Hiawatha Education Foundation
Hiawatha Education Foundation is a private foundation based in Winona, Minnesota. Its 2024 filing reports 34 grants totaling $2,951,350, with grant purposes listed as educational programs.
Hiawatha Education Foundation at a glance
In short: Hiawatha Education Foundation gave $3.0M across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $87K), mostly in Minnesota. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,951,350
- +30.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $86,804
- +23.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $47,600
- Total assets
- $61,177,084
- +6.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (9 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (96% 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 Hiawatha Education Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit a written application describing the proposed project’s purpose, the amount requested, and the number of students; the filing lists Monique Duncan as the contact.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists quarterly deadlines for Montessori school grants: September 25, December 25, March 25, and June 25.
- Deadline
- The filing lists quarterly deadlines for Montessori school grants: September 25, December 25, March 25, and June 25.
- Contact
Application contact: Monique Duncan
Mailing address: 225 Main St, Winona, MN 55987
Phone: (507) 205-2611
Email: moniqueduncan@hiawathaeducationfoundation.org
Website: https://hiawatha426.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hiawatha Education Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cotter Schools ($1.4M). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
159 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 159 (58%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients, 2% to Texas, and 2% to Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Hiawatha Education Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 34 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $51K; repeat grants $100K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $47K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.9M (2020) to $3.0M (2024). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $3.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cotter Schools Winona, MN | Educational Programs | $1,350,000 |
| Cornerstone Montessori School St. Paul, MN | Educational Programs | $119,000 |
| Siembra Montessori Minneapolis, MN | Educational Programs | $115,500 |
| MN Conservatory for the Arts Winona, MN | Educational Programs | $100,000 |
| Saint Mary's University of MN Winona, MN | Educational Programs | $100,000 |
| St Elizabeth's Community Development Foundation Wabasha, MN | Educational Programs | $100,000 |
| Acacia Montessori Apple Valley, MN | Educational Programs | $99,550 |
| Lirio Montessori Minneapolis, MN | Educational Programs | $96,000 |
| Water Lily Montessori School St. Paul, MN | Educational Programs | $95,700 |
| Creekside Montessori School Minneapolis, MN | Educational Programs | $86,100 |
Ready to take the next step with Hiawatha Education 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 | $61,177,084 | $9,177,849 | $3,162,027 | $2,951,350 | 34 | $2,951,350 | $4,901,971 | $2,701,416 |
| 2023 | $57,639,478 | $2,880,042 | $2,452,736 | $2,254,250 | 32 | $2,254,250 | $2,681,556 | $2,467,954 |
| 2022 | $48,726,859 | $3,773,465 | $2,859,548 | $2,595,989 | 31 | $2,595,989 | $3,509,906 | $2,729,412 |
| 2021 | $68,382,596 | $6,501,325 | $2,683,286 | $2,484,194 | 31 | $2,484,194 | $6,302,233 | $3,104,069 |
| 2020 | $73,081,384 | $6,896,607 | $2,249,957 | $1,935,283 | 31 | — | $5,663,183 | $2,596,943 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hiawatha Education Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.7M 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
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Grant records show support for educational programs, including Montessori schools. The foundation’s filing states that Montessori awards are limited to nonprofit educational organizations or other charitable organizations that use the awards for educational purposes.
Among the 2024 grantees, Cotter Schools describes its mission as providing a high-quality, well-rounded, faith-filled education for PreK–12 students. Creekside Montessori School says it serves a diverse community with learning environments designed to meet children’s developmental needs. White Bear Montessori School describes its aim as supporting a diverse community and an environment faithful to the Montessori philosophy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $2,951,350. Awards ranged from $1,300 to $1,350,000, with a median grant of $47,600. The largest awards included Cotter Schools ($1,350,000), Cornerstone Montessori School ($119,000), Siembra Montessori ($115,500), and Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota ($100,000 each). The filing lists “educational programs” as the purpose for these grants.
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. For applications, it lists Monique Duncan as the contact and requests a written application, the proposed project’s purpose, the amount requested, and the number of students. Montessori awards are subject to the eligibility and use restrictions described above.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Robert Kierlin as president, Lara Kierlin as vice president, Monique Duncan as secretary/executive director, Phillip B. Duncan as treasurer/CFO, and Todd Werner as director.
Hiawatha Education Foundation is led by Monique N. Duncan, Secretary & Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Monique N. Duncan
Secretary & Executive Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$33K (2020) → $40K (2024)
Robert Kierlin Dec'd
President
New on the 2024 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd Werner
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Phillip B. Duncan
Treasurer & CFO
Treasurer & Investment Officer → Treasurer & CFO, 2024
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$33K (2020) → $40K (2024)
Lara Kierlin
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert Kierlin (2020–2023) — President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $40K, to Monique Duncan (Secretary/Executive Direct). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Hiawatha Education Foundation
How much does Hiawatha Education Foundation give each year?
Hiawatha Education Foundation gave $3.0M across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.3M across 32 grants.
What is Hiawatha Education Foundation's typical grant size?
Hiawatha Education Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $47,600, and its average grant was $86,804, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hiawatha Education Foundation that year got $51K on average.
Where does Hiawatha Education Foundation give grants?
Hiawatha Education Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Winona, MN (6 grants), Minneapolis, MN (6 grants), St. Paul, MN (4 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does Hiawatha Education Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on Hiawatha Education Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational Programs" (34 grants).
Who are Hiawatha Education Foundation's largest grantees?
Hiawatha Education Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Cotter Schools ($1,350,000), Cornerstone Montessori School ($119,000) and Siembra Montessori ($115,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Hiawatha Education Foundation?
Hiawatha Education Foundation reported $61.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Hiawatha Education Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided in the available information. Grant records show support for educational programs, including Montessori schools. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hiawatha Education Foundation?
Submit a written application describing the proposed project’s purpose, the amount requested, and the number of students; the filing lists Monique Duncan as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hiawatha Education Foundation's EIN?
Hiawatha Education Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3537959. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Hiawatha Education Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Hiawatha Education Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hiawatha-education-foundation-morg_b6f881546198434cb5719abf594a5e27
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_363537959_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hiawatha Education Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hiawatha-education-foundation-morg_b6f881546198434cb5719abf594a5e27},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Hiawatha Education 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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