The Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) is a Minneapolis-based public charity established in 2015. It supports Catholic preschool-through-grade-8 schools in Minnesota, with the stated aim of helping them achieve excellence and increase enrollment.
Key facts about Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)
In short: Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) gave $6.8M across 161 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in Minnesota. 3% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 47-3560859
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $6,801,927
- Grants made (2025)
- 161
- Average grant
- $42,248
- Median grant
- $22,310
- New grantees (estimate)
- 3% first-time grantees (4 of 145, 2025)
- Total assets
- $2,139,300
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$2.1M
-43.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.8M
+16.2% YoY
Grant Count
161
-2.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$42K
+19.1% YoY
Is Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) open to new grantees?
3%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 145 grantees (3%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $330K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $295K first-time, $23K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
CSCOE’s stated mission is to assist Catholic preschool-through-grade-8 schools in achieving excellence and increasing enrollment. Its support includes grants and centralized programs for academic and professional development, preschool expansion and improvement, assessment testing, and school marketing and enrollment. The organization identifies literacy, STEM, student well-being, and support for exceptional learners among its areas of interest.
The 2025 grants listed include schools and other organizations. Groves Academy, the largest listed recipient, describes its mission as building confidence and success for learners, particularly those with learning differences. Saint Mary’s University describes its mission as offering education programs, conducting and sharing research, and serving the community. These are the recipients’ stated missions, not CSCOE’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, CSCOE reported 161 grants totaling $6,801,927. Grant amounts ranged from $5,500 to $836,855, with a median of $22,310. The listed grant purposes were to improve schools and promote enrollment.
Largest listed grants included $836,855 to Groves Academy, $629,225 to Phoenix School Counseling, $485,241 to Bluum, $142,850 to Saint Jerome Catholic School, and $129,150 to Maternity of Mary–St. Andrew Catholic School. Other listed recipients included Saint John School of Little Canada ($116,500), Saint Mary’s University ($103,803), Urban Wilderness ($100,000), and Lexia Learning Systems LLC ($91,073).
The organization says its grants have supported increasing enrollment, recognizing employee excellence, implementing academic programs and resources, and addressing needs identified by principals. Its preschool grants can support new or expanded programs, facilities, instructional practices, curriculum, teacher development, family engagement, program evaluation, and licensing or accreditation alignment.
Ready to take the next step with Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
CSCOE states that it supports Catholic preschool-through-grade-8 schools in Minnesota. In 2025, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota; 1% went to Ohio and 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 161 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.3M (2023) to $6.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 161 grants totaling $6.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Groves Academy ($837K). Together the top 10 received $2.8M.
Organizations only. It also paid 11 grants to individuals ($193,270), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
635 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 507 grants of 635 (80%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Groves Academy St Louis Park, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $836,855 |
| Phoenix School Counceling Minneapolis, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $629,225 |
| Bluum St. Paul, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $485,241 |
| Saint Jerome Catholic School Maplewood, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $142,850 |
| Maternity of Mary-St Andrew Catholic School St. Paul, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $129,150 |
| Saint John School of Little Canada Little Canada, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $116,500 |
| Saint Mary's University Winona, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $103,803 |
| Urban Wilderness Cincinnati, OH | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $100,000 |
| Lexia Learning Systems LLC Concord, MA | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $91,073 |
| Cotter Schools - Saint Teresa's Campus Winona, MN | Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment | $90,123 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,139,300 | $9,277,639 | $11,232,479 | $6,801,927 |
| 2024 | $3,806,119 | $11,569,349 | $11,494,950 | $5,853,930 |
| 2023 | $3,374,495 | $5,918,389 | $4,486,989 | $2,347,658 |
The filing type is Form 990 (a public charity).
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,139,300 | $3,806,119 | $3,374,495 |
| Revenue | $9,277,639 | $11,569,349 | $5,918,389 |
| Expenses | $11,232,479 | $11,494,950 | $4,486,989 |
| Net Investment Income | $23,713 | $37,252 | $993 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 25, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 6, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 26, 2021)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 27, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 19, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Rainer as president. Directors listed are Steve Ryan (chair), Stephen Hoeppner (secretary), Reverend Kevin Finnegan, Michael Cole, Robert Wollan, Michael Gallagher, Lisa Anderson, Nes Rotstein, and Kevin Bergman.
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) is led by Michael Rainer, President on every filing since 2024; 2 of 12 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Rainer
President
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$134K (2025)
Steve Ryan
Director - Chair
Director → Director - Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Behr
Finance Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$103K (2020) → $133K (2025)
Lisa Anderson
Director
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Reverend Kevin Finnegan
Director
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Hoeppner
Director - Secretary
Director → Director - Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2019
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Cole
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Wollan
Director
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin Bergman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Gallagher
Director
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nes Rotstein
Director
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Annemarie Vega
Chief Operating Officer
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Gail Dorn (2019–2024) — Director & Executive Chair
- Former: Kathryn Schneeman (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Michael Halloran (2019–2024) — Vice President Development
- Former: Brian Ragatz (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Anita Arockiasamy Wills (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Michelle Schlehuber (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Benjamin Tierney (2022) — Director of Excellence
- Former: Kelly Refsnider (2022) — Director of Enrollment
- Former: Bishop Andrew Cozzens (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Brian Wenger (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Bob Behr (2019) — Director of Finance
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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $134K, to Mr Michael Rainer (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 6600 France Avenue South 640, Minneapolis, MN 55435
Phone: (612) 425-1105
Website: https://cscoe-mn.org
Frequently asked questions about Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)
How much does Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) give each year?
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) gave $6.8M across 161 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $5.9M across 165 grants.
What is Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)'s typical grant size?
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)'s median grant in 2025 was $22,310, and its average grant was $42,248, across 161 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) that year got $330K on average.
Where does Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) give grants?
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) gives mostly in Minnesota: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Paul, MN (10 grants), Minneapolis, MN (9 grants), Saint Cloud, MN (5 grants) and Rochester, MN (4 grants).
Does Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 161 grants with a stated purpose on Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)'s 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Improve Schools and Promote Enrollment" (161 grants).
Who are Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)'s largest grantees?
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)'s largest 2025 grantees include Groves Academy ($836,855), Phoenix School Counceling ($629,225) and Bluum ($485,241), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 11 grants to individuals ($193,270), which are not listed by name. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)?
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.3M.
What does Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) fund?
CSCOE’s stated mission is to assist Catholic preschool-through-grade-8 schools in achieving excellence and increasing enrollment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)?
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cscoe-mn.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)'s EIN?
Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE)'s EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-3560859. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Catholic Schools Center of Excellence (CSCOE) by hand.
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