Albert W Cherne Foundation
The Albert W Cherne Foundation is a private foundation based in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Its 2025 filing reports 16 grants totaling $650,000 to charitable organizations.
Albert W Cherne Foundation at a glance
In short: Albert W Cherne Foundation gave $650K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $41K), top state Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $650,000
- +18.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $40,625
- +25.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $12,663,197
- +11.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (49% 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 Albert W Cherne Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 17050, Fountain Hills, AZ 85269
Phone: (952) 239-5344
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Albert W Cherne Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Northwestern ($200K). Together the top 10 received $615K.
Grant Size Distribution
49 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 33 grants of 49 (67%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota (49%), Arizona (26%), Wisconsin (11%), Michigan (8%), and New Jersey (2%). These figures describe the reported distribution of grant dollars for that year.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How Albert W Cherne Foundation gives
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 101% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 75% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $150K (2021) to $650K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $650K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Northwestern Roseville, MN | Program Support | $200,000 |
| International Dark Sky Discovery Center Inc Fountain Hills, AZ | Program Support | $150,000 |
| Risen Christ School Minneapolis, MN | Program Support | $100,000 |
| Camp Jorn Manitowish Waters, WI | Program Support | $60,000 |
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Minnesota Heart Institute Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Alliance Defending Freedom Scottsdale, AZ | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Children's Health Defense Franklin Lakes, NJ | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Informed Consent Action Network Houston, TX | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Manitowish Waters Lakes Association Inc Manitowish Waters, WI | Program Support | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,663,197 | $2,665,929 | $657,942 | $650,000 | 16 | $652,817 | $1,702,132 | $869,341 |
| 2024 | $11,347,460 | $154,060 | $555,312 | $549,500 | 17 | $551,059 | $168,262 | $626,373 |
| 2023 | $11,748,712 | $223,703 | $230,858 | $222,500 | 8 | $224,533 | $221,813 | $546,929 |
| 2022 | $11,755,867 | $218,867 | $333,169 | $323,000 | 7 | $324,813 | $189,706 | $546,986 |
| 2021 | $11,870,169 | $426,379 | $168,972 | $150,000 | 1 | $151,105 | $427,441 | $582,544 |
| 2020 | $11,612,762 | $1,184,760 | $249,412 | $245,500 | 10 | — | $683,822 | $536,353 |
| 2019 | $10,677,414 | $115,137 | $236,169 | $223,000 | 9 | — | $106,313 | $450,639 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Albert W Cherne Foundation reported a distributable amount of $869K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as STEM education, cardiovascular research and education, environmental protection, children’s health, and legal advocacy. These are areas reflected in grants to particular organizations, not a stated foundation-wide mission.
For example, the International Dark Sky Discovery Center describes its mission as providing STEM education about dark-sky preservation, astronomy, space science, and sustainable life on Earth. The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation says it works to improve cardiovascular health through research and education. The Manitowish Waters Lakes Association describes its work as educating the public and protecting local water quality, fisheries, boating safety, and native habitat.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $650,000. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $200,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest reported grants included:
Other reported 2025 grants included $10,000 each to Alliance Defending Freedom, Children’s Health Defense, Informed Consent Action Network, Manitowish Waters Lakes Association, The Kirsch Foundation, and Turning Point USA.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists the following officers and directors:
- A W Cherne Jr — President/Director
- A W Cherne — VP/Sec/Treas/Dir
- D A Cherne — VP/Director
- M J Hardebeck — Director
Albert W Cherne Foundation is led by A. W. Cherne Jr., President & Director on the 2025 filing; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
A. W. Cherne Jr.
President & Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
A. W. Cherne
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director
President & Director → Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
M. J. Hardebeck
Director
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
D. A. Cherne
Vice President & Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Elizabeth B. Cherne (2019–2024) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Albert W Cherne Foundation
How much does Albert W Cherne Foundation give each year?
Albert W Cherne Foundation gave $650K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $550K across 17 grants.
What is Albert W Cherne Foundation's typical grant size?
Albert W Cherne Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $40,625, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Albert W Cherne Foundation give grants?
Albert W Cherne Foundation's top state is Minnesota, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Arizona (26%) and Wisconsin (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Manitowish Waters, WI (3 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (2 grants).
Does Albert W Cherne Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Albert W Cherne Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (16 grants).
Who are Albert W Cherne Foundation's largest grantees?
Albert W Cherne Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Northwestern ($200,000), International Dark Sky Discovery Center Inc ($150,000) and Risen Christ School ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Albert W Cherne Foundation?
Albert W Cherne Foundation reported $12.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $653K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $869K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Albert W Cherne Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as STEM education, cardiovascular research and education, environmental protection, children’s health, and legal advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Albert W Cherne Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Albert W Cherne Foundation's EIN?
Albert W Cherne Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7005356. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Albert W Cherne 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 28, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 2, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Live grants for the work Albert W Cherne Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Albert W Cherne Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Albert W Cherne Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/albert-w-cherne-foundation-morg_0028a45c9f3749c69ce1c52ad727cf10
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237005356_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Albert W Cherne Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/albert-w-cherne-foundation-morg_0028a45c9f3749c69ce1c52ad727cf10},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Albert W Cherne 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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