Karen Organization of Minnesota
Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM) is a public charity based in Roseville, Minnesota, founded in 2008 by refugees from Burma. It provides employment, social, community health, and youth development services to refugees and immigrants, serving more than 2,000 people each year, according to its press kit. KOM also makes grants to Minnesota organizations, including as a consortium lead agency distributing funds through government-funded contracts.
Karen Organization of Minnesota at a glance
In short: Karen Organization of Minnesota gave $745K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $68K), mostly in Minnesota. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $744,978
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $67,725
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $51,096
- Total assets
- $1,453,723
- -25.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (4 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Karen Organization of Minnesota
- Contact
Mailing address: 2353 Rice Street 240, Roseville, MN 55113
Phone: (651) 202-3120
Website: https://mnkaren.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Karen Organization of Minnesota funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Afghan Cultural Society of MN ($175K). Together the top 10 received $729K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 45 (51%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Karen Organization of Minnesota open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 11 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $50K; repeat grants $78K. How we count
Medians: $51K first-time, $51K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $263K (2019) to $745K (2024). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $745K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Afghan Cultural Society of MN Minneapolis, MN | To aid in providing youth and family coach services | $175,464 |
| Ukrainian American Community Center Minneapolis, MN | To Aid in Providing Family Coach Services | $162,529 |
| The Urban Village Saint Paul, MN | To Aid with Opiod and Chemical Dependent Individuals | $81,031 |
| Restoration for All Inc Inver Grove Heights, MN | To Aid in Providing Family Coach Services | $72,945 |
| Change Inc (Guadalupe Alternative Prog) Saint Paul, MN | To Aid in Providing Family Coach Services | $62,834 |
| Oromo Community of MN Saint Paul, MN | To Aid in Providing Family Coach Services | $51,096 |
| Korean Service Center Minneapolis, MN | To aid in completing unintentional injury & violence prevention activities | $45,442 |
| KAM Center Saint Paul, MN | To Aid in Mental Health Prevention | $38,862 |
| Sewa-Aifw Brooklyn Center, MN | To aid in completing unintentional injury & violence prevention activities | $22,490 |
| Roseville Area Schools Roseville, MN | To aid in providing contextualized adult education to employment & training participants | $16,460 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,453,723 | $3,887,047 | $4,113,823 | $744,978 | 11 | $5,074 |
| 2023 | $1,958,302 | $3,521,125 | $3,510,534 | $651,806 | 11 | $6,996 |
| 2022 | $1,814,132 | $2,841,306 | $2,752,236 | $520,488 | 9 | $1,169 |
| 2021 | $1,360,997 | $2,672,813 | $2,238,057 | $454,154 | 7 | $194 |
| 2020 | $1,077,238 | $2,308,197 | $2,072,741 | $424,559 | 7 | $112 |
| 2019 | $525,001 | $1,787,696 | $1,784,999 | $262,565 | 8 | $45 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
KOM’s mission is “to build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.” Its programs address employment and financial empowerment, social services, community health, youth development, and support for new arrivals.
In its 2024 filing, KOM reported providing case management to more than 675 adults, wraparound services to 76 Karen youth with substance-use and/or mental-health issues, and workforce services to about 300 people per year. It also reported placing 142 adults in jobs and providing workforce-readiness training and support services. These are services to participants, not grants for outside applicants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, KOM reported 11 grants totaling $744,978. Grants ranged from $15,825 to $175,464, with a median of $51,096. The filing identifies KOM as a consortium lead agency for several contracts and names subgrantees, including recipients of its 2024 grants.
The largest awards included $175,464 to Afghan Cultural Society of MN and $162,529 to Ukrainian American Community Center for family and youth-and-family coach services; $81,031 to The Urban Village for services to people with opioid and chemical dependency; and $72,945 to Restoration for All for family coach services. Other awards included $62,834 to Change Inc. (Guadalupe Alternative Program) and $51,096 to Oromo Community of Minnesota, both for family coach services, and $45,442 to Korean Service Center for unintentional injury and violence prevention activities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kaziah Josiah as board chair, Dr. Timothy O’Brien as treasurer, and Isabel Toledo as board secretary. It also lists Hsajune Dyan (through December 2024), Nay Htoo, Nway Linn, Saw Sunshine Timothy, June Way, Finn Sullivan, and Elizabeth Lim as board members.
Karen Organization of Minnesota is led by Alexis Walstad, Co-Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 2 of 13 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alexis Walstad
Co-Executive Director
On filings since 2019
32 hrs/week
$65K (2019) → $83K (2024)
Eh Tah Khu
Co-Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$61K (2019) → $92K (2024)
Kaziah Josiah
Board Chair
Board Member → Board Vice Chair, 2020
Board Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Isabel Toledo
Board Secretary
Board Secretary → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → Board Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Saw Sunshine Timothy
Board Member
Board Vice Chair → Board Member, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy O'Brien
Treasurer
Treasurer → Board Chair, 2020
Board Chair → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hsajune Dyan
Board Member -
Board Member → Board Member -, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nay Htoo
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
June Way
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nway Linn
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Lim
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Finn Sullivan
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ku Gay Nahpay
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Julie Warner (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Soe Doh (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Ler Htoo (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Mallika Sutaya (2022–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Maureen Rafferty (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Jennifer Dunbar (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Hsakushee Zan (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Jeffry Saw (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Kari Collins (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: George Thawmoo (2020) — Board Member
- Former: George Thaw Moo (2019) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 $92K, to Eh TAH Khu (Co-Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Karen Organization of Minnesota
How much does Karen Organization of Minnesota give each year?
Karen Organization of Minnesota gave $745K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $652K across 11 grants.
What is Karen Organization of Minnesota's typical grant size?
Karen Organization of Minnesota's median grant in 2024 was $51,096, and its average grant was $67,725, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Karen Organization of Minnesota that year got $50K on average.
Where does Karen Organization of Minnesota give grants?
Karen Organization of Minnesota gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (5 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (3 grants).
Does Karen Organization of Minnesota give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Karen Organization of Minnesota's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Aid in Providing Family Coach Services" (4 grants).
Who are Karen Organization of Minnesota's largest grantees?
Karen Organization of Minnesota's largest 2024 grantees include Afghan Cultural Society of MN ($175,464), Ukrainian American Community Center ($162,529) and The Urban Village ($81,031), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Karen Organization of Minnesota?
Karen Organization of Minnesota reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.9M.
What does Karen Organization of Minnesota fund?
KOM’s mission is “to build on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and remove barriers to achieving economic, social, and cultural wellbeing.” Its programs address employment and financial empowerment, social services, community health, youth development, and support for new arrivals. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Karen Organization of Minnesota?
Karen Organization of Minnesota has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mnkaren.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Karen Organization of Minnesota's EIN?
Karen Organization of Minnesota's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0438142. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 11, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Karen Organization of Minnesota funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/karen-organization-of-minnesota-morg_49715f16c49b4109a4830711c3840c0d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_300438142_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Karen Organization of Minnesota funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/karen-organization-of-minnesota-morg_49715f16c49b4109a4830711c3840c0d},
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 Karen Organization of Minnesota'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.
Karen Organization of Minnesota down — hundreds of funders to go?