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US nonprofit · EIN 481093604 · Fort Scott, KSiSource and licenceOrganisation record IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File (EIN 481093604) - NTEE activity code, address.Board and officers IRS Form 990 annual filings, Part VII (directors, trustees, officers, key employees), read year by year to observe tenure.Latest return IRS Form 990 series e-file data - 990 for the year to 31 March 2025: assets, liabilities, staff, website, telephone, pay, grants paid (Schedule I).Finances by year IRS Form 990 e-file data - total revenue and total expenses by tax year.Renewal outlook Computed by Governance Register from the observed filing history and filed revenue (us-approach-v4-clean). Not a statement that the organisation is recruiting.Deductibility IRS Publication 78 data (code PC), downloaded 18 October 2026.Licence US Federal Government public domain.How we handle data

The Ellis Foundation

Donations deductible
Revenue
$5.2m
year to 31 March 2025
Expenses
$4.1m
year to 31 March 2025
Total assets
$25.5m
$30k liabilities
Net assets
$25.5m
assets less liabilities
Directors and trustees
6
6.4y av
Staff
10
employees, year to 31 March 2025
Left since last filing
0
no seats appear to have opened
Voting members
6
reported in Part VI
How am I connected?

The Ellis Foundation's network

6 peoplei6 people on this map.The large node is the subject of this page. Solid lines are what the register itself records (6). Form 990 filings give names without a person identifier; SEC insider filings carry a CIK.

The board

6 listediTime on the board is observed from the annual filings: the IRS files no appointment date, so the bar counts years from the first filing the person appears on - a lower bound, not a filed start date. Names are exactly as filed. The IRS publishes no person identifier, so this edition does not yet link a person across organisations.Tenure and departures are observed across annual filings. Observed tenure is a lower bound - a member may have joined before the first year on record. The organisation reported 6 voting members of its governing body on its latest Form 990 Part VI, which matches the board listed here.
NameRole as filedSinceOn the board
Bobby PattonDirector2018
8 yrs
Catherine D Ellis (also filed as Catherine Ellis)Secretary/Tr2018
8 yrs
Chris D Ellis (also filed as Chris Ellis)President/Ce2018
8 yrs
Christopher EllisDirector2025
1 yr
Joshua ShafferDirector2020
6 yrs
Michael CilessenDirector2021
5 yrs
Under 5 years5 to 6 years6 years or more

Pay and hours

year to 31 March 2025iFrom Part VII of the Form 990: compensation reported for each officer, director, trustee, key employee and highest-paid staff member, and the average hours a week they report. Most board members are unpaid; a blank means nothing was reported. Pay from related organisations is shown separately.
NameTitle as filedHours a weekPay from the organisationRelated organisationsOther
Chris D EllisPresident/Ce40$413k$6k
Catherine D EllisSecretary/Tr20$140k$8k
Joshua ShafferDirector1$0
Bobby PattonDirector1$0
Michael CilessenDirector1$0
Christopher EllisDirector1$0

About

Legal name
The Ellis Foundation
EIN
481093604
Address
Po Box 54, Fort Scott, KS, 66701-0054
State
Kansas
Mission
Our mission is to provide high school graduates access to higher education. We do so by enabling individuals, corporations, foundations and other institutions to partner with US to provide scholarships that prepare students to become america's future leaders. (as filed on the Form 990)
Activity (NTEE)
T30 Philanthropy, voluntary services and grantmaking
IRS classification
501(c)03 (tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) where shown)
Classified purpose
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations
Size band
8 (IRS master file code)
Formed
1990
Principal officer
Chris D Ellis (as named on the Form 990)
IRS ruling date
1 October 2010
Status
Code 01 (unconditional exemption)
Form 990 filings on record
8, latest 2025
IRS Publication 78
PC (contributions deductible)

Most connected

Longest observed on the filings

≥8years on the filingsBobby Patton
≥8years on the filingsCatherine D Ellis
≥8years on the filingsChris D Ellis
≥6years on the filingsJoshua Shaffer

Latest return

year to 31 March 2025iFigures from the newest Form 990 or 990-EZ in the IRS e-file releases of 2025 and 2026, for the year ending 31 March 2025. US dollars, as filed.
Total assets
$25.5m
Total liabilities
$30k
Net assets or fund balances
$25.5m
Contributions and grants received
$4.4m
Program service revenue
$0
Grants and similar paid out
$2.5m
Employees
10

Filed finances

1 yeariTotals as filed on the IRS Form 990 (revenue and expenses), by tax year.
Tax yearTotal revenueTotal expensesSurplus or deficit
2023$3.9m$3.6m$330k

As filed on the IRS Form 990. US dollars.

Grants paid

1 listediFrom Schedule I of the Form 990: grants and assistance to organisations in the United States, largest first (up to 25). Schedule I is filed only by organisations that gave more than $5,000 to any one recipient.
RecipientPurposeAmount
The BeaconFood for the needy$36k