Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc is a public charity based in Mankato, Minnesota. It supports programs addressing basic needs, health, and education in Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Nicollet, and Waseca counties.
Key facts about Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc
In short: Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc gave $2.1M across 44 grants in 2025 (avg $47K), mostly in Minnesota. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 41-6008819
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,075,240
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- Average grant
- $47,165
- Median grant
- $20,952
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (5 of 39, 2025)
- Total assets
- $4,671,866
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The website describes an annual application process: applications are sent to current partner agencies and agencies that have requested to apply; new agencies must request an application. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- March, according to the website’s annual application timeline.
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$4.7M
+2.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+1.9% YoY
Grant Count
44
+15.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$47K
-12.0% YoY
Is Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 39 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $58K. How we count
Medians: $22K first-time, $34K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is “to unite the community to secure and invest resources to improve people’s lives.” Its focus areas are basic needs, health, and education. Its 2025 filing describes work in education that included kindergarten readiness and youth development; health programs supporting older adults, people with disabilities, and healthy living; and basic-needs programs addressing food, clothing, shelter, emergency services, and self-sufficiency.
The funder supports nonprofit programs through an annual review process. Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of services: VINE Faith in Action says it promotes the well-being of aging adults; Partners for Affordable Housing says it provides shelter and housing options for homeless and at-risk people; and Open Door Health Center says it advances access to affordable, culturally appropriate medical, dental, and behavioral health care.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the organization reported 44 grants totaling $2,075,240. Grant amounts ranged from $5,409 to $239,093, with a median of $20,952. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota. The largest awards included $239,093 to Young Men’s Citizens Christian Association, $209,491 to Mankato Community Education and Recreation, $174,749 to VINE Faith in Action, $144,654 to Young Women’s Citizens Christian Association, and $128,824 to Partners for Affordable Housing. The filing lists each of these grants’ purpose as “financial assistance.”
Review Cycle
March, according to the website’s annual application timeline.
How to Apply
applications are sent to current partner agencies and agencies that have requested to apply; new agencies must request an application. Applications are submitted online, with a March due date, followed by applicant site visits, volunteer recommendations, and board review.
Ready to take the next step with Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization serves Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Nicollet, and Waseca counties. Its reported 2025 grant dollars went entirely to Minnesota recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2020) to $2.1M (2025). In 2025 it made 44 grants totaling $2.1M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Young Mens Citizens Christian Assn ($239K). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($159,744), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
177 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 177 (63%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Young Mens Citizens Christian Assn Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $239,093 |
| Mankato Community Education and Rec Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $209,491 |
| Vine Faith in Action Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $174,749 |
| Young Women Citizens Christain Assn Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $144,654 |
| Partners for Affordable Housing Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $128,824 |
| 6 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $159,744 |
| Minnesota Council of Churches Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $89,098 |
| Boy Scouts Twin Valley Council Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $84,572 |
| Open Door Health Center Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $73,754 |
| Serveminnesota Mankato, MN | Financial Assistance | $69,821 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,671,866 | $4,008,647 | $3,880,310 | $2,075,240 |
| 2024 | $4,551,395 | $4,095,600 | $3,982,905 | $2,037,104 |
| 2023 | $4,399,755 | $4,114,212 | $3,591,345 | $1,767,621 |
The organization’s 2025 filing also reports that approximately 5,000 individuals donated through workplace campaigns or other personal giving, approximately 150 companies pledged corporate gifts, and more than 1,700 volunteers contributed over 16,000 hours of service.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,671,866 | $4,551,395 | $4,399,755 |
| Revenue | $4,008,647 | $4,095,600 | $4,114,212 |
| Expenses | $3,880,310 | $3,982,905 | $3,591,345 |
| Net Investment Income | $108,554 | $102,513 | $75,702 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barbara Kaus as CEO, Matthew Atwood as vice chair, and Laura Murray as COO. It also lists Chris Austin, Wendy Keenan, Maria Brown, Jessica Blais, Dr. John Benson, Andy Hennis, and Silas Danielson among its officers and directors.
