Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
Public records raise at least one point you should look into before giving.
What it says it does
TO CREATE A VIBRANT FUTURE FOR AGRICULTURE, FARM FAMILIES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES.
- Income
- $63.0 million
- Spending
- $36.5 million
- Employees
- 67
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $1.4 million, executive director/secreta
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Financial health
We do not score finances when yearly spending is very small or the return has too little detail. The ratios stop meaning much at that size.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Governance
This return does not answer enough of the governance questions to score.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (4)
- MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS - NEWS SERVICES ISSUES THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION, IOWA FARM BUREAU SPOKESMAN, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY COMMUNICATIONS VEHICLE BETWEEN STATE AND COUNTY LEADERS AND FARMING MEMBERS PROVIDING REPORTS ON FARM BUREAU POLICY IMPLEMENTATION AND REGULATORY ISSUES AS WELL AS STATE, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE NEWS. ALSO PUBLISHED IS A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE, FAMILY LIVING, DISTRIBUTED TO AG-SUPPORTING MEMBERS. APPROXIMATELY 130,000 MEMBERS BENEFITED FROM BOTH PUBLICATIONS. ADDITIONALLY, A WEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBER LEADERS, THE DIRT, IS PUBLISHED BY NEWS SERVICES BENEFITING OVER 900 MEMBERS EACH WEEK. THE SPOKESMAN SPEAKS IS A FARMER-FOCUSED PODCAST THAT HAS OVER 109,000 UNIQUE DOWNLOADS ON USEFUL FARM TRENDS AND TIPS SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THE TEAM ALSO PRODUCES A SEMI-ANNUAL CONSUMER E-NEWSLETTER, THE IOWA DISH, WITH A SUBSCRIBER BASE OF MORE THAN 82,000 SUBSCRIBERS FEATURING FARM AND FOOD NEWS. MARKETING FOCUSES ON MEMBER RETENTION AND ACQUISITION THROUGH VARIOUS MEDIUMS INCLUDING VIDEO, ADVERTISING, PRINT, RADIO, MULTIMEDIA, AND WEB MARKETING. THE TEAM MARKETS FARM BUREAU BENEFITS, SERVICES, POLICY POSITIONS AND PROGRAMS TO THE MEMBERSHIP AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC AND OVERSEES THE ORGANIZATION'S BRAND. THEY ALSO MANAGE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEMBER BENEFIT PARTNERS AND COORDINATE PARTNER PROMOTIONS. KEY EVENTS INCLUDE THE IOWA STATE FAIR, FFA, OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA THROUGH OUR ANF PARTNERSHIP AND IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY THROUGH OUR FARM STRONG PARTNERSHIP, AMONG NUMEROUS OTHER PARTNERSHIPS. COMBINED, PARTNER PROMOTIONS REACHED OVER TWO MILLION CONSUMERS WITH FARMING AND FARM BUREAU INFORMATION. PUBLIC RELATIONS STRATEGICALLY COMMUNICATES FARM BUREAU POLICY AND AGRICULTURAL ISSUES TO KEY ORGANIZATIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING MEMBERS, EMPLOYEES, ELECTED LEADERS, MEMBERS OF THE NEWS MEDIA, INFLUENCERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE TEAM CONDUCTED MESSAGE, MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING FOR MEMBERS, TRAINING OVER 158 LAST YEAR. THE TEAM ALSO MANAGED MEDIA RELATION EFFORTS, COORDINATING 143 MEDIA INTERVIEWS RESULTING IN 2,532 PLACEMENTS WITH A REACH OF OVER 75 MILLION. THE DIGITAL MARKETING DEPARTMENT PROVIDES STRATEGIC OUTREACH THROUGH ONLINE (WEB-BASED) AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, SNAPCHAT, ETC.) TO ENGAGE, DEVELOP, MAINTAIN, AND EXPAND RELEVANT AND IMPACTFUL DIALOGUES WITH KEY AUDIENCES. OVER 156,000 MEMBERS BENEFITED FROM THESE PROGRAMS.
- FIELD SERVICE - WORK WITH 100 COUNTY FARM BUREAUS AND THEIR VOLUNTEER LEADERS AROUND THE STATE TO IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS, ACTIVITIES AND POLICIES THAT ALIGN WITH THE MISSION AND GOALS OF THE ORGANIZATION. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF PROGRAMS AND PRIORITIES FOR COUNTY BOARDS OF DIRECTORS AND THEIR EXECUTIVE BOARDS, AS WELL AS KEY COUNTY COMMITTEE MEMBERS. PROGRAMS ARE OFFERED THAT ENHANCE LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND STIMULATE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE LEADERS FOR FARM BUREAU, AGRICULTURE, AND RURAL IOWA. OUR MEMBER EDUCATION PROGRAMS, SUCH AS REGULARLY SCHEDULED WEBINARS AND IN-PERSON CONFERENCES, HELP MEMBERS ACROSS THE STATE WITH THEIR BUSINESS SUCCESSION AND TRANSITION CHALLENGES, RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS. THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ALSO ASSIST FARMERS AND YOUNG FARMERS TO BEGIN NEW FARM BUSINESSES, ASSIST FARMERS TO IMPROVE THEIR EXISTING FARM AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS AND IMPROVE NET FARM INCOME.
- GOVERNMENT RELATIONS - WORK WITH VOLUNTEER AGRICULTURAL LEADERS TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY DECISIONS AT THE COUNTY, STATE AND NATIONAL LEVELS. PROVIDES INFORMATION, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY OPPORTUNITIES ABOUT ISSUES AFFECTING FARMERS AND OTHER RURAL IOWANS. OVER 156,000 MEMBERS BENEFITED.
- IOWA FARM BUREAU DEPLOYS SEVERAL DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO HELP INVEST IN THE GROWTH OF RURAL AND SMALL COMMUNITIES FOR IOWA'S ECONOMIC VITALITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. ONE OF THOSE STRATEGIES IS OFFERED THROUGH OUR RENEW RURAL IOWA (RRIA) INITIATIVE. RRIA IS AN INITIATIVE, LAUNCHED IN 2006, TO SUPPORT NEW AND EXISTING BUSINESSES THROUGH EDUCATION, MENTORING, AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES. SINCE EXISTENCE, RRIA HAS HAD OVER 3,000 PARTICIPANTS IN ITS EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS. ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, RRIA SUPPORTS OVER 140 JOBS AROUND THE STATE OF IOWA.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending October 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(5) labor or agricultural organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Caution.
The IRS master file records contributions to this 501(c)(5) labor or agricultural organization as not deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending October 2024.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since January 1945.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.