Mardag Foundation
Mardag Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1969, it invests in nonprofit organizations and philanthropic partnerships in the East Metro and Greater Minnesota, with grantmaking focused on children, youth and families, older adults, and arts and humanities organizations.
Mardag Foundation at a glance
In short: Mardag Foundation gave $2.7M across 117 grants in 2024 (avg $23K), mostly in Minnesota. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,711,750
- -3.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 117
- -3.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,177
- +0.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $65,241,031
- +2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (49 of 113, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% 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 Mardag Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website encourages applicants to contact the Grants Team to confirm program fit. Most programs require GranteeView registration; the Community Emergency Grant Program accepts rolling requests by email without a formal application. The 2024 filing says applicants must register, encourages them to email the Grants Team before applying, and describes two grant rounds each year. It also states that grants are made to organizations located within or serving Minnesota residents.
- Review Cycle
- The Food Access Grant Program’s stated 2026 letter-of-inquiry window, January 12 through February 24, 2026, has passed. The website says more information about the Our Home State Grant Program would be available in summer 2026 and that applications would be accepted in late 2026.
- Deadline
- The Food Access Grant Program’s stated 2026 letter-of-inquiry window, January 12 through February 24, 2026, has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: 370 Wabasha Street North Suite 300, Saint Paul, MN 55102
Phone: (651) 224-5463
Website: https://mardag.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
5 open opportunities from Mardag Foundation
Mardag Foundation Grants
Mardag Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Mardag Foundation: Community Emergency Grant Program
Mardag Foundation
Amount
US $2,500 - US $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Mardag Foundation: Food Access Grant Program
Mardag Foundation
Amount
Up to US $500,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Mardag Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation ($100K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $540K.
Grant Size Distribution
667 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 635 grants of 667 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website identifies the East Metro and Greater Minnesota as its focus. The 2024 filing states that grants are made to organizations located within or serving Minnesota residents, and reports that all grant dollars that year went to Minnesota recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 117 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mardag Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 49 of 113 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 32% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). 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 $2.5M (2021) to $3.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 117 grants totaling $2.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Paws Cultural Art Hinckley, MN | General Operations Support | $50,000 |
| Channel One Inc Rochester, MN | Channel One Regional Food Bank | $50,000 |
| Divine Konnections Inc Duluth, MN | Annie's House Expansion Phase 2 | $50,000 |
| Lakewood Health System Staples, MN | Senior-Friendly Fitness at the Nest | $50,000 |
| Northwoods Battered Womens Shelter Inc Bemidji, MN | Northwoods Battered Women's Shelter Capital Campaign | $50,000 |
| Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation Saint Paul, MN | Community Sharing Fund 2024 | $50,000 |
| Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation Saint Paul, MN | Community Sharing Fund 2024 | $50,000 |
| Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank Duluth, MN | Nourish the Northland | $50,000 |
| Young Womens Christian Association Duluth, MN | Spirit Valley Capital Projects | $50,000 |
| City of Winona Winona, MN | Masonic Temple Arts & Culture Facility | $35,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mardag 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 | $65,241,031 | $3,134,225 | $3,534,035 | $2,711,750 | 117 | $3,051,225 | $4,438,909 | $3,118,181 |
| 2023 | $63,483,716 | $1,933,479 | $3,665,103 | $2,799,686 | 121 | $3,125,641 | $2,458,243 | $3,039,591 |
| 2022 | $61,570,804 | $2,126,933 | $3,149,728 | $2,968,409 | 155 | $3,228,659 | $1,994,499 | $3,142,701 |
| 2021 | $72,401,311 | $7,500,550 | $3,279,058 | $2,498,920 | 140 | $2,765,593 | $8,770,195 | $3,204,309 |
| 2020 | $63,072,401 | $1,912,319 | $3,022,991 | $2,550,661 | 134 | — | $2,571,674 | $2,769,074 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mardag Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.1M 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
Mardag Foundation’s stated mission is to honor founder Agnes Ober’s legacy of giving back to those most in need by investing in nonprofit organizations and building strategic partnerships with philanthropy in the East Metro and Greater Minnesota.
