Eljay Foundation
Eljay Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports 11 grants totaling $48,167, including support for music and choral organizations in Minnesota, New York, and Texas.
Eljay Foundation at a glance
In short: Eljay Foundation gave $48K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Minnesota. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $48,167
- -54.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -31.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,379
- -33.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $72,342
- +0.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (3 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (66% 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 Eljay 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: 8301 Creekside Circle, Minneapolis, MN 55437
Phone: (612) 791-9109
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Eljay Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lutheran Summer Music Academy ($22K). Together the top 10 received $48K.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 76 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 66% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 32% to recipients in New York, and 2% to recipients in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Eljay Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 11 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $813. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $750 repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 59% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $48K (2025) to $139K (2023). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $48K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lutheran Summer Music Academy Minneapolis, MN | Program Support | $21,667 |
| The Sound Between New York, NY | Program Support | $15,000 |
| Cants Minneapolis, MN | Annual Campaign | $5,000 |
| Commusication St. Paul, MN | Annual Campaign | $1,500 |
| Conspirare Austin, TX | General Program Support | $1,000 |
| National Lutheran Choir St. Paul, MN | Program Support | $1,000 |
| Minnesota Chorale Minneapolis, MN | General Support | $1,000 |
| MPLS-Impulse Minneapolis, MN | Annual Campaign | $500 |
| Northern Lights Music Festival Gilbert, MN | General Support | $500 |
| Skylark Vocal Ensemble Bedford Hills, NY | Baby Larks Campaign | $500 |
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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 | $72,342 | $53,708 | $53,705 | $48,167 | 11 | $52,327 | $1,330 | $4,856 |
| 2024 | $72,339 | $128,430 | $110,109 | $104,617 | 16 | $108,797 | $958 | $4,738 |
| 2023 | $54,018 | $66,624 | $142,097 | $139,367 | 20 | $141,415 | $1,441 | $4,268 |
| 2022 | $129,491 | $100,368 | $121,221 | $116,759 | 16 | $119,604 | $501 | $4,627 |
| 2021 | $150,344 | $107,177 | $55,396 | $53,615 | 13 | $54,437 | $1,718 | $4,787 |
| 2020 | $98,563 | $122,996 | $66,591 | $63,709 | 15 | — | $6,144 | $3,835 |
| 2019 | $41,619 | $6,959 | $69,439 | $65,700 | 14 | — | $4,405 | $4,121 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Eljay Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5K 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 2025 grants went to organizations whose stated work includes youth music education, choral performance, sacred choral music, and music and theatre on Minnesota’s Iron Range. For example, CommusicatiON says it provides free after-school music programs for K–12 youth, while the Minnesota Chorale says it uses choral singing to unite people and amplify diverse voices. The National Lutheran Choir says it supports sacred choral music for people of diverse faiths and backgrounds; Conspirare describes itself as a choir and performing arts organization; and Northern Lights Music Festival describes its work as presenting music, theatre, and opera on the Iron Range.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $48,167. Grants ranged from $500 to $21,667, with a median grant of $1,000.
The largest awards were $21,667 to Lutheran Summer Music Academy for program support and $15,000 to The Sound Between for program support. Other notable grants included $5,000 to CANTS for its annual campaign, $1,500 to CommusicatiON for its annual campaign, and $1,000 each to Conspirare, National Lutheran Choir, and Minnesota Chorale.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Linda J Glasgow as Director/Pre, Marylynn E Mennicke as Disbursement, and Brittany J Rudoi as Director.
Eljay Foundation is led by Linda J. Glasgow, Director & President since 2022 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Linda J. Glasgow
Director & President
Treasurer & Secretary → Director & President, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brittany J. Rudoi
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marylynn E. Mennicke
Disbursement
Director & Disbursement Officer → Disbursement, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Richard A. Glasgow (2019–2024) — Director & Chairman
- Former: Thomas W. Young (2019–2022) — Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about Eljay Foundation
How much does Eljay Foundation give each year?
Eljay Foundation gave $48K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $105K across 16 grants.
What is Eljay Foundation's typical grant size?
Eljay Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,379, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Eljay Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Eljay Foundation give grants?
Eljay Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (32%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (4 grants) and St. Paul, MN (3 grants).
Does Eljay Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 36% of Eljay Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (3 grants) and "Annual Campaign" (3 grants).
Who are Eljay Foundation's largest grantees?
Eljay Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Lutheran Summer Music Academy ($21,667), The Sound Between ($15,000) and Cants ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Eljay Foundation?
Eljay Foundation reported $72K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $52K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Eljay Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations whose stated work includes youth music education, choral performance, sacred choral music, and music and theatre on Minnesota’s Iron Range. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Eljay 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 Eljay Foundation's EIN?
Eljay Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-2023125. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Eljay 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 20, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 25, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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