New Hope Foundation

New Hope Foundation operates as a tightly held, relationship-driven private foundation anchored in Muscatine, Iowa. Its official IRS mission describes operating Octagon Place as a historical site and nature preserve, but its external grantmaking reflects a clearly defined evangelical Christian worldview: the giving portfolio spans evangelical missions, pro-family and pro-marriage organizations, religious liberty advocacy, pregnancy support centers, Christian education, and international Christian relief. Organizations that do not authentically align with these values are not a fit, regardless of outreach effort.

The foundation is structured as an invitation-only funder. IRS 990 filings consistently note that grants are made only to preselected organizations and that no formal application procedures exist. This is not a soft discouragement — it is structural and intentional. Among the 50 largest recipients in the grant database, every organization has received grants across multiple consecutive years, with top grantees like Marriage Encounter Support Foundation (6 grants, $180,000 cumulative), Alliance Defending Freedom (6 grants, $144,500), Hope International (6 grants, $144,500), and International Justice Mission (6 grants, $142,500) demonstrating long-term recurring partnerships rather than one-time awards.

The Solt family (Robert H. Solt as Chairman and Dana D. Solt as Vice Chairman) appears to represent the central governance voice, alongside President Andrea S. Wells, who has led the foundation for at least a decade at a compensation level of $167,000-$197,000 annually. Decisions appear to be made by a cohesive, stable board of 9-10 members, several of whom maintain ties to Iowa tax policy organizations such as Iowans for Tax Relief.

For any prospective recipient, the realistic path is not a cold application but a cultivated relationship. Connecting through Muscatine-area faith communities, United Methodist Church networks, or mutual contacts within the existing grantee roster offers the most credible introduction. Organizations already funded by aligned funders — such as Hope International, International Justice Mission, or Alliance Defending Freedom — carry implicit credibility in this funder's eyes and may provide useful referral pathways.

The foundation thinks in two geographic tiers: local Muscatine County organizations for community-oriented grants, and a national or international lens for evangelical Christian causes headquartered primarily in Washington D.C., Texas, and Virginia. First-time outreach should identify which tier is most relevant and frame mission accordingly.

New Hope Foundation's external grantmaking has ranged from $384,700 (2019) to $570,750 (2022) annually across the five most recent fiscal years in the database, averaging approximately $454,000 per year. Total giving — including operating programs at Octagon Place ($250,372), the Sunset Drive Nature Preserve ($39,401), United Marriage Encounter support ($31,270), and community outreach ($106,229) — pushes full annual expenditure above $1 million consistently: $1.17M in 2023, $1.18M in 2022, and $1.03M in 2021.

Individual grant sizes vary widely. The database records a median grant of $2,000, a mean of $5,645-$6,469, and a reported typical range of $500 to $60,000. The largest recurring awards go to the foundation's highest-trust partners: Marriage Encounter Support Foundation averages $30,000 per grant; Alliance Defending Freedom, Hope International, and International Justice Mission each average roughly $24,000 per grant. These represent the upper tier. Local Muscatine organizations receive mid-range consistent support: Muscatine Center for Social Action ($87,000 over 6 grants, avg. $14,500), Muscatine Community YMCA ($70,000 over 6 grants), and Rebuilding Together Muscatine County ($40,500 over 5 grants).

The foundation's thematic breakdown, derived from grant purpose descriptions across 440 recorded grants, reveals five primary funding streams: (1) religious/evangelical causes including missions, Bible translation, and church renewal, which represent the plurality of grant dollars; (2) pro-family and pro-marriage programming; (3) human rights and religious liberty advocacy (Alliance Defending Freedom, International Justice Mission, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty); (4) help for the poor, both local (Riverbend Food Bank, Rebuilding Together) and international (Matthew 25 Ministries, World Relief, Samaritan's Purse); and (5) pregnancy support and sanctity-of-life causes (Innervisions Healthcare, Pregnancy Resources, Birthright of Blackhawk County).

Geographically, Iowa dominates with 178 of the state-coded grants, followed by Washington D.C.-based advocacy organizations (34 grants), Texas (24), Virginia (22), and Ohio (21). The D.C. concentration reflects national advocacy grantees. The foundation's endowment generated net investment income of $722,000 in 2022 and $962,000 in 2023, funding operations without any outside contributions in recent years.

