Foundations & Grantmakers in Minnesota
4,004 grantmakers in Minnesota reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,489 that made at least 5 grants gave $6.2B. The largest by giving are Mayo Clinic Group Return, Mayo Clinic and Wem Foundation. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Minnesota grants
Foundation giving in Minnesota at a glance
Active grantmakers
4,004
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$6.2B
from the 1,489 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$19K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$66K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Minnesota by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mayo Clinic Group Return | Rochester | $1.7B | 293 |
| 2 | Mayo Clinic | Rochester | $572.1M | 256 |
| 3 | Wem Foundation | Minneapolis | $359.5M | 135 |
| 4 | University of Minnesota Foundation | Minneapolis | $304.0M | 11 |
| 5 | Second Harvest Heartland | Brooklyn Park | $220.5M | 6 |
| 6 | Educational Credit | Minneapolis | $177.0M | 293 |
| 7 | Anne Ray Foundation | Eden Prairie | $167.0M | 108 |
| 8 | Wells Fargo Foundation | Minneapolis | $157.4M | 1,376 |
| 9 | Margaret a Cargill Foundation | Eden Prairie | $146.7M | 312 |
| 10 | The McKnight Foundation | Minneapolis | $145.9M | 790 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 1 organization that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) is left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 171 · 23%
- Human Services 91 · 12%
- Health 80 · 11%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 48 · 7%
- Community Improvement & Capacity Building 46 · 6%
- Religion Related 44 · 6%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (38% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Minnesota
- The Minneapolis Foundation $121.7M · 1,565 grants
- Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation $107.2M · 1,473 grants
- Catholic Community Foundation $43.9M · 504 grants
- Communitygiving $16.7M · 426 grants
- West Central Initiative $5.3M · 185 grants
- Rochester Area Foundation $4.8M · 125 grants
- Duluth-Superior Area Community $4.2M · 136 grants
- Women's Foundation of Minnesota $3.9M · 90 grants
Showing the largest 8 of 14 with at least 10 grants.
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in Minnesota
Foundations based in Minnesota whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shavlik Family Charitable Trust | 95% (21) | 22 in 2024 | $26K |
| 2 | Northeast Entrepreneur Fund Inc | 94% (49) | 52 in 2024 | $9K |
| 3 | Minnesota Twins Community Fund | 84% (70) | 83 in 2024 | $13K |
| 4 | Minnesota Black Collective Foundation | 80% (16) | 20 in 2025 | $18K |
| 5 | Initiative Foundation | 76% (152) | 201 in 2024 | $28K |
| 6 | Emile G Nguimfack Foundation | 75% (18) | 24 in 2025 | $8K |
| 7 | Catholic United Financial Foundation | 74% (59) | 80 in 2024 | $47K |
| 8 | Cla Foundation | 71% (140) | 196 in 2024 | $16K |
| 9 | Open Your Heart to the Hungry | 71% (22) | 31 in 2024 | $11K |
| 10 | Greater Minnesota Housing Fund | 71% (22) | 31 in 2024 | $44K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing 1,489 grantmakers in Minnesota with 5+ grants on their latest 990, most giving first
Mayo Clinic Group Return
Rochester, MN
Assets
$17.9B
Grants
293
Total Given
$1.7B
Mayo Clinic
Rochester, MN
Assets
$26.7B
Grants
256
Total Given
$572.1M
Wem Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
—
Grants
135
Total Given
$359.5M
University of Minnesota Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$5.5B
Grants
11
Total Given
$304.0M
Second Harvest Heartland
Brooklyn Park, MN
Assets
$87.5M
Grants
6
Total Given
$220.5M
Educational Credit
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$209.1M
Grants
293
Total Given
$177.0M
Anne Ray Foundation
Eden Prairie, MN
Assets
$5.0B
Grants
108
Total Given
$167.0M
Wells Fargo Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$8.6M
Grants
1,376
Total Given
$157.4M
Margaret a Cargill Foundation
Eden Prairie, MN
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
312
Total Given
$146.7M
The McKnight Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
—
Grants
790
Total Given
$145.9M
The Minneapolis Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
1,565
Total Given
$121.7M
Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
St. Paul, MN
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
1,473
Total Given
$107.2M
Ecmc Group Inc
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$5.7B
Grants
14
Total Given
$105.6M
Fred C and Katherine B Andersen Foundation
Bayport, MN
Assets
$1.7B
Grants
290
Total Given
$72.5M
Serveminnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$12.7M
Grants
12
Total Given
$64.7M
Ecmc Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$2.0B
Grants
198
Total Given
$60.1M
Otto Bremer Trust
St. Paul, MN
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
180
Total Given
$57.2M
The Bush Foundation
St. Paul, MN
Assets
—
Grants
148
Total Given
$53.7M
United Health Foundation
Eden Prairie, MN
Assets
—
Grants
57
Total Given
$50.3M
The Richard M Schulze Family Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
—
Grants
1,431
Total Given
$47.9M
Catholic Community Foundation
St. Paul, MN
Assets
$751.7M
Grants
504
Total Given
$43.9M
Borealis Philanthropy
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
$78.2M
Grants
360
Total Given
$37.3M
The Hormel Foundation
Austin, MN
Assets
$911.7M
Grants
13
Total Given
$37.0M
GHR Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
Assets
—
Grants
155
Total Given
$36.4M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Minnesota
What are the largest foundations in Minnesota?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Mayo Clinic Group Return ($1.7B across 293 grants), Mayo Clinic ($572.1M) and Wem Foundation ($359.5M). Together the top 10 account for 63% of the $6.2B given by the 1,489 grantmakers in Minnesota that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Minnesota?
The typical grant is about $19K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $66K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Minnesota?
Yes. We found 14 community foundations in Minnesota with grant activity. The largest by giving are The Minneapolis Foundation, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and Catholic Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Minnesota foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Minnesota from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.