MARY T AND JAMES J HILL LIBRARY is a private foundation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Its 2024 filing reports $995,000 in grants to 10 charitable organizations, including colleges and universities, business-support organizations, and youth-serving organizations.
Key facts about Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation
In short: Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation gave $995K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $100K), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 41-0693988
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $995,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- Average grant
- $99,500
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $16,821,630
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (90% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$16.8M
+3.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$995K
+24.4% YoY
Grant Count
10
+25.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$100K
-0.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation reported a distributable amount of $826K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation gives
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 82% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 126% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included general support, scholarships, programming, permanent scholarships, and support for a youth internship program.
Grantees’ own statements illustrate the range of organizations supported. Junior Achievement USA says its mission is to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. Urban Roots MN describes its mission as cultivating and empowering youth through nature, healthy food, and community. ConnectUP Institute describes a charitable fund providing flexible capital and other support to early second-stage entrepreneurs to increase local BIPOC ownership of businesses in the Twin Cities metro area.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $995,000. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $170,000, with a median of $100,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 10% to recipients in Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $75K (2020) to $995K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $995K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Market Entry Fund ($170K). Together the top 10 received $995K.
Grant Size Distribution
32 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 20 grants of 32 (63%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Market Entry Fund St. Paul, MN | General Support | $170,000 |
| Metropolitan State University Fdn St. Paul, MN | Scholarships & Programming | $150,000 |
| Impact Hub Minneapolis-Saint Paul Minneapolis, MN | General Support | $150,000 |
| Friends of St Paul College Fdn St. Paul, MN | Permanent Scholarships | $100,000 |
| Connectup Institute St. Paul, MN | General Support | $100,000 |
| Junior Achievement USA Colorado Springs, CO | General Support | $100,000 |
| St Catherine University St. Paul, MN | Scholarships | $100,000 |
| Urban Roots MN St. Paul, MN | To Support the Youth Internship Prog | $50,000 |
| Cookie Cart Minneapolis, MN | General Support | $50,000 |
| University of St Thomas St. Paul, MN | Scholarships | $25,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $995,000 | 10 |
| 2023 | $800,000 | 8 |
| 2022 | $617,000 | 5 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $16,821,630 | $16,217,915 | $15,070,405 |
| Revenue | $1,172,744 | $1,084,287 | $-112,842 |
| Expenses | $1,168,280 | $991,093 | $814,156 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,040,514 | $846,589 | $660,788 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,060,197 | $975,893 | $464,867 |
| Distributable Amount | $826,239 | $767,896 | $816,261 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Tamara Prato as Acting Executive; Patrick Moran as Board Chair; Barry Gisser in Finance; Sylvia Strobel as Treasurer; and Elizabeth Lilly, Carmen Cofer, and Issac Russel as members.
Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation is led by Patrick Moran, Board Chair on every filing since 2020; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Patrick Moran
Board Chair
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Tamara Prato
Acting Executive
Ed-Outgoing → Acting Executive, 2021
On filings since 2020
$175K (2020) → $48K (2024)
Barry Gisser
Finance
Executive Committee Fi → Vice Chair & T, 2022
Vice Chair & T → Finance, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Lilly
Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sylvia Strobel
Treasurer
Executive Committee Se → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Carmen Cofer
Member
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Issac Russel
Member
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Kim Egan (2020–2023) — Member
- Former: Dan Reardon (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Larry Bakken (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Mark Gibbs (2020–2021) — Member
- Former: Phil Reim (2020–2021) — Member
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 $48K, to Tamara Prato (Acting Exec).
Contact
Mailing address: 855 Village Center Drive 329, St Paul, MN 55127
Phone: (651) 955-7372
Website: https://www.jjhill.org
Frequently asked questions about Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation
How much does Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation give each year?
Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation gave $995K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $800K across 8 grants.
What is Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation's typical grant size?
Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $99,500, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation give grants?
Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Paul, MN (7 grants) and Minneapolis, MN (2 grants).
Does Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (5 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation's largest grantees?
Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Market Entry Fund ($170,000), Metropolitan State University Fdn ($150,000) and Impact Hub Minneapolis-Saint Paul ($150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation?
Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation reported $16.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $826K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included general support, scholarships, programming, permanent scholarships, and support for a youth internship program. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation's EIN?
Mary T and James J Hill Library Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-0693988. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Mary T and James J Hill Library 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 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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