Mikkelson Foundation
The Mikkelson Foundation is a private foundation based in Monument, Colorado. Incorporated in Colorado in October 1999, it supports science and mathematics education, including scholarships for students studying science, engineering, and mathematics and educational activities for schools and organizations.
Mikkelson Foundation at a glance
In short: Mikkelson Foundation gave $116K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Colorado. 88% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $115,760
- +25.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- +45.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,618
- -13.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,310
- Total assets
- $2,363,421
- +10.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 88% first-time grantees (14 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (83% 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 Mikkelson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Scholarship application forms are available through the foundation’s website; the stated 2026 deadline is April 10. Equipment grant requests should describe the school and students served and list each requested item, quantity, and cost, with items prioritized. The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- Scholarship applications for 2026 were due April 10, 2026. Equipment requests may be submitted at any time, with quarterly award cycles.
- Deadline
- Scholarship applications for 2026 were due April 10, 2026.
- Contact
Application contact: Scholarship Committee
Mailing address: PO Box 768, Monument, CO 80132-0768
Phone: (719) 330-4150
Website: https://mikkelsonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mikkelson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was UnBOCES ($7K). Together the top 10 received $32K.
Organizations only. It also paid 15 individual scholarships ($75,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
108 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 108 grants of 108 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The scholarship program is open to graduating high school seniors from Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, or New Mexico. Equipment grants are currently limited to schools in Colorado. In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado, 9% to Montana, 4% to Idaho, and 4% to Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mikkelson Foundation open to new grantees?
88%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 14 of 16 grantees (88%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 6% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 53% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 99% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $73K (2020) to $116K (2025). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $116K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UnBOCES Ridgway, CO | Science Equipment | $7,000 |
| 15 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $75,000 |
| Canyon City Middle School Canon City, CO | Science Equipment | $3,620 |
| Frontier Elementary School Colorado Springs, CO | Science Equipment | $3,100 |
| Mountain View Elementary School Colorado Springs, CO | Science Equipment | $3,000 |
| Antelope Elementary School Colorado Springs, CO | Science Equipment | $2,990 |
| Explorer Elementary School Colorado Springs, CO | Science Equipment | $2,950 |
| Monterey Elementary School Colorado Springs, CO | Science Equipment | $2,642 |
| Centennial Elementary School Colorado Springs, CO | Science Equipment | $2,629 |
| Rogers Elementary School Colorado Springs, CO | Science Eqiopment | $2,250 |
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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 | $2,363,421 | $353,703 | $127,736 | $115,760 | 32 | $115,760 | $343,022 | $116,866 |
| 2024 | $2,137,455 | $250,103 | $102,349 | $92,399 | 22 | $92,398 | $243,364 | $103,866 |
| 2023 | $1,989,701 | $130,737 | $123,302 | $112,769 | 21 | $112,769 | $108,106 | $97,542 |
| 2022 | $1,982,265 | $90,626 | $86,809 | $75,675 | 17 | $75,675 | $82,477 | $98,273 |
| 2021 | $1,978,449 | $271,004 | $98,856 | $86,032 | 16 | — | $259,917 | $97,504 |
| 2020 | $1,806,300 | $42,539 | $80,843 | $73,088 | 26 | — | $41,351 | $87,767 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mikkelson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $117K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that its purpose is to improve scientific and technical education. Its focus includes scholarships for students in technical fields, science equipment for elementary and middle schools, and support for hands-on mathematics and science learning and educational program development. It particularly encourages programs with laboratory or experimental components.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 32 grants totaling $115,760. Grants ranged from $250 to $7,000, with a median of $4,310. The largest listed award was $7,000 to UnBOCES in Ridgway, Colorado, for science equipment. Listed $5,000 scholarship recipients included five individual recipients
The foundation’s website says it offers scholarships to eligible high school graduates planning to study engineering, mathematics, or science. For 2026, it states that it will provide five $5,000 scholarships, renewable for up to four years if recipients remain in good standing. The listed application materials include a high school transcript, standardized test scores if not on the transcript, three references, a completed application, and an original essay. The 2026 eligibility criteria include graduating from a high school in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, or New Mexico; beginning study in fall 2026 at an accredited four-year college or university; and meeting the stated GPA and test-score minimums.
For equipment grants, the foundation accepts requests for science equipment and curriculum materials that encourage experimentation. It does not fund computers, tablets, or similar technology. Applications may be submitted at any time; awards are made quarterly for requests received by the end of the preceding month.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists James M. Mikkelson as President and Treasurer, Ronald Furstenau as Vice President, and Cathleen M. Mikkelson as Secretary.
Mikkelson Foundation is led by James M. Mikkelson, President Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
James M. Mikkelson
President Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cathleen M. Mikkelson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald Furstenau
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Mikkelson Foundation
How much does Mikkelson Foundation give each year?
Mikkelson Foundation gave $116K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $92K across 22 grants.
What is Mikkelson Foundation's typical grant size?
Mikkelson Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,310, and its average grant was $3,618, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mikkelson Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Mikkelson Foundation give grants?
Mikkelson Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Montana (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Colorado Springs, CO (12 grants) and Canon City, CO (2 grants).
Does Mikkelson Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on Mikkelson Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Science Equipment" (16 grants) and "Scholarship" (15 grants).
Who are Mikkelson Foundation's largest grantees?
Mikkelson Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include UnBOCES ($7,000), Canyon City Middle School ($3,620) and Frontier Elementary School ($3,100), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 15 individual scholarships ($75,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mikkelson Foundation?
Mikkelson Foundation reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $116K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $117K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Mikkelson Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its purpose is to improve scientific and technical education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mikkelson Foundation?
Scholarship application forms are available through the foundation’s website; the stated 2026 deadline is April 10. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mikkelson Foundation's EIN?
Mikkelson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1519112. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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