Marshall H and Nellie Alworth
The Marshall H and Nellie Alworth Memorial Fund is a private foundation located in Duluth, Minnesota. Incorporated in 1949 by Marshall W. Alworth to honor his parents who were early pioneers in northeastern Minnesota, the organization has been tax-exempt since February 1951. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to supporting educational advancement through scholarships.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$1.5M
+25.0% YoY
Grant Count
566
+16.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
+6.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation provides scholarships to high school seniors demonstrating outstanding scholastic ability and potential for achievement in the sciences. The organization focuses specifically on supporting students pursuing education in designated science fields.
Grantmaking
The foundation awards scholarships to high school seniors meeting the following criteria:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation restricts its scholarship awards to high school seniors graduating from schools in ten Minnesota counties in the northeastern region: Aitkin, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Lake, Itasca, Koochiching, and St. Louis.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending June 2025:
- Total Assets: $18,429,030
- Total Revenues: $3,276,321
- Total Expenses: $1,964,136
As of Fiscal Year Ending June 2024:
- Total Assets: $16.7 million
- Total Revenues: $2.79 million
- Total Expenses: $1.59 million
- Total Liabilities: $39,900
The foundation received $1,700,529 in grants from the M Alworth TR M and N Alworth Memorial Fund for general purposes in the 2024 tax period.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Patty Salo Downs serves as Executive Director.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PATTY SALO DOWNS | EXEC.DIREC/S | 40 | $59,172 |
| MARIETA JOHNSON | PRESIDENT | 1 | $600 |
| MAGGIE SKELTON | VICE PRESIDE | 1 | $400 |
| ERIC ALBRECHT | TREASURER | 1 | $400 |
| NICK ALWORTH | CO-TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PATTY PHILLIPS | DIRECTOR | 1 | $600 |
| KURT BROOKS | DIRECTOR | 1 | $600 |
| CHARLES BLACK LANCE | DIRECTOR | 1 | $600 |
| MICHELLE ARNHOLD DAVIES | DIRECTOR | 1 | $600 |
| DR HEIDI HAHN | DIRECTOR | 1 | $400 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has celebrated significant milestones in its scholarship program, including recognition of 75 years of awarding scholarships to northern Minnesota students pursuing mathematics and science education. The organization has distributed over $56.7 million in scholarships to more than 5,394 students throughout its history. Recent scholarship opportunities have been expanded to include college transfer students in addition to high school seniors.
Alworth scholarship for college transfer students is open - Hometown FocusRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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