James Ford Bell Foundation
The James Ford Bell Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including museums, history, the arts, early childhood and family support, conservation, health, and human services.
James Ford Bell Foundation at a glance
In short: James Ford Bell Foundation gave $566K across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in Minnesota. 7% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $565,955
- +77.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- -8.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,929
- +93.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $1,951,756
- -5.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (4 of 57, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (62% 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 James Ford Bell Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1818 Oliver Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55405
Phone: (612) 377-8400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James Ford Bell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Minnesota Foundation (Bell Museum) ($210K). Together the top 10 received $393K.
Grant Size Distribution
296 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 295 grants of 296 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 62% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 26% to recipients in Florida. Virginia received 4%, South Dakota 2%, and New York 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is James Ford Bell Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 57 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $55K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 55% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 151% of 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 $259K (2020) to $566K (2025). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $566K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota Foundation (Bell Museum) Minneapolis, MN | General Operations | $210,000 |
| The Source Vero Beach, FL | General Operations | $35,000 |
| Minnesota Historical Society St. Paul, MN | General Operations | $26,000 |
| American Alliance of Museums Arlington, VA | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Learning Alliance Vero Beach, FL | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Minneapolis Institute of Arts Minneapolis, MN | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Riverside Theater Vero Beach, FL | General Operations | $15,000 |
| Senior Resource Foundation Vero Beach, FL | General Operations | $11,905 |
| Humane Society Vero Beach, FL | General Operations | $10,050 |
| Childcare Resources of Indian River Vero Beach, FL | General Operations | $10,000 |
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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 | $1,951,756 | $575,871 | $686,237 | $565,955 | 57 | $626,982 | $521,017 | $414,148 |
| 2024 | $2,062,122 | $221,664 | $440,925 | $318,500 | 62 | $387,592 | $171,522 | $389,902 |
| 2023 | $2,281,383 | $375,105 | $413,951 | $332,500 | 58 | $371,424 | $332,578 | $329,901 |
| 2022 | $2,320,229 | $98,956 | $441,660 | $364,500 | 60 | $389,342 | $46,638 | $337,905 |
| 2021 | $2,662,933 | $529,248 | $374,505 | $287,500 | 59 | $322,088 | $480,686 | $308,843 |
| 2020 | $2,508,190 | $260,207 | $340,015 | $259,133 | 57 | — | $219,798 | $286,648 |
| 2019 | $2,587,998 | $150,609 | $347,134 | $265,833 | 58 | — | $112,859 | $266,349 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James Ford Bell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $414K 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 included support for cultural organizations such as the Bell Museum, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as well as organizations in other fields. The Minnesota Historical Society describes its work as collecting, preserving, and sharing Minnesota’s history through exhibits, collections, historic sites, educational programs, and publishing. Belwin Conservancy says its mission is to inspire connection and engagement with the natural world. Childcare Resources of Indian River describes its mission as ensuring access to affordable, high-quality early childhood and family support programs for income-eligible working families in its county.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 57 grants totaling $565,955. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $210,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest grant was $210,000 to the University of Minnesota Foundation for the Bell Museum, for general operations. Other notable grants included $35,000 to The Source; $26,000 to the Minnesota Historical Society; $25,000 each to the American Alliance of Museums, Learning Alliance, and Minneapolis Institute of Arts; and $15,000 to Riverside Theater. These grants were listed for general operations.
The foundation also gave $11,905 to Senior Resource Foundation, whose stated mission is to provide management, consulting, and fundraising services to affiliated entities; $6,000 to Firefighters for Healing, which describes its work as supporting burn and trauma survivors through emotional and financial support; and $6,000 each to Hennepin Health Foundation and Mayo Clinic. Their stated missions include supporting access to care, health and wellness, education, and research.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ford W Bell and Samuel H Bell Jr as trustees, and Ellen George as executive director.
James Ford Bell Foundation is led by Ellen George, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen George
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ford W. Bell
Trustee
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$10K (2023) → $15K (2025)
Samuel H. Bell Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
$5K (2019) → $15K (2025)
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 $15K, to Ford W Bell (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about James Ford Bell Foundation
How much does James Ford Bell Foundation give each year?
James Ford Bell Foundation gave $566K across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $319K across 62 grants.
What is James Ford Bell Foundation's typical grant size?
James Ford Bell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $9,929, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James Ford Bell Foundation that year got $55K on average.
Where does James Ford Bell Foundation give grants?
James Ford Bell Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 62% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (26%). The most frequent recipient cities were Vero Beach, FL (21 grants), Minneapolis, MN (9 grants), St. Paul, MN (4 grants) and Eastsound, WA (2 grants).
Does James Ford Bell Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of James Ford Bell Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (57 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are James Ford Bell Foundation's largest grantees?
James Ford Bell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Minnesota Foundation (Bell Museum) ($210,000), The Source ($35,000) and Minnesota Historical Society ($26,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is James Ford Bell Foundation?
James Ford Bell Foundation reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $627K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $414K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does James Ford Bell Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for cultural organizations such as the Bell Museum, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as well as organizations in other fields. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James Ford Bell Foundation?
The foundation 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 James Ford Bell Foundation's EIN?
James Ford Bell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-6023099. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does James Ford Bell 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 March 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 26, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 28, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James Ford Bell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-ford-bell-foundation-morg_adf6b7087769482e84cb19d0254ec361
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_416023099_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James Ford Bell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-ford-bell-foundation-morg_adf6b7087769482e84cb19d0254ec361},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 James Ford Bell 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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