John and Denise Graves Foundation
The John and Denise Graves Foundation is a private family foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 2014, the foundation was established when John and Denise Graves sold Convey Compliance Systems, a tax information reporting company they had built over 28 years. The foundation is headquartered at 2929 Chicago Ave Ste 100 in Minneapolis and operates as a place-based foundation committed to impacting the Minneapolis community.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$2.8M
-2.4% YoY
Grant Count
85
-11.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$33K
+10.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Graves Foundation works to realize a future in which all youth in Minneapolis can achieve thriving adult lives. The foundation serves as an early funder and partner to community leaders and grassroots nonprofit organizations.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Youth empowerment
- Housing
- Community development
- Hennepin County initiatives
Grantmaking
The foundation has provided over $15 million in funding to over 100 grantees since its founding. Recent grantmaking activity includes:
Grant Range
Range:**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with some activity in Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total assets: $47,635,557
- Total revenue: $1.37 million
- Total expenses: $4.71 million
- Total liabilities: $117,000
As of 2023:
- Total assets: $46,651,122
- Total revenues: $555,958
- Total expenses: $4,362,111
Tax-Exempt Status:
- EIN: 47-1300668
- Tax-exempt since September 2014
- Designated as a 501(c)(3) organization
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from John and Denise Graves Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Achieve Twin Cities ($83,316), Great Mn Schools ($75,000), Catholic Charities Twin Cities ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ABOVE THE RIM YOUTH SPORTS FOUNDATION MINNEAPOLIS, MN | YOUTH DEVELOPMENT | $40,000 |
| ACCESS PHILANTHROPY CHARITIES MINNEAPOLIS, MN | EDUCATION | $40,000 |
| ACHIEVE TWIN CITIES MINNEAPOLIS, MN | DISCRETIONARY | $83,316 |
| ADVANCING EQUITY COALITION MINNEAPOLIS, MN | EDUCATION | $20,000 |
| AL-MAA'UUN MINNEAPOLIS, MN | EDUCATION | $30,000 |
| BEACON INTERFAITH HOUSING COLLABORATIVE SAINT PAUL, MN | HOUSING | $35,000 |
| BENILDE-ST MARGARET'S SCHOOL ST LOUIS PARK, MN | DISCRETIONARY | $34,700 |
| BRIDGE TO BASICS WAYZATA, MN | DISCRETIONARY | $11,250 |
| BRIDGEMAKERS SAINT PAUL, MN | YOUTH DEVELOPMENT | $40,000 |
| CAMINO MINNEAPOLIS, MN | DISCRETIONARY | $12,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Bill Graves: Launched and manages the foundation (son of John and Denise)
- William G Graves: Trustee
- John E Graves: Trustee
- Denise A Graves: Trustee
- Lisa Moy: Community Engagement Director
The foundation employs 7 staff members as of 2023.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WILLIAM G GRAVES | TRUSTEE/PRESIDENT | 40 | $156,406 |
| JOHN E GRAVES | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DENISE A GRAVES | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has announced several recent initiatives and investments:
**Program-Related Investment (PRI)**: Closed a $635,000 program-related investment as a second mezzanine loan supporting Stable Homes Stable Schools, a long-standing partner organization.
**Community Engagement**: Staff participated in a walking tour of 33 murals along the Lake Street Corridor in the Midtown Exchange area, celebrating the pride and resilience of the community.
**Grantee Focus**: Recent grantees include Atlas of Blackness, a grassroots artistic and research-based organization dedicated to empowering young Black artists in the Twin Cities.
**Graves Ventures**: The foundation has announced a Graves Ventures initiative.
The Denyce Graves Foundation Awarded Ford Foundation Funding to Enrich MusicalThe foundation maintains offices in the Midtown Exchange building on East Lake Street, which it moved to in early 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does John and Denise Graves Foundation fund?
The Graves Foundation works to realize a future in which all youth in Minneapolis can achieve thriving adult lives. The foundation serves as an early funder and partner to community leaders and grassroots nonprofit organizations. Primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Youth empowerment • Housing • Community development • Hennepin County initiatives
How do I apply for a grant from John and Denise Graves Foundation?
The foundation has provided over $15 million in funding to over 100 grantees since its founding. Recent grantmaking activity includes: **2024 Grantmaking:** • Total giving: $2,801,285 • Made 81 grants in 2023 **Grant Size Range:** • Typical awards range from $100 to $332,032 • Notable recent grants include: • PERIS Foundation: $225,000 (Housing) • Advancing Equity Coalition: $100,000 (Education) • Achieve Twin Cities: $81,000 (Education) **Active Grant Opportunities:** • Minneapolis Educator Le…
Where does John and Denise Graves Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with some activity in Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin.
What size grants does John and Denise Graves Foundation award?
In 2024, John and Denise Graves Foundation awarded 85 grants totaling $2.8M — an average of about $33K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is John and Denise Graves Foundation's EIN?
John and Denise Graves Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1300668. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in John and Denise Graves Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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