Acorn Foundation
Acorn Foundation is a private foundation based in Chanhassen, Minnesota. Its 2024 filing states that it provides general operating support to selected public charities and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Acorn Foundation at a glance
In short: Acorn Foundation gave $235K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $24K), mostly in Minnesota. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $235,000
- +2.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +25.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,500
- -18.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $4,194,465
- -4.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (70% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Acorn Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 350 Pleasant View Rd, Chanhassen, MN 55317-9524
Phone: (952) 201-6079
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Acorn Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was NC Little Hospice Inc ($100K). Together the top 10 received $235K.
Grant Size Distribution
23 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 23 (74%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 19% to New Mexico, 6% to Missouri, and 4% to New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Acorn Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $9K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $218K (2020) to $235K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $235K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NC Little Hospice Inc Edina, MN | General Operating Support | $100,000 |
| Washburn Center for Children Minneapolis, MN | General Operating Support | $50,000 |
| Horses for Heroes - New Mexico Inc Santa Fe, NM | General Operating Support | $45,000 |
| Agwm Springfield, MO | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| The Bowery Mission New York, NY | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Angel Foundation Minneapolis, MN | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Jack's Basket Arden Hills, MN | General Operating Support | $3,000 |
| Rise Incorporated Spring Lake Park, MN | General Operating Support | $3,000 |
| Caring Bridge Eagan, MN | General Operating Support | $2,000 |
| Nature Conservancy MN Minneapolis, MN | General Operating Support | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Acorn Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,194,465 | $127,913 | $310,997 | $235,000 | 10 | $259,968 | $76,884 | $225,862 |
| 2023 | $4,377,549 | $107,593 | $299,294 | $230,000 | 8 | $254,961 | $65,732 | $215,846 |
| 2020 | $4,604,327 | $273,262 | $298,971 | $218,000 | 5 | — | $217,059 | $245,476 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Acorn Foundation reported a distributable amount of $226K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as general operating support for selected public charities. Its 2024 grantees include organizations serving children and families, veterans, people affected by cancer, and other causes. For example, Washburn Center for Children describes its mission as providing therapeutic and healing services for children with social, emotional, or behavioral needs, while Horses for Heroes - New Mexico says it offers a free horsemanship and wellness program for eligible veterans and active military personnel. Angel Foundation says it provides financial assistance, education, and emotional support to cancer patients and loved ones; Jack’s Basket describes its mission as celebrating babies with Down syndrome and supporting families.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 10 grants totaling $235,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $100,000, with a median of $7,500. Its largest grants were $100,000 to NC Little Hospice Inc. and $50,000 to Washburn Center for Children, both for general operating support. Other notable grants included $45,000 to Horses for Heroes - New Mexico Inc., $15,000 to AGWM, and $10,000 to The Bowery Mission.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Shirley Sheldon as president and secretary, Dan Sheldon as vice president, and Matthew Hanson as treasurer.
Acorn Foundation is led by Shirley Sheldon, President & Secretary on filings since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Shirley Sheldon
President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Dan Sheldon
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Matthew Hanson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Tetiana Baidiuk (2021–2022) — CFO
- Former: Viktors Vaivodiss (2021–2022) — President
- Former: Zoia Solodovnyk (2021–2022) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Acorn Foundation
How much does Acorn Foundation give each year?
Acorn Foundation gave $235K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $230K across 8 grants.
What is Acorn Foundation's typical grant size?
Acorn Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $23,500, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Acorn Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Acorn Foundation give grants?
Acorn Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Mexico (19%) and Missouri (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (3 grants).
Does Acorn Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Acorn Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Acorn Foundation's largest grantees?
Acorn Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include NC Little Hospice Inc ($100,000), Washburn Center for Children ($50,000) and Horses for Heroes - New Mexico Inc ($45,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 83% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Acorn Foundation?
Acorn Foundation reported $4.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $260K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $226K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Acorn Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its direct charitable activity as general operating support for selected public charities. Its 2024 grantees include organizations serving children and families, veterans, people affected by cancer, and other causes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Acorn Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Acorn Foundation's EIN?
Acorn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1891595. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Acorn Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Acorn Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Acorn Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/acorn-foundation-morg_f63697668fe544d6b6d394b8b4d7d3dc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411891595_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Acorn Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/acorn-foundation-morg_f63697668fe544d6b6d394b8b4d7d3dc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Acorn Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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