The Mark & Kathy Larson Foundation concentrates its giving on local Iowa organizations that support faith-based community life, basic needs, and civic culture. Major gifts have gone to an Episcopal parish and its associated school, regional hunger relief, and community institutions like the YMCA, a regional art center, and a state land-conservation group. The foundation favors tangible, place-based charities that serve the Des Moines metro and nearby Iowa communities.
Relatively concentrated, moderate-sized grants to a small set of local organizations, with repeat support for a few core grantees rather than many one-off gifts.
A defining thread in the Mark & Kathy Larson Foundation’s recent giving is sustained support for St Timothy’s Episcopal Church and School in West Des Moines, including $10,900 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2023, followed by another $10,000 contribution to St Tim’s Church in 2025. That pattern points to a funder closely tied to faith-based community institutions rather than a broad national portfolio. Their other larger gifts reinforce that picture: the foundation has also supported DMARC for regional hunger relief, the YMCA in Des Moines, and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. The portfolio is place-based and small-to-mid scale, with many grants in the $500 to $5,000 range and a strong tilt toward Iowa recipients. Within that Iowa-centered pattern, the foundation gives to organizations serving practical community functions: a parish and school, food assistance, youth recreation, conservation, and civic arts. Recent awards also extend to Marshalltown, where arts and church-related recipients appear, showing that the giving reaches beyond the immediate West Des Moines area while remaining focused on Iowa communities.
Faith-based institutions are a clear part of the foundation’s profile. The most visible example is St Timothy’s Episcopal Church and School, which received $10,900 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2023. A separate 2025 grant went to St Tim’s Church for contributions, showing continued support for the same religious community. Basic-needs giving appears through DMARC, which received $5,000 in 2024 and $5,000 in 2023. The foundation also supported the Food Bank of Iowa with a $500 grant in 2025, reinforcing a food-security focus. Community life and civic culture show up in support for the YMCA in Des Moines, including grants of $5,050 in 2025, $5,000 in 2024, and $3,500 in 2023. The foundation also backed the Marshalltown Art and Civic Center and Fisher Art Museum with $5,000 in 2025, along with smaller gifts to related arts organizations.
The foundation’s typical grant size is modest: the 25th percentile is $500, the median is $1,000, and the 75th percentile is $3,500. That distribution fits a grantmaker that mixes many small contributions with a handful of larger awards. The recent record shows recurring support across multiple years for several recipients, including St Timothy’s Episcopal Church and School, the YMCA, DMARC, and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. The foundation is a private family foundation style grantmaker rather than a public fundraising charity, and the available records show contributions rather than program-related investments or individual aid. No application process is indicated in the data.
$113K
$457K
$28K
$56K
Most grants fall between $500 and $4K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$4K
About 77% of grants go to recipients in IA.
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Notable grantees: St. Timothy's Episcopal Church and School / St Tim's Church, DMARC (regional hunger relief), YMCA (local branch), Marshalltown Art and Civic Center / Fisher Art Museum, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Iowa-focused: 77% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s home state of giving, Iowa, and all recorded recipient countries are in the United States. Des Moines appears repeatedly as a recipient city, alongside West Des Moines and Marshalltown. Outside Iowa, the foundation has made smaller awards to Clearwater and Dunedin, Florida, Rochester, Minnesota, and Denver, Colorado. The geographic pattern is regional, with Iowa clearly dominating the portfolio.
The recent grants point to faith-based institutions, food assistance, youth recreation, arts and civic culture, and land conservation. Examples in the record include church and school support, DMARC for hunger relief, the YMCA in Des Moines, arts organizations in Marshalltown, and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.
The grant-size data shows a 25th percentile of $500, a median of $1,000, and a 75th percentile of $3,500. Recent awards include both small contributions and larger gifts in the $5,000 to $10,900 range.
Yes. Iowa is the top state by grant count, and 77% of grants go to recipients in Iowa. Recent recipient cities include West Des Moines, Des Moines, and Marshalltown.
