Cross Works Foundation
Cross Works Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Its 2024 filing reports 32 grants totaling $4,081,134, including support for schools, a children’s museum, charitable services, and community organizations.
Cross Works Foundation at a glance
In short: Cross Works Foundation gave $4.1M across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $128K), mostly in Minnesota. 16% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,081,134
- +18.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $127,535
- +18.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $24,375
- Total assets
- $64,046,211
- -0.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (5 of 32, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (90% 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 Cross Works 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: PO Box 681, St Joseph, MN 56374-0681
Phone: (320) 260-0008
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cross Works Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Holy Family School ($700K). Together the top 10 received $3.5M.
Grant Size Distribution
119 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 119 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 10% to recipients in North Dakota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Cross Works Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 32 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $263K; repeat grants $102K. How we count
Medians: $100K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 84% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 174% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 96% 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 (2021–2024). 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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2021) to $4.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $4.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Family School Albany, MN | General Fund | $700,000 |
| Hope Academy Inc Minneapolis, MN | General Fund | $627,000 |
| Great River Childrens Museum Minneapolis, MN | General Fund | $500,000 |
| Sacred Heart School Endowment Fund Freeport, MN | General Fund | $500,000 |
| Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St Cloud Saint Cloud, MN | General Fund | $300,000 |
| St Monicas Montessori Inc Fargo, ND | General Fund | $250,000 |
| St Cloud Area Family YMCA Saint Cloud, MN | General Fund | $200,000 |
| Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Minneapolis, MN | General Fund | $150,000 |
| St Thomas More Catholic Newman Center Parish of Mankato Minnesota Mankato, MN | General Fund | $150,000 |
| Stpaul's Catholic Newman Center-NDSU Campus Fargo Fargo, ND | General Fund | $150,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cross Works Foundation?
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 | $64,046,211 | $3,465,520 | $4,379,120 | $4,081,134 | 32 | $4,081,159 | $3,918,234 | $4,230,556 |
| 2023 | $64,200,563 | $3,010,346 | $3,705,706 | $3,458,890 | 32 | $3,458,915 | $2,318,368 | $3,807,058 |
| 2022 | $64,960,804 | $2,817,215 | $3,507,704 | $3,206,287 | 30 | $3,206,287 | $6,197,926 | $3,905,660 |
| 2021 | $59,809,531 | $61,298,281 | $1,488,750 | $1,488,750 | 25 | $1,488,750 | $945,430 | $147,942 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cross Works Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.2M 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants include general-fund support for educational, religious, charitable, and community organizations. For example, Hope Academy describes its work as providing a classical Christian education to K–12 students in urban Minneapolis. Great River Children’s Museum says it uses play to support children’s learning, families, and community connections. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud identifies food access, mental health, and housing as its core service areas.
Other 2024 grantees describe missions that include providing tuition-free Montessori education (St. Monica’s Montessori), promoting healthy lifestyles and youth development (St. Cloud Area Family YMCA), and ending hunger (Second Harvest Heartland). These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission or set of priorities for the foundation.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 32 grants totaling $4,081,134 in 2024, compared with 32 grants totaling $3,458,890 in 2023 and 30 grants totaling $3,206,287 in 2022. In 2024, grants ranged from $500 to $700,000, with a median grant of $24,375.
Among the largest 2024 awards were $700,000 to Holy Family School, $627,000 to Hope Academy, $500,000 to Great River Children’s Museum, $500,000 to Sacred Heart School Endowment Fund, and $300,000 to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud. These grants were listed for general fund purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John Blattner and Dee Dee Blattner as trustees.
Cross Works Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dee Dee Blattner
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Blattner
Trustee
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Cross Works Foundation
How much does Cross Works Foundation give each year?
Cross Works Foundation gave $4.1M across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.5M across 32 grants.
What is Cross Works Foundation's typical grant size?
Cross Works Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $24,375, and its average grant was $127,535, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cross Works Foundation that year got $263K on average.
Where does Cross Works Foundation give grants?
Cross Works Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was North Dakota (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (6 grants), Saint Cloud, MN (5 grants), Avon, MN (3 grants) and Fargo, ND (2 grants).
Does Cross Works Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Cross Works 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 Cross Works Foundation's largest grantees?
Cross Works Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Holy Family School ($700,000), Hope Academy Inc ($627,000) and Great River Childrens Museum ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cross Works Foundation?
Cross Works Foundation reported $64.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.2M (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 Cross Works Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants include general-fund support for educational, religious, charitable, and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cross Works 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 Cross Works Foundation's EIN?
Cross Works Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3113879. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Cross Works 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 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cross Works Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cross-works-foundation-morg_d0fb4efb6fff4283bac7d44d45faf99b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873113879_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cross Works Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cross-works-foundation-morg_d0fb4efb6fff4283bac7d44d45faf99b},
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 Cross Works 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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