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc is led by Barbara Kaus, CEO on every filing since 2022; 2 of 27 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barbara Kaus
CEO
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$119K (2022) → $149K (2025)
Chris Austin
Chair of the
Finance Chair → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair of the, 2024
On filings since 2019
3.6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Murray
COO
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$82K (2024) → $89K (2025)
Eric Boelter
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul Peterson
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Blais
Community Im
Past Campaign Chair → Director, 2022
Director → Community Im, 2023
On filings since 2020
2.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Elvebak
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tonya Hobbie
Campain Chai
Director → Campain Chai, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Hudspith
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Atwood
Vice Chair
Campaign Cha → Director, 2023
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
3.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Bradley
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2021
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Erik Hagedorn
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Silas Danielson
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Keenan
Finance Chai
On filings since 2022
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andy Hennis
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kayla Olsen
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sarah Kerich
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2023
0.9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angela Casteel
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2024
1.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Heidi Boyum
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2024
1.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Benson
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Maria Brown
Member
Campaign Cha → Member, 2025
On filings since 2024
1.7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert Ihrig
Member
Director → Member, 2025
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Austin Swain
Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Krause
Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Garrett Steinberg
Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George Taylor
Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rick Miller
Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (40)
- Former: Alissa Brekke (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Justin Neumann (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Steve Weisbecker (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Annette Parker (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Keith Bauer (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Shane Van Engen (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Steve Jameson (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Tyson Twait (2019–2023) — Chair of the
- Former: Victoria Hanson (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Christine Konradi (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Brad Boettcher (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Ryan Walker (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Brett Hart (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Matt Ketelsen (2022) — Director
- Former: Barb Kaus (2019–2021) — CEO
- Former: Brandon Scheel (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Janice Berndt (2019–2021) — Director of Finance
- Former: Matt Norland (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Mike Kunkel (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Tami Paulsen (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Terry Brandt (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Kay Wallerich (2020–2021) — Community Impact Chair
- Former: Kevin Valasquez (2020–2021) — Chair
- Former: Todd Stromswold (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Alissa BrekkeCommunity (2021) — Impact Chair
- Former: Jessica Beyer (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Joe Paulsen (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Mike Bresnahan (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Shannon Messer (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Bobby Fleischman (2020) — Director
- Former: Bruce McKirdy (2020) — Director
- Former: Andy Nessler (2019) — Director
- Former: Erin Aanenson (2019) — Director
- Former: Jay Parker (2019) — Director
- Former: Jolene Wall (2019) — Director
- Former: Kay WallerichVice Chair (2019) — Of Community Impact
- Former: Kevin ValasquezVice Chair (2019) — Of Board & Vice Chair Communications
- Former: Marilyn Wells (2019) — Director
- Former: Sheri Allen (2019) — Director
- Former: Todd Snell (2019) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $149K, to Barbara Kaus (CEO). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 127 S 2Nd St Suite 190, Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: (507) 345-4551
Website: https://mankatounitedway.org
Frequently asked questions about Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc
How much does Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc give each year?
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc gave $2.1M across 44 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 38 grants.
What is Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc's typical grant size?
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc's median grant in 2025 was $20,952, and its average grant was $47,165, across 44 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc that year got $19K on average.
Where does Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc give grants?
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Mankato, MN (25 grants), Waseca, MN (3 grants), Saint Peter, MN (3 grants) and Montgomery, MN (2 grants).
Does Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 44 grants with a stated purpose on Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Financial Assistance" (44 grants).
Who are Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc's largest grantees?
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Young Mens Citizens Christian Assn ($239,093), Mankato Community Education and Rec ($209,491) and Vine Faith in Action ($174,749), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($159,744), which are not listed by name. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc?
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $4.0M.
What does Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc fund?
The organization’s mission is “to unite the community to secure and invest resources to improve people’s lives.” Its focus areas are basic needs, health, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc?
The website describes an annual application process: applications are sent to current partner agencies and agencies that have requested to apply; new agencies must request an application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc's EIN?
Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-6008819. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Greater Mankato Area United Way Inc by hand.
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