George W Neilson Foundation
The George W. Neilson Foundation is a private foundation based in Bemidji, Minnesota. Established in 1962, it supports community projects and programs serving the Bemidji region, including work in arts, education, environment, health, youth, and economic development.
George W Neilson Foundation at a glance
In short: George W Neilson Foundation gave $1.6M across 34 grants in 2025 (avg $46K), mostly in Minnesota. 52% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,579,712
- +12.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 34
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $46,462
- -0.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,500
- Total assets
- $30,454,241
- +1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 52% first-time grantees (14 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to George W Neilson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website provides an application process for proposals. Applications are reviewed monthly; the filing lists qualified charitable organizations as the restriction on awards.
- Review Cycle
- The website says applications should be received by the first Wednesday of the month for consideration at that month’s meeting. The 2025 filing lists no deadlines.
- Deadline
- The website says applications should be received by the first Wednesday of the month for consideration at that month’s…
- Contact
Application contact: Suzanne Liapis
Mailing address: PO Box 692, Bemidji, MN 56619
Phone: (218) 444-4963
Website: https://www.gwnf.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from George W Neilson Foundation
Who George W Neilson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Sanford Foundation ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($108,818), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
159 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 119 grants of 159 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it serves the Bemidji region. In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 1% to recipients in North Dakota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is George W Neilson Foundation open to new grantees?
52%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 27 grantees (52%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $63K; repeat grants $45K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 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 (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 $1.4M (2024) to $1.6M (2022). In 2025 it made 34 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Sanford Foundation Bemidji, MN | Mobile Mammo Lab | $400,000 |
| Neilson Fieldhouse Bemidji, MN | Building Renovation | $250,000 |
| Greater BEMIDJIMI2 Bemidji, MN | Workforce Development | $125,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area Bemidji, MN | Programming 2025 | $100,000 |
| Headwaters Science Center Bemidji, MN | 3 Year Organizational Support | $62,000 |
| Bsuntcgreater BEMIDJIMI2 Bemidji, MN | Market Study | $50,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area Bemidji, MN | Capital Project/Storage, Office | $50,000 |
| No MN Robotics Conference Bemidji, MN | Facility Construction | $50,000 |
| 4 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $108,818 |
| Headwaters Shooting Sports Foundation Bemidji, MN | Equipment & Infrastructure | $39,400 |
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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 | $30,454,241 | $2,245,700 | $1,860,434 | $1,579,712 | 34 | $1,694,900 | $2,107,121 | $1,774,043 |
| 2024 | $30,068,975 | $1,252,896 | $1,658,858 | $1,398,763 | 30 | $1,511,188 | $1,122,355 | $1,694,301 |
| 2023 | $30,474,937 | $965,247 | $1,708,489 | $1,481,722 | 34 | $1,584,908 | $846,854 | $1,528,599 |
| 2022 | $31,218,179 | $436,273 | $1,809,528 | $1,587,594 | 34 | $1,687,914 | $491,325 | $1,574,530 |
| 2021 | $32,591,434 | $4,528,001 | $1,767,304 | $1,450,344 | 27 | $1,560,964 | $4,394,794 | $1,680,676 |
| 2020 | $29,830,737 | $-733,335 | $1,773,577 | $1,536,149 | 24 | — | $864,624 | $1,555,008 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, George W Neilson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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
The foundation’s stated mission is to fund community projects and programs that benefit and serve the Bemidji region and improve quality of life. Its guidelines welcome projects that improve community life, foster cohesion, support revitalization, create a positive community image, or respond to specific community needs. It considers both capital projects and new programming, and emphasizes matching funds, community contributions, and resources sufficient to sustain programs after startup.
Its 2025 grants included support for a mobile mammography unit, workforce development, youth programming, science education, scholarships, internships, and facility construction or renovation. The foundation’s application guidelines call for grants to not-for-profit organizations; its 2025 filing states that awards are restricted to qualified charitable organizations.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 34 grants totaling $1,579,712. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $400,000, with a median of $25,500. Its largest reported awards included $400,000 to Sanford Foundation for a mobile mammography lab; $250,000 to Neilson Fieldhouse for building renovation; $125,000 to Greater Bemidjimi2 for workforce development; and $100,000 to Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area for 2025 programming.
Other notable 2025 grants included $62,000 to Headwaters Science Center for three-year organizational support, $50,000 to NO MN Robotics Conference for facility construction, $40,000 to Bemidji State University Foundation for scholarships, and $38,950 to Neilson Spearhead Center for year two of a five-year pledge.
The foundation’s website says it reviews applications at monthly meetings held on the third Tuesday. Applicants are asked to complete the Minnesota Common Grant Application, submit a brief one- to two-page proposal letter, include the organization’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, provide project and organizational budgets, and list other funds pledged. The application page says applications should arrive by the first Wednesday of the month for that month’s meeting; the 2025 filing, by contrast, lists no deadlines. The filing names Suzanne Liapis as the application contact and calls for a general outline of the proposal.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Suzanne Liapis, Paul Welle, James Naylor, Glen Lindseth, and Mark Dickinson as trustees. The foundation’s website says George W. Neilson established the foundation in 1962 and that his daughter, Katharine Neilson Cram, served as executive director until her death in 2000.
George W Neilson Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; all 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Glen Lindseth
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $15K (2025)
James Naylor
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $15K (2025)
Mark Dickinson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $15K (2025)
Paul Welle
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $15K (2025)
Suzanne Liapis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $11K (2025)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $15K, to Paul Welle (Trustee). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about George W Neilson Foundation
How much does George W Neilson Foundation give each year?
George W Neilson Foundation gave $1.6M across 34 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 30 grants.
What is George W Neilson Foundation's typical grant size?
George W Neilson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,500, and its average grant was $46,462, across 34 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from George W Neilson Foundation that year got $63K on average.
Where does George W Neilson Foundation give grants?
George W Neilson Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Bemidji, MN (28 grants).
Does George W Neilson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on George W Neilson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Fund Scholarships" (3 grants).
Who are George W Neilson Foundation's largest grantees?
George W Neilson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Sanford Foundation ($400,000), Neilson Fieldhouse ($250,000) and Boys and Girls Club of the Bemidji Area ($150,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 individual scholarships ($108,818), which are not listed by name. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is George W Neilson Foundation?
George W Neilson Foundation reported $30.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (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 George W Neilson Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to fund community projects and programs that benefit and serve the Bemidji region and improve quality of life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from George W Neilson Foundation?
The foundation’s website provides an application process for proposals. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is George W Neilson Foundation's EIN?
George W Neilson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-6022186. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 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 May 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). George W Neilson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/george-w-neilson-foundation-morg_558a4d3f58da42cc9b21bcb3a6f8a40d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_416022186_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{George W Neilson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/george-w-neilson-foundation-morg_558a4d3f58da42cc9b21bcb3a6f8a40d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 George W Neilson 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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