundation also backed Kansas State University Foundation with $9,500 in 2023 for the same purpose, placing veterinary education and agricultural animal health at the center of its grantmaking. Smaller grants extend that pattern beyond university channels: Nebraska State Fair received annual $1,000 awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for a previous director memorial, and South Dakota State University received $1,000 in 2024 for supporting students in ag & food animal medicine. Taken together, the portfolio points to a regional funder focused on student support, veterinary training, and agricultural workforce development.
Within veterinary education, the foundation’s clearest pattern is direct support for students preparing for food-animal practice. Iowa State University Foundation received multiple grants for supporting students in ag & food animal medicine, including $42,000 in 2025, $37,000 in 2024, and $25,000 in 2023. Kansas State University Foundation also received $9,500 in 2023 for the same purpose, and South Dakota State University received $1,000 in 2024. Beyond student support, the foundation gives a recurring memorial grant to Nebraska State Fair: $1,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025 for a previous director memorial. That mix shows a narrow education-centered grantmaking profile with a smaller, recurring community memorial gift.
Grant sizes range from a p25 of $1,000 to a median of $5,250 and a p75 of $28,000, showing a split between small recurring gifts and larger education grants. The recent record includes repeated awards to Iowa State University Foundation across 2023, 2024, and 2025, plus annual $1,000 grants to Nebraska State Fair in those same three years, so some recipients appear more than once. The foundation is a family foundation and does not fund individuals. No application process is shown in the provided data.
$118K
$740K
$1K
$44K
Most grants fall between $1K and $28K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$28K
About 38% of grants go to recipients in NE.
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Notable grantees: Iowa State University Foundation, Kansas State University Foundation, Land‑grant university veterinary/animal‑agriculture programs
The foundation gives most often in Nebraska, and 38% of grants go to recipients in its headquarters state. Recent grants also land in Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota. Ames appears multiple times through Iowa State University Foundation, while Manhattan, Brookings, and Grand Island each appear as recipient cities in the grant list. All listed recent grants are to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants go mainly to university foundations and a state fair. The largest awards support students in ag & food animal medicine through Iowa State University Foundation, Kansas State University Foundation, and South Dakota State University, while Nebraska State Fair receives a recurring memorial grant.
Typical awards are modest to mid-sized: the p25 is $1,000, the median is $5,250, and the p75 is $28,000. Recent grants include both $1,000 awards and larger university grants in the $25,000 to $42,000 range.
Yes. Iowa State University Foundation appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 with three grants for supporting students in ag & food animal medicine. Nebraska State Fair also received $1,000 in each of those three years for a previous director memorial.
Its grantmaking is regional, with Nebraska as the top state by grant count and 38% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent recipients are also in Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota, all in the U.S.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | AMES, IA | $42,000 | 2025 | SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE |
| NEBRASKA STATE FAIR | GRAND ISLAND, NE | $1,000 | 2025 | PREVIOUS DIRECTOR MEMORIAL |
| IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | AMES, IA | $37,000 | 2024 | SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE |
| NEBRASKA STATE FAIR | GRAND ISLAND, NE | $1,000 | 2024 | PREVIOUS DIRECTOR MEMORIAL |
| SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | BROOKINGS, SD | $1,000 | 2024 | SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE |
| IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | AMES, IA | $25,000 | 2023 | SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE |
| KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | MANHATTAN, KS | $9,500 | 2023 | SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE |
| NEBRASKA STATE FAIR | GRAND ISLAND, NE | $1,000 | 2023 | PREVIOUS DIRECTOR MEMORIAL |
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$42,000SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE
NEBRASKA STATE FAIR
$1,000PREVIOUS DIRECTOR MEMORIAL
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$37,000SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE
NEBRASKA STATE FAIR
$1,000PREVIOUS DIRECTOR MEMORIAL
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
$1,000SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$25,000SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$9,500SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN AG & FOOD ANIMAL MEDICINE
NEBRASKA STATE FAIR
$1,000PREVIOUS DIRECTOR MEMORIAL