Big T Foundation
Big T Foundation is a private foundation based in Lakeville, Minnesota. It awarded 12 grants totaling $353,500 in 2025 to charitable organizations, most of them in Minnesota.
Big T Foundation at a glance
In short: Big T Foundation gave $354K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $29K), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $353,500
- -29.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $29,458
- -29.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $22,500
- Total assets
- $92,724
- -11.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (97% 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 Big T 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: 16972 Brandtjen Farm Dr, Lakeville, MN 55044
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Big T Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Northfield Hockey Association ($100K). Together the top 10 received $344K.
Grant Size Distribution
34 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 26 grants of 34 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 3% to recipients in Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
How Big T Foundation gives
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 41% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $230K (2021) to $603K (2022). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $354K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Northfield Hockey Association Northfield, MN | Support Building Project | $100,000 |
| Every Third Saturday Minneapolis, MN | Support for Veterans | $70,000 |
| United Heros League Hastings, MN | Support for Military Families | $50,000 |
| Eagles Healing Nest Sauk Centre, MN | Housing for Veterans | $25,000 |
| The Grief Club of Minnesota Chanhassen, MN | Support Healing Hearts Soiree | $25,000 |
| The Ranch - Teammates for Life Duluth, MN | Support Mental Illness | $25,000 |
| Faribault Foundation Faribault, MN | Support Faribault Activities Fund | $20,000 |
| Hopekids Scottsdale, AZ | Support for Families | $12,000 |
| Legacy Fishing Retreat Rogers, MN | Support Christian Ministry | $10,000 |
| Emmaus Lutheran Church Bloomington, MN | Mission Trip Donation | $6,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Big T 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 | $92,724 | $344,134 | $355,920 | $353,500 | 12 | $355,887 | $2,434 | $5,567 |
| 2024 | $104,510 | $605,044 | $507,436 | $498,350 | 12 | $507,436 | $2,103 | $4,437 |
| 2023 | $6,902 | $288,597 | $293,480 | $290,746 | 6 | $293,473 | $297 | $503 |
| 2022 | $11,785 | $483,542 | $626,981 | $602,760 | 3 | $626,972 | $533 | $6,510 |
| 2021 | $155,224 | $406,380 | $251,156 | $230,000 | 1 | $251,156 | $680 | $12,004 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Big T Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6K 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 went to organizations with a range of missions. For example, Every Third Saturday describes its mission as fostering hope and promoting post-traumatic growth for veterans; Eagles Healing Nest says it helps veterans heal and return to the functions they need to live; and The Ranch – Teammates for Life says it provides mental health services for people and families affected by trauma-related issues. Northfield Hockey Association says it provides local youth with a positive, competitive learning environment through athletics.
Other 2025 recipients include The Grief Club of Minnesota, which describes its work as helping grieving children, teens, and families find connection and heal; HopeKids, which supports families whose children have life-threatening medical conditions; and Faribault Foundation, which focuses on improving quality of life in Faribault.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 12 grants totaling $353,500. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $22,500. The largest awards included $100,000 to Northfield Hockey Association for a building project, $70,000 to Every Third Saturday for veterans, and $50,000 to United Heros League for military families. Other grants included $25,000 each to Eagles Healing Nest, The Grief Club of Minnesota, and The Ranch – Teammates for Life.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists these directors: Adam Mikkelson, Robert H Enebak, Leah D Hendrikson, Chad Schumacher, Keith Tomlinson, and David Ness.
Big T Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Adam Mikkelson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chad Schumacher
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Ness
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leah D. Hendrikson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert H. Enebak
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Tomlinson
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Larry Schminski (2021–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Big T Foundation
How much does Big T Foundation give each year?
Big T Foundation gave $354K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $498K across 12 grants.
What is Big T Foundation's typical grant size?
Big T Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $22,500, and its average grant was $29,458, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Big T Foundation give grants?
Big T Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (2 grants).
Does Big T Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Big T Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Big T Foundation's largest grantees?
Big T Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Northfield Hockey Association ($100,000), Every Third Saturday ($70,000) and United Heros League ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Big T Foundation?
Big T Foundation reported $93K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $356K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Big T Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with a range of missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Big T 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 Big T Foundation's EIN?
Big T Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-4108721. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Big T 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 7, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work Big T Foundation funds
Human Services Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Big T Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Big T Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/big-t-foundation-morg_e77350b066484c75ba87f8241d78d4af
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_854108721_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Big T Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/big-t-foundation-morg_e77350b066484c75ba87f8241d78d4af},
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 Big T 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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