Schon Family Trust

What Schon Family Trust does

The Schoen Family Charitable Trust (SFCT) is a family-operated 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 2005 by John and Joan Schoen in Dubuque, Iowa. The foundation does not sell products or services; its sole activity is grant-making to nonprofit organizations across four focus areas: Education, Health (autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, lung disease, FOP, hospice), Wellness, and Family. Grants are awarded via an annual application cycle accepting submissions January 1 through May 31, with an annual meeting in July to review awards. The foundation reports cumulative donations exceeding $1 million since inception and a pass-through rate of over 98% of allocated funds to charity, with no board members or operational staff receiving a salary. Funding for the foundation derives from the success of The Metrix Company, a medical device manufacturer founded by John Schoen in 1964 (originally as Riggs Biochemical Company) that grew through acquisitions and international expansion into the Dominican Republic in 2001.

The foundation operates without paid staff under a board composed of John and Joan's six children and their spouses, with grandchildren participating as volunteers. Its distribution footprint is concentrated in the U.S. Midwest — primarily Dubuque, Iowa and Oshkosh, Wisconsin — with select international grants to Tanzania (Sister Water Project) and sponsorship programs in the Dominican Republic via Unbound. Notable grant recipients include MercyOne Dubuque Foundation (cancer center build-out, ongoing since 2019), Stonehill Communities (CNA program launch, 2024), the International FOP Association (FOP awareness, 2025), Dubuque Community School District (autism programs), Lourdes Academy (STEM equipment), Camp Albrecht Acres (sensory garden for children with disabilities), Make-A-Wish, Father Carr's, Hospice of Dubuque, and the Foundation for Heart Science. The foundation communicates via its Squarespace-hosted website at schoenfoundation.org, an online grant application form, and a blog maintained by board member Laura Mootz. Both founders have since passed away; the family continues operations to preserve the founders' philanthropic legacy.

Name

Schon Family Trust

Legal name

Schoen Family Charitable Trust

Website

https://schoenfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Schoen Family Charitable Trust is a family-operated 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 2005 in Dubuque, Iowa that grants funds to nonprofit organizations serving education, health, wellness, and family initiatives, primarily across Midwestern U.S. communities with select international projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Family Foundation / Charitable Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Charitable grant funding
• Family foundation philanthropy
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Community charitable giving
• 501(c)(3) foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Neenah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: As a 501(c)(3) family-operated charitable organization, SFCT receives funding from the success of The Metrix Company founded by John Schoen. Over 98% of allocated funds are donated to charity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Schoen Family Charitable Trust is a family-operated 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 2005 by John and Joan Schoen. It distributes grants to nonprofit organizations serving Midwestern communities across four focus areas: Education, Health (autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, and lung disease), Wellness, and Family services. The foundation accepts grant applications annually from January 1 to May 31 and reviews them at an annual meeting in July.

