Minerva Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Pennington, NJ EIN: 20-1836334

Minerva Foundation is a private foundation focused on Medical Research, based in Pennington, NJ. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $11.4M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 13 grants totaling $567K. Net investment income was $525K.

Key facts about Minerva Foundation

In short: Minerva Foundation gave $567K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $44K), mostly in District of Columbia. 46% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
20-1836334
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$567,492
Grants made (2025)
13
Average grant
$43,653
Median grant
$30,000
New grantees (estimate)
46% first-time grantees (6 of 13, 2025)
Total assets
$11,397,422
Primary geography
District of Columbia (58% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$11.4M

+1.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$567K

+14.4% YoY

Grant Count

13

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$44K

+14.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Minerva Foundation reported a distributable amount of $670K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Minerva Foundation open to new grantees?

46%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 6 of 13 grantees (46%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $57K; repeat grants $32K. How we count

Medians: $37K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 54% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

12states

Share of all 13 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

Cities

New YorkWashingtonBronxvilleBrooklynProvidenceZionsvilleFalmouthMenlo ParkNew CastleAlexandriaArlingtonAustinBaltimoreConcordGlen BurnieKissimmeeMontgomeryOld ZionsvilleSanta Monica

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K10 grants20199 grants202011 grants20219 grants202210 grants202313 grants202413 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Democracy Forward Fdn: $180KDemocracy Forward Fdn$180KDefenders of Wildlife: $75KDefenders of Wildlife$75KPlanned Parenthood Federation: $50KPlanned Parenthood Federation$50KJohns Hopkins University: $50KJohns Hopkins University$50KDoctors Without Borders: $44KDoctors Without Borders$44KUnrwa USA: $44KUnrwa USA$44KFund for Constitutional Government: $30KFund for ConstitutionalGovernment$30KSarah Lawrence College: $25KSarah Lawrence College$25KThe Nature Conservancy: $25KThe Nature Conservancy$25KNSVC - Earthwalk: $14KNSVC - Earthwalk$14K

Grant Size Distribution

56 grants across all recorded years

36<$50K14$50–100K6$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
DEMOCRACY FORWARD FDN Washington, DCUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$180,164
DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE Washington, DCUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$75,000
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION New York, NYUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$50,000
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY Baltimore, MDUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$50,000
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS New York, NYUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$44,164
UNRWA USA Washington, DCUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$44,164
FUND FOR CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT Washington, DCUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$30,000
SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE Bronxville, NYUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$25,000
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY Arlington, VAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$25,000
NSVC - EARTHWALK Old Zionsville, PAUNRESTRICTED GENERAL$14,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$1M$2M$3M$4M2019202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$11,397,422$11,188,529$10,258,679
Revenue$908,194$1,552,185$-822,943
Expenses$698,847$622,344$606,311
Qualifying Distributions$619,454$544,646$518,134
Net Investment Income$524,506$1,200,116$202,349
Distributable Amount$669,553$589,195$539,907

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 3, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS February 24, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 10, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 8, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 29, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 28, 2025)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 1, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Minerva Foundation is led by Kristie Miller, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Kristie Miller

    President

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ellen Johnson Twaddell

    Trustee

    Secretary → Treasurer, 2020

    Treasurer → Trustee, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • W. Sanderson Twaddell

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: William Twaddell (2019) — Vice President

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Minerva Foundation

How much does Minerva Foundation give each year?

Minerva Foundation gave $567K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $496K across 13 grants.

What is Minerva Foundation's typical grant size?

Minerva Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $30,000, and its average grant was $43,653, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Minerva Foundation that year got $57K on average.

Where does Minerva Foundation give grants?

Minerva Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (23%) and Maryland (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).

Does Minerva Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of Minerva Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Minerva Foundation's largest grantees?

Minerva Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Democracy Forward Fdn ($180,164), Defenders of Wildlife ($75,000) and Planned Parenthood Federation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Minerva Foundation?

Minerva Foundation reported $11.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $619K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $670K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What is Minerva Foundation?

Minerva Foundation is a private foundation focused on Medical Research, based in Pennington, NJ. It holds $11.4M in total assets as of 2025.

What is Minerva Foundation's EIN?

Minerva Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1836334. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

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