Confluence Foundation
Confluence Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in public radio, civil liberties, food assistance, youth programming, conservation, and animal care.
Confluence Foundation at a glance
In short: Confluence Foundation gave $195K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), top state Colorado. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $195,000
- -9.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,500
- -16.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,731,414
- +14.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (4 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (33% 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 Confluence 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: 30 E 7Th Street Suite 2000, St Paul, MN 55101
Phone: (651) 228-0935
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Confluence Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Colorado Public Radio ($35K). Together the top 10 received $147K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 107 grants of 109 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states. Colorado received 33% of grant dollars, Massachusetts 31%, Louisiana 10%, Illinois 10%, and Florida 7%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Confluence Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 26 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 58% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 77% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $195K (2025) to $1.8M (2021). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $195K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Public Radio Centennial, CO | General Operating Support | $35,000 |
| American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado Inc Denver, CO | General Operating Support | $30,000 |
| Emeril Lagasse Foundation New Orleans, LA | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Trees That Feed Foundation Winnetka, IL | General Operating Support | $15,000 |
| St Matthews House Inc Naples, FL | General Operating Support | $12,000 |
| Crossroads for Kids Inc Duxbury, MA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Greater Boston Food Bank Boston, MA | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Art Complex Inc Duxbury, MA | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Atlantic White Shark Conservancy Chatham, MA | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Duxbury Rural & Historical Society Duxbury, MA | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,731,414 | $946,575 | $228,687 | $195,000 | 26 | $220,464 | $471,603 | $286,711 |
| 2024 | $5,013,527 | $900,257 | $242,739 | $215,000 | 24 | $240,317 | $279,004 | $240,871 |
| 2023 | $4,357,707 | $694,679 | $228,118 | $205,500 | 20 | $225,928 | $117,756 | $210,322 |
| 2022 | $3,880,316 | $795,763 | $491,543 | $461,117 | 21 | $479,113 | $122,046 | $195,018 |
| 2021 | $3,576,005 | $995,933 | $1,827,759 | $1,807,592 | 18 | $1,822,636 | $318,882 | $212,728 |
| 2020 | $4,411,779 | $751,559 | $1,145,194 | $1,124,258 | 17 | — | $134,462 | $221,258 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Confluence Foundation reported a distributable amount of $287K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Crossroads for Kids describes its work as serving young people from low-income communities through year-round learning, career exploration, and relationship-building programs. The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy says it supports research, public safety, and community education to inspire shark conservation. Friends of the Scituate Shelter describes its work as providing adoption assistance and care for lost or impounded animals.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $195,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $35,000, with a median of $5,000. Its largest grants included $35,000 to Colorado Public Radio and $30,000 to the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado, both for general operating support. Other grants included $20,000 to the Emeril Lagasse Foundation, $15,000 to Trees That Feed Foundation, and $12,000 to St. Matthew’s House, each for general operating support. The filing also listed grants of $10,000 each to Crossroads for Kids and the Greater Boston Food Bank for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Andrew Bentinck-Smith as president and director; Ian Weyerhaeuser as secretary and director; Justin Weyerhaeuser as director; Kelli Bentinck-Smith as treasurer and director; and Sean Deichert as assistant secretary and assistant treasurer.
Confluence Foundation is led by Andrew Bentinck-Smith, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Andrew Bentinck-Smith
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ian Weyerhaeuser
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Weyerhaeuser
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kelli Bentinck-Smith
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean Deichert
Assistant Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Michele Bria (2020–2023) — Assistant Secretary & Assistant Treasurer
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.
Frequently asked questions about Confluence Foundation
How much does Confluence Foundation give each year?
Confluence Foundation gave $195K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $215K across 24 grants.
What is Confluence Foundation's typical grant size?
Confluence Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,500, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Confluence Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Confluence Foundation give grants?
Confluence Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (31%) and Louisiana (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Duxbury, MA (6 grants), Naples, FL (2 grants), Boston, MA (2 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Confluence Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 96% of Confluence Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Confluence Foundation's largest grantees?
Confluence Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Colorado Public Radio ($35,000), American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Colorado Inc ($30,000) and Emeril Lagasse Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Confluence Foundation?
Confluence Foundation reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $220K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $287K (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 Confluence Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Confluence 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 Confluence Foundation's EIN?
Confluence Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0803542. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Confluence 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Confluence Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Confluence Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/confluence-foundation-morg_6060846741224f7f97cb0866de2cfe03
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810803542_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Confluence Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/confluence-foundation-morg_6060846741224f7f97cb0866de2cfe03},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Confluence 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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