Product overview

Schoen Family Charitable Trust is a family-operated 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 2005 by John and Joan Schoen. It does not offer technology products or services. The organization's activities consist of grant-making to nonprofit organizations that provide services in Education, Health (autism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, lung disease), Wellness (recreation and fitness programs), and Family (educational and relief services for families in need). The foundation accepts grant applications annually from January 1st to May 31st, with annual meetings in July.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Charitable Grant Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million donated since 2005
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International FOP Association (IFOPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2025, the Schoen Family Charitable Trust provided a grant to IFOPA to support its mission of raising awareness about Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP). This funding helped IFOPA expand awareness among healthcare professionals and identify gaps in education that can improve diagnosis and care. The partnership enabled IFOPA to attend major medical conferences and develop an FOP guide for healthcare providers through the University of Pennsylvania Orphan Disease Center's Genetic Counseling Student Exchange.
• Stonehill CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Schoen Family Charitable Trust collaborated with Stonehill Communities to help create a dedicated space for a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program on the Stonehill campus. The foundation funded renovations including new flooring, paint, lighting, instructor's desk, tables, chairs, technology upgrade with large-screen television, computer, medical mannequin for hands-on training.
• MercyOne Dubuque FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe collaboration between the foundation and MercyOne Dubuque Foundation began in 2019, helping Mercy Hospital achieve its goal of creating a space where cancer patients and families could receive top-notch care in a single location. By 2023, the Cancer Center at Mercy Hospital was completed. The foundation supported the creation of an exam room reflecting their mission to prioritize families facing difficult cancer diagnoses.
• Sister Water ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister Water Project, a committee of the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque, plans mission trips to Tanzania to help local villagers have access to clean water. Two board members traveled with the group and were deeply moved by their experience. Upon returning, they suggested the committee submit a grant request. The foundation provided funding for installation of a sustainable ring well and hand pump serving over 780 people in Sungura-Kidudwe, Tanzania.
• Dubuque Community School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Dubuque Community School District welcomed foundation board members Dan Schoen and Karla Schoen to visit with local students and teachers and see the impact of grants for autism programs in local schools.
• UnboundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough partnership with nonprofit Unbound, the foundation has been writing back and forth with children from around the world. Unbound provides educational support to empower self-sufficiency for families living in poverty. The foundation is proud to be a sponsor of this impactful nonprofit for the past five years.
• Camp Albrecht AcresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCamp Albrecht Acres created play stations along paved trails for campers to stop and play musical instruments. The foundation's grant helped fund this outdoor music and sensory garden project for campers with disabilities.
• Foundation for Heart Science / Children's Hospital of WisconsincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation provides grants supporting the Foundation for Heart Science which conducts research to mitigate and prevent serious heart disease that can follow successful treatment using radiation for childhood cancer. Grants fund events like Jazz concerts for children at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.
• Make-A-WishminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation participates in Golf for Wishes events to grant wishes for children in need. Board members participated in Golf for Wishes 2020, helping grant a wish for Ivy, a five-year-old, to visit Walt Disney World Resort.
• Lourdes AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation funded Aquos boards at Lourdes Academy in 2017 to enhance interactive learning, and in 2015 provided a 3D printer for their STEM program. The Middle School developed a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) curriculum using the equipment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Theisen Foundation: Family-operated foundation connected to a regional Iowa business, supporting Dubuque-area nonprofits. Closely matched as a small Midwestern family foundation funding community health and education causes.
• Pritzker Family Foundation: Multi-generational family philanthropic vehicle funding health, education, and social services with a focus on vulnerable populations. Compares structurally to SFCT as a family-operated 501(c)(3) but operates at a much larger scale.
• Vermeer Charitable Foundation: Family foundation of the Vermeer Corporation in Pella, Iowa, funding community, education, and faith-based nonprofits in central Iowa. Directly comparable family-controlled, business-funded grantmaking model.
• Hall-Perrine Foundation: Iowa-based family foundation with multi-generational leadership that funds health, education, and community development in eastern Iowa. Highly comparable in scale, mission, and geographic focus to SFCT.

Broad incumbents

• Emerson Charitable Trust: Corporate charitable vehicle of Emerson Electric headquartered in St. Louis, distributing grants in education, health, and community development across the Midwest. Comparable mission footprint but substantially larger capital base.
• John Deere Foundation: Corporate-affiliated foundation headquartered in Moline, Illinois, distributing grants across Iowa and the Midwest in education, hunger, and community development. Operates at significantly larger scale than SFCT but shares the regional grantmaking focus.
• Rockwell Collins (now Collins Aerospace) Charitable Foundation: Iowa-anchored corporate foundation (Cedar Rapids) funding STEM education, health, and community causes. Overlaps with SFCT in education and health focus, with substantially greater grantmaking capacity.
• C. S. Mott Foundation: Family foundation headquartered in Flint, Michigan, distributing grants across education, civil society, and community development. Provides a benchmark for how a family foundation from a manufacturing legacy can scale over time.

Others

• Iowa Foundation for the Environment: Iowa-based nonprofit funder distributing grants within the state for environmental and community causes. Not a direct peer in portfolio mix, but shares the regional, family/board-governed grantmaking structure and regional focus.

Regional players

• Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque: Regional community foundation serving the same Dubuque, Iowa geography as SFCT, pooling donor-advised funds and distributing grants to local nonprofits. Directly comparable operating model and beneficiary set, though structurally different (community foundation vs. private family foundation).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about Schon Family Trust