The foundation’s website describes support for low-income or traditionally marginalized children, youth and families; older adults facing barriers to living independently; and organizations that build capacity in the arts and humanities. Its current programs include emergency support for food access and housing organizations, a Food Access Grant Program, and the collaborative Our Home State Grant Program focused on housing across Minnesota. The website says the foundation is moving away from Arts & Culture as a funding priority beginning in 2026.
Examples of grantees’ work include Channel One Regional Food Bank’s food-access mission, Lakewood Health System’s personalized healthcare mission, and Bear Paws Cultural Art’s work to revitalize Ojibwe cultural heritage through art. These are the organizations’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Mardag reported 117 grants totaling $2,711,750. Grant amounts ranged from $750 to $50,000, with a median of $25,000. All reported grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients.
Among the largest 2024 awards were $50,000 to Bear Paws Cultural Art for general operations support; $50,000 to Channel One Inc for Channel One Regional Food Bank; $50,000 to Divine Konnections Inc for Annie’s House Expansion Phase 2; $50,000 to Lakewood Health System for senior-friendly fitness at The Nest; and $50,000 to Northwoods Battered Women’s Shelter Inc for its capital campaign. The filing also lists two $50,000 grants to Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation for the Community Sharing Fund 2024.
The foundation’s website describes the Community Emergency Grant Program as providing one-time grants of $2,500 to $20,000 to food access or housing organizations in the East Metro and Greater Minnesota for unexpected financial gaps, including disaster-related needs and unexpected repairs. The program page says requests are accepted on a rolling basis by email and that there is no formal application process. For most other programs, the website says applicants register through GranteeView and encourages them to speak with the Grants Team before applying.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Samuel Eberhart as president, Kelsey LaValle as vice president, Nathaniel Ober as treasurer, and Armando Camacho as secretary. It lists Nick Eberhart, Ashley Eimer, Kimberly Faust, Pat Medure, Cory Ober, and Marcus Pope as directors.
Mardag Foundation is led by Samuel Eberhart, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 10 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Samuel Eberhart
President
Vice President → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Faust
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcus Pope
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pat Medure
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cory Ober
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nick Eberhart
Director
Member → Director, 2024
On filings since 2022
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ashley Eimer
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Armando Camacho
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelsey Ober Lavalle
Vice President
Member → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathaniel Ober
Treasurer
Member → Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Gretchen D. Davidson (2020–2023) — Member
- Former: Anil Hurkadli (2022–2023) — Administrator Director
- Former: Anne Hoyt Taff (2023) — Administrator Director
- Former: Timothy M. Ober (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Pahoua Hoffman (2021) — Administrator Director
- Former: Ann Mulholland (2020) — Administrator Director
- Former: Robert Davidson (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Scott Zastoupil (2020) — CFO
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.
Frequently asked questions about Mardag Foundation
How much does Mardag Foundation give each year?
Mardag Foundation gave $2.7M across 117 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.8M across 121 grants.
What is Mardag Foundation's typical grant size?
Mardag Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $23,177, across 117 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mardag Foundation that year got $24K on average.
Where does Mardag Foundation give grants?
Mardag Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (23 grants), Duluth, MN (13 grants), Minneapolis, MN (12 grants) and Rochester, MN (8 grants).
Does Mardag Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 44% of Mardag Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (52 of 117) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mardag Foundation's largest grantees?
Mardag Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation ($100,000 across 2 grants), Divine Konnections Inc ($75,000 across 2 grants) and Bear Paws Cultural Art ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 8% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mardag Foundation?
Mardag Foundation reported $65.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.1M (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 Mardag Foundation fund?
Mardag Foundation’s stated mission is to honor founder Agnes Ober’s legacy of giving back to those most in need by investing in nonprofit organizations and building strategic partnerships with philanthropy in the East Metro and Greater Minnesota. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mardag Foundation?
The foundation’s website encourages applicants to contact the Grants Team to confirm program fit. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mardag Foundation's EIN?
Mardag Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1698990. 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 20, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 24, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Mardag Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mardag Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 8, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mardag-foundation-morg_61665f9ac04d431e84e7b1443ce29c87
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411698990_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mardag Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mardag-foundation-morg_61665f9ac04d431e84e7b1443ce29c87},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-08. 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 Mardag 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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