No peer foundations are listed in the Granted database for New Hope Foundation. The following comparison draws on publicly available 990 data and grant research to place the foundation among comparable Iowa private funders with faith-based or community-oriented giving portfolios.

New Hope Foundation occupies a narrower, more ideologically defined niche than most Iowa peers. Unlike the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine — which funds broadly across the nonprofit sector through an open application process — New Hope's conservative evangelical identity shapes every grant decision. Its assets ($24.1M) and external grant volume (~$519K) are modest by Iowa philanthropic standards but represent a significant, stable funder for values-aligned organizations. The foundation's most distinctive feature is the near-total absence of a public presence: no website, no open application, no press releases, and minimal third-party coverage — making relationship access the singular gateway to funding.

No press releases, news announcements, or media coverage specific to New Hope Foundation were found for 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains an exceptionally low public profile: its listed website (newhopeibhc.org) redirects to an unrelated behavioral health organization in New Jersey, it has no known social media presence, and it does not issue public grant announcements or hold press events.

The most recent substantive data comes from fiscal year 2024 IRS filings as aggregated by InfluenceWatch: assets reached $24.8 million in 2024, and President Andrea S. Wells received compensation of $197,730 — an increase from $167,766 in 2021 and $171,048 in 2022, confirming her continued and valued leadership. The 2024 asset level ($24.8M) represents a recovery from the 2022 trough of $22.3M following peak assets of $27.1M in 2021.

Board composition has been stable across at least six years of 990 filings. Chairman Robert H. Solt, Vice Chairman Dana D. Solt, Vice President Daniel G. Steele, Treasurer Christopher S. Ingstad, and directors Marilyn Voorhees, Charlene Knutsen, Harry Knutsen, Thomas Norton, C. Diane Norton, and Linda Steele appear consistently — indicating no imminent leadership transition or governance restructuring.

Program operations at Octagon Place in Muscatine continue as described in 990 filings: the historical site serves as office space for local nonprofits and a nature preserve, with program expenses of approximately $250,000 annually. The Sunset Drive Nature Preserve incurs roughly $39,000 in annual maintenance. These operating programs are distinct from — and in addition to — the foundation's external grantmaking.

The single most important fact about New Hope Foundation is that it does not accept unsolicited applications. This is not a soft preference or temporary policy — it is the foundation's permanent operating model, documented in every recent IRS 990 filing. Sending an unsolicited proposal, letter of inquiry, or email to 2610 Park Ave will not produce a grant and may not receive any response.

Lead with relationship, not a proposal. The realistic path to funding begins by building genuine awareness among President Andrea S. Wells or a member of the Solt-led board before any funding conversation. Phone outreach to (563) 288-3599 — the foundation's confirmed direct number — should focus on introducing your organization's mission and demonstrating alignment, not requesting money. A brief, respectful call is more consistent with the foundation's interpersonal operating style than any written communication.

Values alignment is non-negotiable. The foundation's giving vocabulary is explicit: religious, educational, charitable, pro-marriage, human rights, evangelism, help for the poor, sanctity of life. These descriptors must authentically describe your organization's core work. Framing poverty alleviation, youth development, or international development in purely secular, programmatic terms — without a credible faith-based identity — is unlikely to resonate with this board.

Leverage existing grantee networks for introductions. Every top grantee in the database — Marriage Encounter Support Foundation, Hope International, Alliance Defending Freedom, International Justice Mission, Bible Study Fellowship, Focus on the Family — has multi-year relationships with the foundation. A warm introduction from a current grantee is far more effective than any written outreach.

Calibrate your ask to the relationship stage. Entry-level grants for new organizations appear to be $1,000-$5,000, based on patterns in the database. Established partners earning $10,000-$30,000 annually have typically maintained multi-year relationships. Do not approach with a first request above $10,000.

Avoid the defunct website. The URL newhopeibhc.org leads to a New Jersey behavioral health organization — using it for research or contact will lead to confusion. The foundation's correct address is 2610 Park Ave, Muscatine, IA 52761.

Demonstrate multi-year mission continuity. The top 20 grantees in the database have each received 4-6 grants over consecutive years. This foundation builds long-term partnerships, not one-time grants. Present a compelling 3-5 year organizational narrative.