Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc
Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Ada, Minnesota. It provides scholarships for higher education to students in the Ada-Borup-West School District; its 2024 filing states that it provided 74 scholarships to students for higher education purposes.
Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc gave $165K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $82K), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $164,625
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $82,313
- +10.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $82,313
- Total assets
- $2,722,297
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing names Allie Lien, the ABW school counselor, as the contact. Awards are for high school seniors in the Ada-Borup-West School District of Minnesota pursuing higher education. Students must have a 3.0 GPA or be in the top half of their class, and submit three character-reference letters from non-relatives.
- Review Cycle
- April 15, 2025.
- Deadline
- April 15, 2025.
- Contact
Application contact: Allie Lien Abw School Counselor
Mailing address: 604 West Thorpe Avenue, Ada, MN 56510
Phone: (218) 784-5300
Email: alliel@ada.k12.mn.us
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Ada Borup West Student Council ($1K).
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($163,625), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 78 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota. Scholarship eligibility is limited to high school seniors in the Ada-Borup-West School District of Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc gives
- Giving grew 42% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $116K (2022) to $165K (2025). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $165K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $163,625 |
| Ada Borup West Student Council Ada, MN | To Support Student Activities | $1,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Reported grantmaking by filing year:
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,722,297 | $347,196 | $198,854 | $164,625 | 2 | $164,916 | $268,687 | $159,115 |
| 2024 | $2,573,955 | $189,209 | $179,191 | $149,050 | 2 | $149,757 | $151,992 | $149,439 |
| 2023 | $2,563,937 | $210,723 | $148,176 | $116,200 | 2 | $116,871 | $31,856 | $146,227 |
| 2022 | $2,501,390 | $172,086 | $147,410 | $115,925 | 2 | $116,680 | $110,719 | $155,136 |
| 2021 | $2,476,714 | $359,072 | $148,069 | $122,200 | 70 | — | $126,167 | $143,803 |
| 2020 | $2,265,711 | $166,322 | $167,908 | $132,115 | 78 | — | $65,511 | $129,403 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $159K for 2025 — 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 stated charitable activity is providing scholarships for higher education. Its 2025 filing also lists a grant to the Ada Borup West Student Council to support student activities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported two grants totaling $164,625. The itemized amounts ranged from $1,000 to $163,625, with a reported median of $82,312. Its largest listed grant was $163,625 to “an individual recipient” in Ada, Minnesota, for higher education scholarships. It also gave $1,000 to the Ada Borup West Student Council for student activities.
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes six scholarship applications and says a student could earn more than one scholarship. The listed opportunities include the Ada Dekko Foundation Scholarship, the Agnes R. Faragher Scholarship for students planning to major in science or math, the Bridges Medical Foundation Scholarship for students pursuing a four-year medical-related degree, and the Eric C Larson Scholarship for athletes who lettered in a sport in both junior and senior year. Requirements vary by scholarship and can include references, extracurricular activities, community service, leadership or role-modeling evidence, attendance records, career goals, and an explanation of why the student is deserving.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Solseng as president, Cynthia Ann Julin as vice president, Trudy Mickelson as treasurer, Barbara Anne Larson as secretary, and Michael Ness as director.
Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc is led by David Solseng, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Solseng
President
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Ness
Director
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Barbara Anne Larson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$200 (2022) → $400 (2025)
Trudy Mickelson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$125 (2022) → $400 (2025)
Cynthia Ann Julin
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $400, to Trudy Mickelson (Treasurer). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc
How much does Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc give each year?
Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc gave $165K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $149K across 2 grants.
How large is Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc?
Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $165K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $159K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated charitable activity is providing scholarships for higher education. Its 2025 filing also lists a grant to the Ada Borup West Student Council to support student activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc?
The filing names Allie Lien, the ABW school counselor, as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc make grants?
The 2025 filing reports that 100% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota. Scholarship eligibility is limited to high school seniors in the Ada-Borup-West School District of Minnesota.
What is Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc's EIN?
Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1566681. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS July 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 20, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Figures come from Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc'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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