Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation

MINNETONKA, MN EIN: 41-1876884

The Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1997 and based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. Founded by Marilyn C. Nelson, Chairman of Carlson Companies, Inc., the foundation operates as a family foundation supporting various charitable causes across multiple states.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

Annual Giving

$500K

-32.2% YoY

Grant Count

-77.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$250K

+205.3% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable activities without specifying particular subject areas of focus in publicly available materials. Recent grant activity indicates support for:

Arts and culture
Music and music education
Education and scholarships
General operating support for nonprofits

Grantmaking

The foundation administers several named grant programs including General Operating Support, the Tyrone Guthrie Circle, Smith Fund, Music's Moment Campaign, and the Marilyn Carlson Nelson Class of 1961 Scholarship.

Grant Range

$45 to $195,986

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, including:

Minnesota (primary focus areas: Excelsior, Minneapolis, St. Paul)
Arizona
Massachusetts
New York
Washington, D.C.
Wyoming

Grant Distribution by State

Minnesota $2.0M (62%)

Massachusetts $1.0M (31%)

New York $72K (2%)

District of Columbia $62K (2%)

Wyoming $47K (1%)

Arizona $30K (1%)

California $25K (1%)

Montana $100 (0%)

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Massachusetts Minnesota Montana New York Wyoming

Cities

ALAMOBOZEMANEXCELSIORJACKSONMINNEAPOLISMOOSEMOUNDNEW YORKNORTHAMPTONPARADISE VALLEYPHOENIXROCHESTERST LOUIS PARKST PAULTEMPEWASHINGTONWAYZATAWILSONWashingtonminneapolis

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

2023 Financial Summary:

Total assets: $3,791,193
Total giving: $736,851
Total revenue: $136,849
Total expenses: $740,966
Number of employees: 0

2023 Revenue Sources:

Grants, contributions, etc.: $25,692
Investment income and other sources: $111,157

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

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 2 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

131 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Minnesota Orchestral Association ($473,352), Minnesota Orchestral Association ($26,507).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
MINNESOTA ORCHESTRAL ASSOCIATION MINNEAPOLIS, MN	Music's Moment Campaign	$26,507
MINNESOTA ORCHESTRAL ASSOCIATION MINNEAPOLIS, MN	Music's Moment Campaign	$473,352

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is led by an all-volunteer board:

Marilyn C. Nelson — President, CFO & Treasurer (1 hour/week)
C. David Nelson — Secretary (1 hour/week)
Diana L. Nelson — Director (1 hour/week)
Wendy M. Nelson — Director (1 hour/week)

None of the leadership team receives compensation for their service.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MARILYN C NELSON	PRESIDENT, CFO & TREASURER	1	—
C DAVID NELSON	SECRETARY	1	—
DIANA L NELSON	DIRECTOR	1	—
WENDY M NELSON	DIRECTOR	1	—

Contact Information

Address: 701 Carlson Parkway, Suite 1250 Hopkins, MN 55305-5244

Telephone: 952-404-5636

EIN: 41-1876884

Tax-exempt status: Since May 1998

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation fund?

The foundation supports a diverse range of charitable activities without specifying particular subject areas of focus in publicly available materials. Recent grant activity indicates support for: • Arts and culture • Music and music education • Education and scholarships • General operating support for nonprofits

How do I apply for a grant from Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving (2023): $736,851 • Total assets (2023): $3,791,193 • Giving rate: 19.1% • Number of grants awarded (2023): 58 • Grant range: $45 to $195,986 • Median grant amount: $11,243 **Recent Notable Grants (2023):** • Minnesota Orchestral Association (Music's Moment Campaign): $195,986 • Trustees of the Smith College (Marilyn Carlson Nelson Class of 1961 Scholarship Fund): $181,976 • Trustees of the Smith College (Jill Ker Conway Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship…

Where does Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation supports organizations across multiple states, including: • Minnesota (primary focus areas: Excelsior, Minneapolis, St. Paul) • Arizona • Massachusetts • New York • Washington, D.C. • Wyoming

What size grants does Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation awarded 2 grants totaling $500K — an average of about $250K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation's EIN?

Marilyn and Glen Nelson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1876884. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.