Alton Foundation
Alton Foundation is a private foundation based in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It reported 27 grants totaling $145,400 in 2025, supporting organizations in areas that include health and medical research, education, children’s programming, and environmental conservation.
Alton Foundation at a glance
In short: Alton Foundation gave $145K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Minnesota. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $145,400
- +0.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- -6.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,385
- +7.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,338,903
- +3.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (3 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (70% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Alton 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 848, Saint Cloud, MN 56302
Phone: (320) 251-9361
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Alton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mayo Clinic ($51K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $126K.
Grant Size Distribution
142 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 139 grants of 142 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Minnesota received 70% of grant dollars, followed by Massachusetts (10%), Florida (8%), Wisconsin (5%), and Maryland (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Alton Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 26 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 133% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 $145K (2024) to $155K (2019). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $145K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Ai Innovation Support | $31,400 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Alton Fund for Cancer Research | $20,000 |
| Alumnae Association of Smith College Northampton, MA | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Allina Health Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Great River Children's Museum St Cloud, MN | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Mitchell Hamline School of Law St. Paul, MN | Educational Program Support | $10,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Minneapolis, MN | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Alzheimer Disease Research Clarksburg, MD | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic Florida Weston, FL | Program Support | $5,000 |
| La Pointe Community Clinic La Pointe, WI | Program Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Alton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,338,903 | $198,103 | $149,324 | $145,400 | 27 | $148,237 | $47,016 | $111,609 |
| 2024 | $1,290,124 | $195,716 | $148,645 | $144,900 | 29 | $147,602 | $44,673 | $109,504 |
| 2023 | $1,243,184 | $43,130 | $159,883 | $154,800 | 28 | $157,306 | $41,651 | $99,537 |
| 2022 | $1,359,937 | $37,326 | $157,049 | $152,200 | 29 | $154,587 | $36,303 | $113,759 |
| 2021 | $1,478,660 | $217,185 | $156,246 | $146,800 | 29 | $149,857 | $211,298 | $98,007 |
| 2020 | $1,417,787 | $257,985 | $175,325 | $147,300 | 30 | — | $246,175 | $68,114 |
| 2019 | $1,331,172 | $334,663 | $172,418 | $155,200 | 30 | — | $324,427 | $59,956 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Alton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $112K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for Mayo Clinic for AI innovation and cancer research, as well as grants described as program or educational program support for health, education, community, and conservation organizations.
The supported organizations describe their own missions in varied terms. For example, Mayo Clinic says it seeks to improve health and well-being through patient care, education, and research. Great River Children’s Museum says it uses play to spark children’s learning and strengthen families and community connections. The Alumnae Association of Smith College says it works to further the well-being of the college and its graduates. These are grantee missions, not statements of the foundation’s own mission.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $145,400. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $31,400, with a median of $2,000. Among its largest grants were $31,400 to Mayo Clinic for AI innovation support and $20,000 to Mayo Clinic for the Alton Fund for Cancer Research. Other notable grants included $15,000 to the Alumnae Association of Smith College and $10,000 each to Allina Health Foundation, Great River Children’s Museum, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and The Nature Conservancy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2025 filing lists Patricia Alton Baker as president, secretary, and director; Michael Brausen as treasurer; and Jeanine P Alton-Ryan and Michelle Alton Bონომo as directors.
Alton Foundation is led by Patricia Alton Baker, President, Secretary & Director since 2021 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Patricia Alton Baker
President, Secretary & Director
President & Secretary → President, Secretary & Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeanine P. Alton-Ryan
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Alton Bonomo
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Brausen
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Dennis G. Leisten (2019–2024) — Treasurer
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 Alton Foundation
How much does Alton Foundation give each year?
Alton Foundation gave $145K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $145K across 29 grants.
What is Alton Foundation's typical grant size?
Alton Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $5,385, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Alton Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Alton Foundation give grants?
Alton Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (10%) and Florida (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (3 grants), La Pointe, WI (3 grants), Rochester, MN (2 grants) and St. Paul, MN (2 grants).
Does Alton Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Alton Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (17 grants) and "Educational Program Support" (6 grants).
Who are Alton Foundation's largest grantees?
Alton Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Mayo Clinic ($51,400 across 2 grants), Alumnae Association of Smith College ($15,000) and Allina Health Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Alton Foundation?
Alton Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $148K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $112K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Alton Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for Mayo Clinic for AI innovation and cancer research, as well as grants described as program or educational program support for health, education, community, and conservation organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Alton 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 Alton Foundation's EIN?
Alton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1917226. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Alton 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 March 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 26, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Alton Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Alton Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/alton-foundation-morg_f72481b941db4571b44b3d5773289ecc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411917226_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Alton Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/alton-foundation-morg_f72481b941db4571b44b3d5773289ecc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Alton 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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