Iowa Lakes Electric Members
Estherville, IA · EIN 82-5248472. Reported 85 grants totalling $264,598 to 79 recipients across tax years 2022-2025. 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. Iowa Lakes Electric Members 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 $3,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $2,000 and $4,000; the smallest was $350 and the largest $10,000. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakota Community Fire Company | Lakota, IA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| City of Fonda | Fonda, IA | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Dickens Fire and Rescue | Dickens, IA | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Cherokee Community Foundation | Cherokee, IA | $7,000 | 2 | 1 | 2022 |
| Royal Clay Lincoln Fire Agency | Royal, IA | $6,883 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Aurelia Kiwanis Club | Aurelia, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| City of Havelock | Havelock, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of Laurens | Laurens, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of Peterson | Peterson, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| City of Rolfe | Rolfe, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Discovery House Inc | Spirit Lake, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Emmetsburg Community Development Foundation | Emmetsburg, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Estherville FFA | Estherville, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fonda Fire Department | Fonda, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Heat Tactical Team | Arnolds Park, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Lakes Area Hockey Association (laha) | Spirit Lake, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Palo Alto County Conservation Board | Ruthven, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Royal Clay Lincoln Fire Department | Royal, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Royal Historical Society | Royal, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tiny Treasurers Community Daycare Center | Estherville, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Wallingford Fire and Emergency Medical Services | Wallingford, IA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Buena Vista County Emergency Management Agency | Storm Lake, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cherokee Rotary Club | Cherokee, IA | $4,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Clay County Agriculture Extension District | Spencer, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fostoria Fire & Rescue Association | Fostoria, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hudsons Crew | Rolfe, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Newell Fire Departement | Newell, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| North Union School Industrial | Armstrong, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Regional Wellness Center | Estherville, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Swea City Improvement League | Swea City, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| West Elementary Partners in Education | Emmetsburg, IA | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Emmet County Affairs | Estherville, IA | $3,600 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Giddy Inc | Storm Lake, IA | $3,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ringsted Community Improvement Organization Inc | Ringsted, IA | $3,300 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Alta Aurelia Shooting Sports | Alta, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American Legion Owen Goodwin Post #248 | Royal, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cherokee County Conservation Board | Cherokee, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Clay County Ag Extension | Spencer, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Emmet County Izaak Walton League | Estherville, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Emmetsburg Community Development | Emmetsburg, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Estherville Ambulance | Estherville, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Estherville Fire Department | Estherville, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Estherville Public Library | Estherville, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Excel Estherville | Estherville, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Graettinger Terril Csd | Terril, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Royal American Legion Post #248 | Spencer, IA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Pocahontas County Economic Development Commission | Pocahontas, IA | $2,800 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| American Legion Post 91 | Estherville, IA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault (caasa) | Spencer, IA | $2,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Emmetsburg Police Department | Emmetsburg, IA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Estherville Little League Association | Estherville, IA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Iowa State Extension- Cherokee | Cherokee, IA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Kept(kossuth Emerg Preparedness Team) | Algona, IA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Northwest Iowa Corridor Habitat for Humanity | Spirit Lake, IA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Pocahontas Community Foundation | Pocahontas, IA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Bridge of Storm Lake | Storm Lake, IA | $2,250 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| American Legion Auxilary 382 | Ringsted, IA | $2,200 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Brugjeld-Peterson Point Historic Farmstead | Wallingford, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Emmet County Water Trails | Estherville, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Emmetsburg Baseballsoftball Academy | Emmetsburg, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Emmetsburg Municipal Band | Emmetsburg, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Northwest Iowa Mental Health Center | Spencer, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Okoboji Middle School | Milford, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Parent Action Team | Estherville, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Pocahontas Community Foundation Dba Pocahontas Chamber & Fire Department | Pocahontas, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Spirit Lake Youth Athletics | Spirit Lake, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Vocal Boosters of Emmetsburg | Emmetsburg, IA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Big Splash Inc | Spirit Lake, IA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Emmetsburg Main Street Community Theatre | Emmetsburg, IA | $1,250 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Peterson Point Preservation Foundation | Wallingford, IA | $1,200 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Buena Vista Farm Bureau | Storm Lake, IA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Emmetsburg Rotary Club | Emmetsburg, IA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hope Haven | Rock Valley, IA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Our Savior's Little Lamb Daycare | Swea Ciy, IA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Patent Pending Players | Swea Ciy, IA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Ringsted Comm Imp Org | Ringsted, IA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Romans Wish | Swea City, IA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Clay and Buena Vista Farm Bureau | Storm Lake, IA | $765 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Gtra Bulleyes Inc | Ruthven, IA | $350 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
5 of 79 (6%) received money in more than one year over the 4 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 0%, across 3 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 the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Lakota Community Fire Company
PURCHASE FIRE FIGHTER BUNKER GEAR/PPE/SCBA/TURNOUT GEAR - Aurelia Kiwanis Club
AURELIA KIWANIS WALKING PATH ADDITION - Emmetsburg Community Development Foundation
PURCHASE EQUIPMENT FOR THE SOPER PARK SPLASH PAD - Lakes Area Hockey Association (laha)
CONVERT LOCKER ROOM SPACE FOR GIRLS - Royal Historical Society
PURCHASE A NEW SET OF HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE STEPS AND RAMPS. - Tiny Treasurers Community Daycare Center
PURCHASE FENCING FOR THE DAYCARE CENTER.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 27 | $69,950 | $2,000 |
| 2023 | 18 | $52,450 | $2,750 |
| 2024 | 19 | $68,515 | $3,000 |
| 2025 | 21 | $73,683 | $3,000 |
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
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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 $3,000. 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 Iowa.
- 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.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Iowa Lakes Electric Members'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: 702 1ST Ave S, Estherville, IA, 51334. 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 82-5248472 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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