Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation
Lincoln, NE · EIN 46-1639212. Reported 144 grants totalling $336,964 to 91 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $1,100. Half of everything it gave fell between $1,000 and $2,500; the smallest was $5 and the largest $33,400. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nebraska Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $37,400 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| American Cancer Society | Greeley, CO | $17,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Julesburg School District | Julesburg, CO | $16,400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Haxtun Hospital District Foundation | Haxtun, CO | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Sedgwick County Organized Recreation Inc | Julesburg, CO | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Amg Charitable Gift Foundation | Greenwood Village, CO | $11,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Community Foundation of Northern Co | Fort Collins, CO | $10,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| UC Health Northern Colorado Foundation | Fort Collins, CO | $10,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Windsor Community Foundation | Greeley, CO | $9,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| City of Fullerton | Fullerton, NE | $7,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Community Foundation of Northern Colorado | Fort Collins, CO | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Friends of Lied | Lincoln, NE | $7,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Lisco Presbyterian Church | Lisco, NE | $7,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Weld Food Bank | Greeley, CO | $6,503 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Cheyenne County Community Center Foundation | Sidney, NE | $6,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Haxtun Education Foundation | Haxtun, CO | $5,800 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Eastern Wyoming College Foundation | Torrington, WY | $5,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Broadwater Fire Dept | Broadwater, NE | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| No Co Bbb Foundation | Fort Collins, CO | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Sidney Public School Foundation | Sidney, NE | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Teammates Mentoring Program | Sidney, NE | $5,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Wyoming State Fair Endowment Fund | Douglas, WY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Crossroads Ministry of Estes Park | Estes Park, CO | $4,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Sedgwick County | Julesburg, CO | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Estes Valley Sunrise Rotary Foundation | Estes Park, CO | $3,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Town of Lingle | Lingle, WY | $3,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Cheyenne County Hospital & Health Foundation | Sidney, NE | $3,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Habitat for Humanity | Fort Collins, CO | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Kimball Public Schools Foundation Inc | Kimball, NE | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Lodgepole Depot Museum | Lodgepole, NE | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Purple and Gold Legacy Foundation | Pine Bluffs, WY | $3,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Fort Sedgwick Historical Society | Julesburg, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Foothills Gateway Rehab Center Foundation Trust | Fort Collins, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fullerton's Future Inc | Fullerton, NE | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fullertons Future Inc | Fullerton, NE | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Grace Village Co Zion Lutheran Church | Wellington, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Hippodrome Arts Centre | Julesburg, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Success Foundation Serving Greeley-Evans Schools Inc | Greeley, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Stepping Stones of Windsor | Windsor, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Historic Stanley Home Foundation | Estes Park, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Success Foundation | Greeley, CO | $2,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Thompson Valley Art League | Loveland, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| University Schools Foundation | Greeley, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Weld County Foundation | Greeley, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Windsor Severance Food Pantry | Windsor, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Dalton Volunteer Fire Dept | Dalton, NE | $2,200 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Bankers Foundation of Colorado | Denver, CO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Community Pride Foundation | Torrington, WY | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Estes Park Medical Center Foundation | Estes Park, CO | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Lincoln Child Advocacy Center | Lincoln, NE | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lodgepole Old Settlers Inc | Lodgepole, NE | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Loveland Strategic Partnership | Loveland, CO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Serve 68 | Fort Collins, CO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| University of Northern Colorado Foundation | Greeley, CO | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Windsor Warriors | Windsor, CO | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Chappell Volunteer Fire Department | Chappell, NE | $1,977 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Northern Colorado Down Syndrome Association | Loveland, CO | $1,750 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The Kings Daughters | Sidney, NE | $1,750 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Lodgepole Volunteer Fire Department | Lodgepole, NE | $1,650 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Legacy Academy | Windsor, CO | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Boys and Girls Club of Larimar County | Wellington, CO | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Estes Park Learning Place | Estes Park, CO | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Nance County Veterans Memorial Park and Military Resource Center | Fullerton, NE | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Healing Warriors Program | Fort Collins, CO | $1,200 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Town of Julesurg | Julesburg, CO | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chey Cnty Hopsital & Health Foundation | Sidney, NE | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cheyenne County CASA | Sidney, NE | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Cheyenne County Hopsital & Health Center Foundation | Sidney, NE | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| First Plymouth Church | Lincoln, NE | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Foothills Gateway Rehabilition Center Foundation Trust | Fort Collins, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Grace Village | Wellington, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Handwork Initiative | Fort Collins, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Lisco American Legion | Lisco, NE | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation | Lincoln, NE | $1,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Northern Colorado Community Foundation | Fort Collins, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Project Self-Sufficiency | Loveland, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Plains West CASA | Sidney, NE | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Boys & Girls Club of Weld County | Greeley, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Volunteer Fire Department of Lagrange | Lagrange, WY | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Wellington Food Bank | Wellington, CO | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Northern Co Down Syndrome Assoc | Fort Collins, CO | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Community Shepherds | Gurley, NE | $650 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Leyton Public School Foundation | Dalton, NE | $650 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Northern Colorado Down Syndrome Assoc | Fort Collins, CO | $500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Julesburg Christian Church | Julesburg, CO | $320 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ovid United Methodist Church | Ovid, CO | $319 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| American Legion | Dalton, NE | $300 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Lisco Reserve Fund | Lisco, NE | $300 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Arc of Cheyenne County | Sidney, NE | $250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Wyoming State 4H Foundation | Laramie, WY | $90 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Gladys Lisco Foundation | Lisco, NE | $5 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
30 of 91 (33%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 29%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 76 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30 | $52,150 | $1,000 |
| 2022 | 33 | $64,650 | $1,500 |
| 2023 | 23 | $68,259 | $1,000 |
| 2024 | 30 | $65,705 | $1,375 |
| 2025 | 28 | $86,200 | $1,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
60% of its giving went to organizations in Colorado. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $1,100. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Colorado.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Olson Tom & Cynthia Family Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 9819 Thornwood Circle, Lincoln, NE, 68512. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 46-1639212 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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