Yes. The record shows multiple years of support for St Timothy’s Episcopal Church and School, the YMCA in Des Moines, DMARC, and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. That suggests recurring, relationship-based giving rather than isolated one-time grants.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Tim's Church | West Des Moines, IA | $10,000 | 2025 | Contributions |
| St Tim's Church | West Des Moines, IA | $10,000 | 2025 | Contributions |
| YMCA | Des Moines, IA | $5,050 | 2025 | Contributions |
| DMARC | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Marshalltown Art and Civic Center and Fisher Art Museum | Marshalltown, IA | $5,000 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Great Outdoors Foundation | West Des Moines, IA | $3,000 | 2025 | Contributions |
| St Tim's Church | West Des Moines, IA | $600 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Randon Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay | Dunedin, FL | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Veteran Adminstration | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Food Bank of Iowa | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Des Moines Community Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Colorado Outdoor Education Center | Floissant, CO | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Marshalltown Martha Ellen Tye Foundation | Marshaltown, IA | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Easterseals Iowa | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Chapel By the Sea Church | Clearwater Beach, FL | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Bridges of Iowa | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Chapel By the Sea Church | Clearwater Beach, FL | $300 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Chapel By the Sea Church | Clearwater Beach, FL | $300 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Chapel By the Sea Church | Clearwater Beach, FL | $300 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Camp Foster #130 YMCA | Spirit Lake, IA | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Chapel By the Sea Church | Clearwater Beach, FL | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Iowa Golf Association Foundation | Nowlk, IA | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Iowa Bicycle Foundation | Coralville, IA | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Party on the Hill Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Can Do Cancer Foundation | Ankeny, IA | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| National Park - Lake Superior Foundation | St Paul, MN | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| Universtity of St Thomas | St Paul, MN | $250 | 2025 | Contributions |
| St Tim's Church | West Des Moines, IA | $100 | 2025 | Contributions |
| ST TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL | WEST DES MOINES, IA | $10,900 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| YMCA | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2024 | Contributions |
| DMARC | Des Moines, IA | $5,000 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTION |
| Chapel by the Sea | Clearwater, FL | $3,600 | 2024 | Contributions |
| Athene Pedestrian Bridge | Des Moines, IA | $3,500 | 2024 | Contributions |
| St Paul's Episcopal Church | Marshalltown, IA | $1,000 | 2024 | Contributions |
| Unity Point Health | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2024 | CONTRIBUTIONS |
| Des Moines Art Center | Des Moines, IA | $140 | 2024 | Contributions |
| University of St Thomas | St Paul, MN | $100 | 2024 | Contributions |
| Walnut Woods State Park | Des Moines, IA | $100 | 2024 | Contributions |
| Iowa Bicycle Coalition | Coralville, IA | $100 | 2024 | Contributions |
| ST TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL | WEST DES MOINES, IA | $10,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION |
| DMARC | DES MOINES, IA | $5,000 | 2023 | CONTRIBUTION |
| Raccoon River Pedestrian Bridge | Des Moines, IA | $3,500 | 2023 | Contributions |
| YMCA | Des Moines, IA | $3,500 | 2023 | Contributions |
| Chapel by the Sea | Clearwater, FL | $3,333 | 2023 | Contributions |
| A Thousand Summers | Denver, CO | $1,000 | 2023 | Contributions |
| Mayo Clinic Department of Development | Rochester, MN | $1,000 | 2023 | Contributions |
| Pepper Harrow Foundation | Winterset, IA | $1,000 | 2023 | Contributions |
| Oak Leaf Foundation | Des Moines, IA | $500 | 2023 | Contributions |
St Tim's Church
$10,000Contributions
St Tim's Church
$10,000Contributions
YMCA
$5,050Contributions
DMARC
$5,000Contributions
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
$5,000Contributions
Marshalltown Art and Civic Center and Fisher Art Museum
$5,000Contributions
Great Outdoors Foundation
Contributions
St Tim's Church
$600Contributions
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
$500Contributions
Randon Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay
$500Contributions
Veteran Adminstration
$500Contributions
Food Bank of Iowa
$500Contributions
Des Moines Community Foundation
$500Contributions
Colorado Outdoor Education Center
$500Contributions
Marshalltown Martha Ellen Tye Foundation
$500Contributions
Easterseals Iowa
$500Contributions
Chapel By the Sea Church
$500Contributions
Bridges of Iowa
$500Contributions
Chapel By the Sea Church
$300Contributions
Chapel By the Sea Church
$300Contributions
Chapel By the Sea Church
$300Contributions
Camp Foster #130 YMCA
$250Contributions
Chapel By the Sea Church
$250Contributions
Iowa Golf Association Foundation
$250Contributions
Iowa Bicycle Foundation
$250Contributions
Party on the Hill Foundation
$250Contributions
Can Do Cancer Foundation
$250Contributions
National Park - Lake Superior Foundation
$250Contributions
Universtity of St Thomas
$250Contributions
St Tim's Church
$100Contributions
ST TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL
$10,900CONTRIBUTION
YMCA
$5,000Contributions
DMARC
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
Chapel by the Sea
$3,600Contributions
Athene Pedestrian Bridge
$3,500Contributions
St Paul's Episcopal Church
$1,000Contributions
Unity Point Health
$500CONTRIBUTIONS
Des Moines Art Center
$140Contributions
University of St Thomas
$100Contributions
Walnut Woods State Park
$100Contributions
Iowa Bicycle Coalition
$100Contributions
ST TIMOTHY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH AND SCHOOL
$10,000CONTRIBUTION
DMARC
$5,000CONTRIBUTION
Raccoon River Pedestrian Bridge
$3,500Contributions
YMCA
$3,500Contributions
Chapel by the Sea
$3,333Contributions
A Thousand Summers
$1,000Contributions
Mayo Clinic Department of Development
$1,000Contributions
Pepper Harrow Foundation
$1,000Contributions
Oak Leaf Foundation
$500Contributions