Bigfork Valley Foundation logo

Bigfork Valley Foundation

Public charity · Grantmaker Bigfork, MN EIN: 26-1634561 Website

Bigfork valley community foundation exists to provide an opportunity for individuals to contribute to a private non-profit organization that will support the betterment of the northern itasca hospital district and its communities.

Bigfork Valley Foundation at a glance

In short: Bigfork Valley Foundation gave $487K across 7 grants in 2025 (avg $70K), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2025)
$486,620
+162.4% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
7
+16.7% vs 2024
Average grant
$69,517
+124.9% vs 2024
Median grant
$42,000
Total assets
$198,827
-12.1% vs 2024
Primary geography
Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Who Bigfork Valley Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 7 recipients in 2025

Bigfork Valley Hospital: $282KBigfork Valley Hospital$282KSams Place: $67KSams Place$67KThousand Grand Lakes: $50KThousand Grand Lakes$50KCity of Effie: $42KCity of Effie$42KAge to Age Funds: $26KAge to Age Funds$26KISD 318: $10KISD 318$10KCity of Bigfork: $10KCity of Bigfork$10K

The largest 2025 recipient was Bigfork Valley Hospital ($282K). Together the top 7 received $487K.

Grant Size Distribution

25 grants across all recorded years

17<$50K6$50–100K$100–250K2$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 17 grants of 25 (68%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 7 itemized grants.

States

Cities

BigforkEffieMarcellGrand RapidsBlaine

How Bigfork Valley Foundation gives

  • Giving grew 64% from 2022 to 2025. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K0 grants2019 0 grants2020 0 grants2021 6 grants2022 6 grants2023 6 grants2024 7 grants2025

From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $185K (2024) to $532K (2023). In 2025 it made 7 grants totaling $487K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Bigfork Valley Hospital Bigfork, MN—$281,752
Sams Place Bigfork, MN—$67,250
Thousand Grand Lakes Grand Rapids, MN—$50,000
City of Effie Effie, MN—$42,000
Age to Age Funds Bigfork, MN—$26,043
ISD 318 Grand Rapids, MN—$10,000
City of Bigfork Bigfork, MN—$9,575
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$198,827$530,831$558,440$486,6207$8,556
2024$226,211$301,786$267,548$185,4406$7,223
2023$191,973$123,080$590,406$531,7546$6,824
2022$659,298$760,161$343,409$297,4876$2,424
2021$242,547$172,964$93,695———
2020$163,278$155,427$116,822———
2019$124,673$86,317$57,811———

About Bigfork Valley Foundation

Based on IRS filings

Bigfork Valley Foundation is a public charity focused on Health, based in Bigfork, MN. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $199K in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 7 grants totaling $487K. Net investment income was $9K.

Focus Areas

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Bigfork Valley Foundation is led by Tim Johnson, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 11 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Tim Johnson

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2020

    20 hrs/week

    $21K (2020) → $18K (2025)

  • Gail Blackmer

    Chairman

    Chairman → President, 2022

    President → Chairman, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Bill Swanberg

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Meredith Morneau

    Director

    President → Director, 2021

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nanci Zeine

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ellen Bomstad

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Lisa Peterson

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nathan Hough

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kristen Huot

    COO

    On filings since 2021

    20 hrs/week

    $3K (2021) → $18K (2025)

  • Joel Karels

    Vicechair & Treasurer

    Vice Chair & Treasurer → Treasurer, 2022

    Treasurer → Vicechair & Treasurer, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Meredie Rounds

    Secretary

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (4)
  • Former: Aaron Saude (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Jef Fisher (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Diane Gallagher (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Carol Mills (2019–2020) — Chairman

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.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Kristen Huot — COO: $18KKristen HuotCOO$18KTim Johnson — Executive Dir.: $18KTim JohnsonExecutive Dir.$18K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $18K, to Kristen Huot (COO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about Bigfork Valley Foundation

How much does Bigfork Valley Foundation give each year?

Bigfork Valley Foundation gave $487K across 7 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $185K across 6 grants.

What is Bigfork Valley Foundation's typical grant size?

Bigfork Valley Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $42,000, and its average grant was $69,517, across 7 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.

Where does Bigfork Valley Foundation give grants?

Bigfork Valley Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bigfork, MN (4 grants) and Grand Rapids, MN (2 grants).

Who are Bigfork Valley Foundation's largest grantees?

Bigfork Valley Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bigfork Valley Hospital ($281,752), Sams Place ($67,250) and Thousand Grand Lakes ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Bigfork Valley Foundation?

Bigfork Valley Foundation reported $199K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $531K.

What is Bigfork Valley Foundation?

Bigfork Valley Foundation is a public charity focused on Health, based in Bigfork, MN. It holds $199K in total assets as of 2025.

What is Bigfork Valley Foundation's EIN?

Bigfork Valley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1634561. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.

Data update history

(3)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 26, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 11, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Bigfork Valley 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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