Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation
The Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation is a private foundation based in Elk River, Minnesota. It says it seeks to be “a source of light in the world while creating a legacy of benevolence,” and funds organizations it considers effective and accountable, combining funding and business acumen to help them advance their work.
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation at a glance
In short: Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation gave $665K across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $21K), mostly in Minnesota. 56% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $665,168
- +74.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- +60.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $20,787
- +9.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $4,828,139
- +0.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (18 of 32, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (99% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Carlson Family Lightshield 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: 11591 217Th Ave Nw, Elk River, MN 55330
Phone: (763) 284-7063
Website: https://lightshieldfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Covenant Christian Academy ($350K). Together the top 10 received $626K.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 111 grants of 119 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 1% to California, and less than 1% to Maryland. Grants included organizations in Elk River and Big Lake, as well as recipients in other Minnesota communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation open to new grantees?
56%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 18 of 32 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $22K; repeat grants $19K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 34% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 287% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $341K (2022) to $665K (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $665K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Covenant Christian Academy Big Lake, MN | General Support | $350,000 |
| Gateway Church Elk River, MN | General Support | $153,466 |
| MN Adult Teen Challenge Minneapolis, MN | General Support | $25,500 |
| City of Big Lake Financehuman Resourses Department Big Lake, MN | General Support | $25,000 |
| St Judes Minneapolis, MN | General Support | $17,000 |
| Big Lake Community Food Shelf Big Lake, MN | General Support | $12,500 |
| Caer Food Shelf Aka Community Aid Elk River Elk River, MN | General Support | $12,500 |
| Hunter Houle Memorial Foundation Forest Lake, MN | General Support | $10,000 |
| Fishing for Life Minneapols, MN | General Support | $10,000 |
| Minnesota FCA Arden HLLLS, MN | General Support | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,828,139 | $903,353 | $709,462 | $665,168 | 32 | $669,018 | $855,209 | $232,963 |
| 2023 | $4,790,935 | $189,170 | $433,843 | $380,900 | 20 | $387,637 | $142,276 | $216,132 |
| 2022 | $4,355,186 | $100,447 | $379,997 | $340,900 | 22 | $344,725 | $57,525 | $228,836 |
| 2021 | $5,486,136 | $437,113 | $569,397 | $508,950 | 23 | $514,047 | $371,568 | $258,831 |
| 2020 | $5,135,234 | $551,785 | $482,610 | $462,880 | 22 | — | $532,055 | $224,855 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation reported a distributable amount of $233K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation describes its aim as creating a legacy of benevolence and says it considers areas and industries where it has influence to leverage its impact. Its website lists charities it is proud to support, including MN Adult & an individual recipient, Fishing For Life, Achieve Services, CAER Food Shelf, Minnesota FCA, and Big Lake Community Food Shelf.
Grantees describe their own work in a range of ways. Fishing For Life says it serves youth, families, and communities through fishing and outdoor programs. Achieve Services says it creates opportunities for people with disabilities to lead meaningful, self-determined lives. The LIVIN Foundation says it works to prevent suicide through everyday conversations about mental health. These are grantees’ descriptions of their missions, not stated foundation focus areas.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 32 grants totaling $665,168. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $350,000, with a median of $2,000. Its largest 2024 grants included $350,000 to Covenant Christian Academy and $153,466 to Gateway Church, both for general support. Other notable grants were $25,500 to an individual recipient, $25,000 to the City of Big Lake Finance Human Resources Department, and $17,000 to St Judes.
The foundation also gave $380,900 across 20 grants in 2023 and $340,900 across 22 grants in 2022. Among the 2024 recipients, Children’s Cancer Research Fund received $2,000; the organization says it fuels research to improve treatments and find cures for children with cancer. The Front Line Foundation received $1,139; it says it supports fallen heroes and others including law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, and Minnesota National Guard members.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s 2024 filing lists Christopher D Carlson as president and director; Debra L Carlson as vice president and director; Taylor G Schroer as treasurer and director; and Andrew C Carlson as secretary and director.
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation is led by Christopher D. Carlson, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Christopher D. Carlson
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew C. Carlson
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Debra L. Carlson
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Taylor G. Schroer
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation
How much does Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation give each year?
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation gave $665K across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $381K across 20 grants.
What is Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation's typical grant size?
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $20,787, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation that year got $22K on average.
Where does Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation give grants?
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (5 grants), Big Lake, MN (4 grants), Elk River, MN (4 grants) and Anoka, MN (2 grants).
Does Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation's largest grantees?
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Covenant Christian Academy ($350,000), Gateway Church ($153,466) and MN Adult Teen Challenge ($25,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation?
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation reported $4.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $669K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $233K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its aim as creating a legacy of benevolence and says it considers areas and industries where it has influence to leverage its impact. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Carlson Family Lightshield 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 Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation's EIN?
Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-4534853. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Carlson Family Lightshield 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/carlson-family-lightshield-foundation-morg_de4217ae91544337887d15ab6117482a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_834534853_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Carlson Family Lightshield Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/carlson-family-lightshield-foundation-morg_de4217ae91544337887d15ab6117482a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 Carlson Family Lightshield 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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