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Branches Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Sioux Falls, SD EIN: 41-6463939 Website

Branches Foundation is a private foundation based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Its 2025 filing reports 34 grants totaling $3,813,000 to charitable organizations.

Branches Foundation at a glance

In short: Branches Foundation gave $3.8M across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $112K), mostly in Minnesota. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$3,813,000
+10.8% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
34
+3.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$112,147
+7.5% vs 2024
Median grant
$40,000
Total assets
$28,166,942
-2.8% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
9% first-time grantees (3 of 34, 2025)
Primary geography
Minnesota (51% 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 Branches Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Contact

Mailing address: 401 E 8Th St Ste 319, Sioux Falls, SD 57103-7031
Phone: (605) 336-6832
Website: https://rootstobranches.in

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Branches Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Compassion International Inc: $500KCompassion International Inc$500KDwelling Place: $500KDwelling Place$500KSamaritan's Purse: $400KSamaritan's Purse$400KInternational Justice Mission: $380KInternational Justice Mission$380KNew Life Family Services: $362KNew Life Family Services$362KMinnesota Teen Challenge Inc: $250KMinnesota Teen Challenge Inc$250KFeed My Starving Children: $150KFeed My Starving Children$150KHope Academy Inc: $150KHope Academy Inc$150KLiberty Classical Academy: $150KLiberty Classical Academy$150KRural Care Foundation: $134KRural Care Foundation$134K

The largest 2025 recipient was Compassion International Inc ($500K). Together the top 10 received $3.0M.

Grant Size Distribution

163 grants across all recorded years

93<$50K21$50–100K26$100–250K17$250–500K6$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 93 grants of 163 (57%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Its 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota (51%), Colorado (17%), North Carolina (12%), and Virginia (11%); 6% is listed with the recipient state unspecified.

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.

Cities

MinneapolisSaint PaulColorado SpringsOrlandoAlpharettaBooneCharlotteColumbia HeightsCoon RapidsFort CollinsLake ElmoLansdownePeachtree CityShoreviewFort WorthHugoRosevilleWashingtonOakdaleCorona

Is Branches Foundation open to new grantees?

9%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 3 of 34 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $122K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $50K repeat.

  • 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 41% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 199% 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

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M30 grants2019 30 grants2020 32 grants2021 33 grants2022 31 grants2023 33 grants2024 34 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.2M (2019) to $3.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $3.8M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Compassion International Inc Colorado Springs, COVarious Operational Support$500,000
Dwelling Place Columbia Heights, MNGeneral Operating Support$500,000
Samaritan's Purse Boone, NCSupport the Greatest$400,000
International Justice Mission Arlington, VAGeneral Operating Fund &$380,000
New Life Family Services Minneapolis, MNGeneral Operating Support$362,000
Minnesota Teen Challenge Inc Minneapolis, MNGeneral Operating Support$250,000
Feed My Starving Children Coon Rapids, MNGeneral Operating Support$150,000
Hope Academy Inc Minneapolis, MNGeneral Fund & Building$150,000
Liberty Classical Academy Saint Paul, MNSupport to "For Such a Time$150,000
Rural Care Foundation General Operating & Various$134,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$28,166,942$3,467,818$4,270,867$3,813,00034$3,889,629$3,094,881$1,952,744
2024$28,983,961$5,432,183$3,943,136$3,442,00033$3,520,662$5,078,254$1,981,342
2023$27,570,367$3,092,299$3,777,040$3,361,30031$3,430,259$2,680,353$1,817,913
2022$28,249,394$1,938,895$3,144,271$2,703,50033$2,775,986$1,442,810$1,883,418
2021$29,470,613$4,463,228$2,962,757$2,469,50032$2,548,912$4,053,448$2,130,209
2020$28,068,348$2,104,469$3,285,267$2,890,50030—$1,611,839$1,846,750
2019$29,266,956$2,219,612$2,612,519$2,191,52830—$1,767,101$1,887,913

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Branches Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.0M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2025 grants include operating and general-fund support for organizations working in areas such as international aid, justice, family services, addiction recovery, education, and food assistance.

The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. For example, Samaritan’s Purse says it provides spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, disasters, disease, and famine. International Justice Mission says it works to protect people in poverty from violence. New Life Family Services describes itself as a faith-based clinic and social service agency focused on pregnancy, parenting, and adoption support. Hope Academy says it operates a K–12 school providing classical Christian education in urban Minneapolis.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $3,813,000. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $500,000, with a median grant of $40,000.

Among the largest reported grants were $500,000 to Compassion International for various operational support and $500,000 to Dwelling Place for general operating support. Other large grants included $400,000 to Samaritan’s Purse, $380,000 to International Justice Mission, $362,000 to New Life Family Services, and $250,000 to Minnesota Teen Challenge. The filing also reports grants of $150,000 each to Feed My Starving Children, Hope Academy, and Liberty Classical Academy.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Trudy A Christianson and Todd J Christianson as trustees.

Branches Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Todd J. Christianson

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Trudy A. Christianson

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

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 Branches Foundation

How much does Branches Foundation give each year?

Branches Foundation gave $3.8M across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.4M across 33 grants.

What is Branches Foundation's typical grant size?

Branches Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $40,000, and its average grant was $112,147, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Branches Foundation that year got $5K on average.

Where does Branches Foundation give grants?

Branches Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (17%) and North Carolina (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (6 grants), St. Paul, MN (4 grants), Colorado Springs, CO (3 grants) and Orlando, FL (2 grants).

Does Branches Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 65% of Branches Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (22 of 34) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Branches Foundation's largest grantees?

Branches Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Compassion International Inc ($500,000), Dwelling Place ($500,000) and Samaritan's Purse ($400,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Branches Foundation?

Branches Foundation reported $28.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Branches Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2025 grants include operating and general-fund support for organizations working in areas such as international aid, justice, family services, addiction recovery, education, and food assistance. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Branches Foundation?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Branches Foundation's EIN?

Branches Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-6463939. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Branches 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 October 2026.

Data update history

(8)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 15, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 14, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 16, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
  7. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

Explore Open Grants

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Sanford Group Return funds health care access and outcomes, community wellbeing, workforce and education, and related community needs, including health professions education and research. In 2024, its median grant was $24,900, with awards ranging from $5,500 to $3.6 million; giving was concentrated in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Its Community Dividend Fund accepts online funding requests in South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming; whether unsolicited requests are accepted is not stated.

Assets

$4.3B

Grants

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Total Given

$45.3M

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Branches Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/branches-foundation-morg_797321b9dec5410faaea04c077d41ae5

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_416463939_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Branches Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/branches-foundation-morg_797321b9dec5410faaea04c077d41ae5},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Branches 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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