MBLE Foundation
MBLE Foundation is a private foundation based in Renville, Minnesota. It makes grants and donations to support charitable, religious, and educational purposes, with stated interests in rural Minnesota communities, regional community development, and youth development.
Key facts about MBLE Foundation
In short: MBLE Foundation gave $260K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 81-2743272
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $259,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- Average grant
- $8,109
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $3,741,748
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.7M
-6.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$260K
+39.5% YoY
Grant Count
32
+33.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+4.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, MBLE Foundation reported a distributable amount of $243K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How MBLE Foundation gives
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 126% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 178% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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
The foundation states that it is organized for charitable, religious, and educational purposes. It supports 501(c)(3) publicly supported organizations, churches, and community-based government organizations in rural Minnesota. Its stated program interests include improving quality of life in rural Minnesota communities, regional community development, and youth development.
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied activities. For example, Koselig Academy describes itself as a nonprofit educational organization offering a cooperative homeschooling experience, while Splash Island Adventure Park says it raises funds to build and operate a splash pad and pickleball courts. Renville County Food Shelf says it distributes donated food to people in need in the county, and Safe Avenues describes its work as providing advocacy, parenting-time services, and emergency shelter to victims of domestic and sexual violence.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 32 grants totaling $259,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $101,000, with a median of $3,000. It made 24 grants totaling $186,000 in 2024 and 17 grants totaling $112,500 in 2023.
Among its largest 2025 grants were $101,000 to Renville Fire Department for equipment and a fire truck, $22,000 to Renville Lions Club for “Park Mom’s of Renville,” and $20,000 to Renville County West Pool for maintenance. Other grants included $11,000 to Sacred Heart Fire Department for equipment and $10,000 each to Olivia Ambulance for general support, Renville County Walk in the Park for cancer funds, The Learning Fund House Inc for general support, and Koselig Academy for educational support.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Ready to take the next step with MBLE Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that it supports organizations in rural Minnesota. All grant dollars listed for 2025 went to recipients in Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $65K (2021) to $344K (2020). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $260K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Renville Fire Department ($101K). Together the top 10 received $210K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 98 grants of 101 (97%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Renville Fire Department Renville, MN | Equipment/Fire Truck | $101,000 |
| Renville Lions Club Renville, MN | Park Mom's of Renville | $22,000 |
| Renville County West Pool Renville, MN | Maintenance | $20,000 |
| Sacred Heart Fire Department Sacred Heart, MN | Equipment | $11,000 |
| Danube Fire Department Danube, MN | General Support/Equipment | $11,000 |
| Olivia Ambulance Olivia, MN | General Support | $10,000 |
| Renville County Walk in the Park Olivia, MN | Cancer Funds | $10,000 |
| The Learning Fund House Inc Bird Island, MN | General Support | $10,000 |
| Koselig Academy Sacred Heart, MN | Educational Support | $10,000 |
| Friends of the Arts Renville, MN | General Support | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Grantmaking totals were $259,500 in 2025, $186,000 in 2024, and $112,500 in 2023.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,741,748 | $4,013,915 | $4,074,731 |
| Revenue | $257,200 | $376,390 | $296,920 |
| Expenses | $529,367 | $437,206 | $359,809 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $433,287 | $347,410 | $273,799 |
| Net Investment Income | $167,163 | $181,683 | $88,116 |
| Distributable Amount | $243,182 | $236,388 | $212,344 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jill Marcus as chairman, Dawn Mertens as secretary/treasurer, and Lauren Marcus as vice-chair.
MBLE Foundation is led by Jill Marcus, Chairman on every filing since 2020; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jill Marcus
Chairman
On filings since 2020
7 hrs/week
$55K (2020) → $78K (2025)
Dawn Mertens
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$43K (2020) → $68K (2025)
Lauren Marcus
Vice Chair
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$43K (2020) → $68K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $78K, to Jill Marcus (Chairman). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 388, Renville, MN 56284
Phone: (320) 979-0683
Frequently asked questions about MBLE Foundation
How much does MBLE Foundation give each year?
MBLE Foundation gave $260K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $186K across 24 grants.
What is MBLE Foundation's typical grant size?
MBLE Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $8,109, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does MBLE Foundation give grants?
MBLE Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Renville, MN (12 grants), Olivia, MN (7 grants), Sacred Heart, MN (3 grants) and Bird Island, MN (3 grants).
Does MBLE Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 59% of MBLE Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (19 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are MBLE Foundation's largest grantees?
MBLE Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Renville Fire Department ($101,000), Renville Lions Club ($22,000) and Renville County West Pool ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is MBLE Foundation?
MBLE Foundation reported $3.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $433K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $243K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does MBLE Foundation fund?
The foundation states that it is organized for charitable, religious, and educational purposes. It supports 501(c)(3) publicly supported organizations, churches, and community-based government organizations in rural Minnesota. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from MBLE Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is MBLE Foundation's EIN?
MBLE Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-2743272. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does MBLE Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching MBLE Foundation by hand.
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