Martin and Brown Foundation
The Martin and Brown Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including Minnesota and New York nonprofits working in areas such as journalism, the arts, human rights, reproductive rights, and social services.
Martin and Brown Foundation at a glance
In short: Martin and Brown Foundation gave $657K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $55K), mostly in Minnesota. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $657,000
- -10.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $54,750
- -10.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $47,500
- Total assets
- $11,022,567
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (81% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Martin and Brown Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 80 S 8Th St Ste 4200, Minneapolis, MN 55402-2223
Phone: (612) 339-7151
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Martin and Brown Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Minnpost ($150K). Together the top 10 received $637K.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 59 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 19% went to recipients in New York. The listed grants show support for organizations in Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Ely, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Martin and Brown Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $47K; repeat grants $57K. How we count
Medians: $50K first-time, $45K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 31% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $437K (2021) to $730K (2024). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $657K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minnpost Minneapolis, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $150,000 |
| Walker Art Center Minneapolis, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $120,000 |
| Center for Victims of Torture Saint Paul, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $80,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $75,000 |
| American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) New York, NY | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $50,000 |
| Advocate for Human Rights Minneapolis, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $50,000 |
| Planned Parenthood NCS Saint Paul, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $45,000 |
| Avivo Minneapolis, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $30,000 |
| Washburn Center for Children Minneapolis, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $25,000 |
| Theater Mu Saint Paul, MN | General Purpose to Be Determined by the Grantee | $12,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11,022,567 | $1,148,870 | $838,801 | $657,000 | 12 | $664,525 | $981,694 | $611,595 |
| 2024 | $10,677,840 | $518,034 | $916,801 | $730,000 | 12 | $737,525 | $339,686 | $599,168 |
| 2023 | $10,533,080 | $1,381,805 | $745,747 | $505,000 | 10 | $512,288 | $303,727 | $563,348 |
| 2022 | $10,147,469 | $1,166,312 | $707,755 | $501,000 | 12 | $508,285 | $977,943 | $578,418 |
| 2021 | $10,049,970 | $806,748 | $675,268 | $436,500 | 13 | — | $584,871 | $540,317 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Martin and Brown Foundation reported a distributable amount of $612K for 2025 — 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included support for MinnPost, whose mission is to produce independent journalism for Minnesotans; Walker Art Center, which says it helps people experience contemporary art and ideas; and the Center for Victims of Torture, which works to heal the effects of torture and stop torture worldwide. Other supported organizations describe work in reproductive rights, homelessness and recovery, children’s mental health, Asian American theater, and support for Minnesota private colleges.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $657,000. Grants ranged from $10,000 to $150,000, with a median of $47,500.
The largest grants were $150,000 to MinnPost, $120,000 to Walker Art Center, $80,000 to the Center for Victims of Torture, $75,000 to the Center for Reproductive Rights, and $50,000 each to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Advocates for Human Rights. Other listed recipients included Planned Parenthood NCS ($45,000), Avivo ($30,000), and Washburn Center for Children ($25,000). The filing lists each grant’s purpose as “general purpose to be determined by the grantee.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer L. Martin as president and secretary, Tamara M. Brown as vice president, Ariana M. Brown as treasurer, and Isaac Brown and Gabrial Brown as directors.
Martin and Brown Foundation is led by Jennifer L. Martin, President & Secretary on every filing since 2021; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer L. Martin
President & Secretary
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gabrial Brown
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Isaac Brown
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Ariana M. Brown
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Tamara M. Brown
Vice President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Martin and Brown Foundation
How much does Martin and Brown Foundation give each year?
Martin and Brown Foundation gave $657K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $730K across 12 grants.
What is Martin and Brown Foundation's typical grant size?
Martin and Brown Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $47,500, and its average grant was $54,750, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Martin and Brown Foundation that year got $47K on average.
Where does Martin and Brown Foundation give grants?
Martin and Brown Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (5 grants), Saint Paul, MN (4 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Martin and Brown Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Martin and Brown Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Martin and Brown Foundation's largest grantees?
Martin and Brown Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Minnpost ($150,000), Walker Art Center ($120,000) and Center for Victims of Torture ($80,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Martin and Brown Foundation?
Martin and Brown Foundation reported $11.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $665K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $612K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Martin and Brown Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Martin and Brown Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Martin and Brown Foundation's EIN?
Martin and Brown Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1997225. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Martin and Brown 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Martin and Brown Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Martin and Brown Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/martin-and-brown-foundation-morg_5a22a690455c4992b44c63bb6917217a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411997225_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Martin and Brown Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/martin-and-brown-foundation-morg_5a22a690455c4992b44c63bb6917217a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Martin and Brown 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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