Marbrook Foundation
Marbrook Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It supports community-led work that facilitates cultural learning and seeks to accelerate social, economic, and environmental healing, with grantmaking focused on areas including immigrants and refugees, arts, environment, and Body, Mind & Spirit.
Marbrook Foundation at a glance
In short: Marbrook Foundation gave $685K across 86 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Minnesota. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $685,000
- -3.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 86
- -1.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,965
- -2.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $14,273,420
- +4.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (22 of 86, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (92% 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 Marbrook Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website describes an online application process requiring an organization description, proposed objectives and methods, budget, major-contributor information, an evaluation method, and a board list. Immigrants & Refugees proposals use a letter-of-intent and application process; Arts proposals also use a letter-of-intent and application process. Environment and Body, Mind & Spirit are invitation-only.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists February 1 for Immigrant & Refugee letters of intent and March 1 for applications, and July 15 for Arts and Environmental letters of intent and September 1 for applications. Those 2026 dates have passed. The website says board meetings to consider proposals are generally held in mid-May and mid-November.
- Deadline
- The website lists February 1 for Immigrant & Refugee letters of intent and March 1 for applications, and July 15 for…
- Next open deadline
- February 1, 2027 (Immigrant & Refugee Grant Program)
- Contact
Mailing address: 730 2Nd Ave S Ste 1400, Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone: (612) 752-1783
Website: https://marbrookfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Marbrook Foundation
Who Marbrook Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Lower Phalen Creek Project ($40K). Together the top 10 received $240K.
Grant Size Distribution
403 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 403 grants of 403 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s general guidelines limit grants to programs in the seven-county metro area, except for Environmental Grants. Its website specifies that its Arts grants serve the Twin Cities metro area. Family Recommended Grants have no geographic limitation. In 2024, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota; the remaining reported shares were California (3%), Virginia (1%), New York (1%), and Hawaii (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 86 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Marbrook Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 22 of 86 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−2%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $389K (2020) to $740K (2022). In 2024 it made 86 grants totaling $685K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Phalen Creek Project St. Paul, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $40,000 |
| Metro Blooms Minneapolis, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $40,000 |
| Climate Generation a Will Steger Legacy Minneapolis, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Daily Work Saint Paul, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Fresh Energy Saint Paul, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Green Card Voices Minneapolis, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Immigrant Law Center of MN St. Paul, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $20,000 |
| La Oportunidad Inc Minneapolis, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy Saint Paul, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $20,000 |
| Project Success Minneapolis, MN | General Operations of the Organization | $19,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Marbrook Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation’s filing type is Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $14,273,420 | $1,658,594 | $1,000,386 | $685,000 | 86 | $859,945 | $1,526,277 | $881,521 |
| 2023 | $13,602,600 | $152,366 | $1,024,389 | $710,000 | 87 | $891,194 | $292,510 | $821,794 |
| 2022 | $14,490,077 | $1,465,049 | $1,099,524 | $739,500 | 81 | $892,023 | $1,279,370 | $858,165 |
| 2021 | $14,136,052 | $1,618,570 | $1,044,872 | $696,000 | 79 | $885,293 | $1,482,382 | $1,012,469 |
| 2020 | $13,562,754 | $187,910 | $450,013 | $388,750 | 70 | — | $199,506 | $537,117 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marbrook Foundation reported a distributable amount of $882K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to support community-led work that facilitates cultural learning and strives to accelerate social, economic, and environmental healing. Its stated grantmaking areas are Immigrants & Refugees, Arts, Environment, Body, Mind & Spirit, and Family Recommended Grants. Environment and Body, Mind & Spirit grants are invitation-only. Family members may recommend grants to tax-exempt organizations without geographic or subject-area limits.
The foundation’s website describes its Immigrants & Refugees focus as supporting programs serving the seven-county metro area. Its Arts focus includes culturally specific and intercultural arts programming serving the Twin Cities metro area. The website describes Body, Mind & Spirit programs as serving the seven-county metro area; Environmental Grants are an exception to the general metro-area geographic restriction.
Examples of grantees’ work include Metro Blooms, which says it partners with communities to create resilient landscapes and foster clean watersheds, and Green Card Voices, which says it uses storytelling to promote understanding among immigrants and their new communities. Fresh Energy describes its work as advancing policy solutions for equitable, carbon-neutral economies. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 86 grants totaling $685,000. Awards ranged from $500 to $40,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants included $40,000 each to Lower Phalen Creek Project and Metro Blooms. Other notable grants included $20,000 each to Climate Generation A Will Steger Legacy, Daily Work, Fresh Energy, Green Card Voices, Immigrant Law Center of MN, La Oportunidad Inc, and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy; Project Success received $19,500.
The foundation’s website says it considers applications from 501(c)(3) charitable and fiscally sponsored organizations, including requests for general operating support, capital campaigns, and multi-year grants. It accepts no more than one proposal per organization per year. After five consecutive years of giving to an organization, it pauses grants to that organization for at least one year. Its general minimum grant size is $5,000, except for Environmental Grants. It does not fund, among other things, grants directly to individuals, start-up organizations, conferences and events, affordable housing, health services, food assistance programs, programs providing only ESL services, individual academic scholarships, or programs where youth arts access or education is the primary activity.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Minna Brooks as Executive Director and Edward Brooks as Director/Chair. It also lists Anna Gibson, Katherine Warner Brooks, and Tyson Lien as directors, and Saegmany Ratsabout, Terri Thao, and Nicholas Zelle as board members.
Marbrook Foundation is led by Minna Brooks, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 8 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Minna Brooks
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$21K (2020) → $82K (2024)
Edward Brooks
Director & Chair
Director → Director & Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine Warner Brooks
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anna Gibson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tyson Lien
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nicholas Zelle
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Saegmany Ratsabout
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Terri Thao
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: John Larsen (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Markell Hapka (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Markell Kiefer (2020) — Director & Chair
- Former: William R. King (2020) — Director
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 $82K, to Minna Brooks (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Marbrook Foundation
How much does Marbrook Foundation give each year?
Marbrook Foundation gave $685K across 86 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $710K across 87 grants.
What is Marbrook Foundation's typical grant size?
Marbrook Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,965, across 86 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Marbrook Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does Marbrook Foundation give grants?
Marbrook Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (36 grants), St. Paul, MN (18 grants), Charlottesville, VA (3 grants) and Bend, OR (3 grants).
Does Marbrook Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 99% of Marbrook Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (85 of 86) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Marbrook Foundation's largest grantees?
Marbrook Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Lower Phalen Creek Project ($40,000), Metro Blooms ($40,000) and Climate Generation a Will Steger Legacy ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Marbrook Foundation?
Marbrook Foundation reported $14.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $860K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $882K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Marbrook Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support community-led work that facilitates cultural learning and strives to accelerate social, economic, and environmental healing. Its stated grantmaking areas are Immigrants & Refugees, Arts, Environment, Body, Mind & Spirit, and Family Recommended Grants. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Marbrook Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Marbrook Foundation's EIN?
Marbrook Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2492358. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Marbrook 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Marbrook Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/marbrook-foundation-morg_eb3ed6a7e98c4d1c9c4b7e48b925ba5f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842492358_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Marbrook Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/marbrook-foundation-morg_eb3ed6a7e98c4d1c9c4b7e48b925ba5f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Marbrook 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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