Burns Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Bloomington, MN EIN: 26-1549838

BURNS FAMILY FOUNDATION is a private foundation based in Bloomington, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports 19 grants totaling $122,700, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Minnesota.

Key facts about Burns Family Foundation

In short: Burns Family Foundation gave $123K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Minnesota. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
26-1549838
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$122,700
Grants made (2025)
19
Average grant
$6,458
Median grant
$5,000
New grantees (estimate)
21% first-time grantees (4 of 19, 2025)
Total assets
$817,814
Primary geography
Minnesota (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$818K

-6.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$123K

+22.5% YoY

Grant Count

19

-17.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$6K

+48.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Burns Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $134K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Burns Family Foundation open to new grantees?

21%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 19 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−2%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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 including public media, arts, health, education, and community organizations. For example, Hennepin Health Foundation says it supports access to care and health and wellness through education and research; The JK Movement says its mission is to empower and inspire change among young people; and MORE says it supports new Americans’ education and economic and social independence. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 19 grants totaling $122,700. Grants ranged from $500 to $40,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $40,000 to Cook County Community Radio (WTIP), $12,000 to TPT - Twin Cities PBS, $10,000 each to the U of MN Jim Kloobuchar Scholarship Fund and The Breck Fund, and $7,500 to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Other 2025 recipients included Hennepin Health Foundation ($5,000), The JK Movement ($3,500), MORE ($3,000), Ann Bancroft Foundation ($2,000), and Minnesota Public Radio ($1,200).

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 4% to Oregon, and 1% to Illinois.

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.

Cities

MinneapolisSaint PaulBloomingtonDuluthHood RiverGolden ValleyGrand MaraisMendota HeightsGlenviewMinnetonkaRosevilleAnokaExcelsiorGrantNorth MinneapolisPlymouthTofteBreckenridgeBrooklyn ParkBurnsville

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K22 grants2020 33 grants2021 41 grants2022 15 grants2023 23 grants2024 19 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $82K (2020) to $125K (2022). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $123K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Cook County Community Radio (Wtip): $40KCook County Community Radio(Wtip)$40KTPT - Twin Cities PBS: $12KTPT - Twin Cities PBS$12KU of MN Jim Klobuchar Scholarship Fund: $10KU of MN Jim KlobucharScholarship Fund$10KThe Breck Fund: $10KThe Breck Fund$10KMinneapolis Institute of Arts: $8KMinneapolis Institute of Arts$8KHennepin Health Foundation: $5KHennepin Health Foundation$5KThe Angel Foundation: $5KThe Angel Foundation$5KEmerge Minnesota: $5KEmerge Minnesota$5KUnite 2 Fight Paralysis: $5KUnite 2 Fight Paralysis$5KGet up Stand up to Cure Paralysis: $5KGet up Stand up to CureParalysis$5K

The largest 2025 recipient was Cook County Community Radio (Wtip) ($40K). Together the top 10 received $105K.

Grant Size Distribution

131 grants across all recorded years

130<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 130 grants of 131 (99%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Cook County Community Radio (Wtip) Grand Marais, MNGeneral$40,000
TPT - Twin Cities PBS Saint Paul, MNGeneral$12,000
U of MN Jim Klobuchar Scholarship Fund Minneapolis, MNGeneral$10,000
The Breck Fund Golden Valley, MNGeneral$10,000
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Minneapolis, MNGeneral$7,500
Hennepin Health Foundation Minneapolis, MNGeneral$5,000
The Angel Foundation Mendota Heights, MNGeneral$5,000
Emerge Minnesota North Minneapolis, MNGeneral$5,000
Unite 2 Fight Paralysis Hood River, ORGeneral$5,000
Get up Stand up to Cure Paralysis Minnetonka, MNGeneral$5,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $817,814 $88,138 $146,785 $122,700 (19 grants)
2024 $876,461 $80,528 $124,528 $100,200 (23 grants)
2023 $919,926 $235,772 $129,767 $111,700 (15 grants)
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$100K$200K$300K2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$817,814$876,461$919,926
Revenue$88,138$80,528$235,772
Expenses$146,785$124,528$129,767
Qualifying Distributions$124,250$101,394$112,771
Net Investment Income$66,441$59,708$218,776
Distributable Amount$134,344$125,191$102,963

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

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

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Kathryn A Burns as Director/CEO/Treasurer, Colleen Burns Harristhal as Director, and Tracy M Burns as Director.

Burns Family Foundation is led by Kathryn A. Burns, Director, CEO & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Kathryn A. Burns

    Director, CEO & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Colleen Burns Harristhal

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Tracy M. Burns

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    0.5 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: J. Patrick Plunkett (2020–2021) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 9208 Yukon Avenue S, Bloomington, MN 55438
Phone: (952) 835-3800

Frequently asked questions about Burns Family Foundation

How much does Burns Family Foundation give each year?

Burns Family Foundation gave $123K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $100K across 23 grants.

What is Burns Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Burns Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,458, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Burns Family Foundation that year got $13K on average.

Where does Burns Family Foundation give grants?

Burns Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (6 grants) and Saint Paul, MN (5 grants).

Does Burns Family Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Burns Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 19) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Burns Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Burns Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Cook County Community Radio (Wtip) ($40,000), TPT - Twin Cities PBS ($12,000) and U of MN Jim Klobuchar Scholarship Fund ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Burns Family Foundation?

Burns Family Foundation reported $818K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $124K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $134K (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 Burns Family Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including public media, arts, health, education, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Burns Family Foundation?

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

What is Burns Family Foundation's EIN?

Burns Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1549838. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Burns Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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