Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, established in 1849. It is a public charity that preserves and shares Minnesota history through museums and historic sites, education, library and collection services, publishing, and heritage preservation grants.
Minnesota Historical Society at a glance
In short: Minnesota Historical Society gave $7.6M across 180 grants in 2025 (avg $42K), mostly in Minnesota. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $7,639,810
- +15.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 180
- +17.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,443
- -2.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $21,728
- Total assets
- $349,295,518
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (60 of 180, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Minnesota Historical Society
- Contact
Mailing address: 345 Kellogg Boulevard West, Saint Paul, MN 55102-1906
Phone: (651) 259-3170
Website: https://mnhs.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Minnesota Historical Society
CSMHP Grant Program
Minnesota Historical Society
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Heritage Partnership Program
Minnesota Historical Society
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Legacy Grants
Minnesota Historical Society
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Minnesota Historical Society funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Friends of Linden Hill Inc ($273K). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
850 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 637 grants of 850 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
MNHS’s grant programs focus on Minnesota. Its filing-year 2025 reported grant dollars went entirely to Minnesota recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 180 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Minnesota Historical Society open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 60 of 180 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $51K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $38K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $5.8M (2021) to $7.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 180 grants totaling $7.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Friends of Linden Hill Inc Little Falls, MN | Legacy Grant for Rehabilitation of Exterior Barn, Carriage House and Greenhouse | $272,500 |
| City of Hackensack Hackensack, MN | Legacy Grant for conservation building phase 1 preservation stabilization | $244,761 |
| City of Browns Valley Browns Valley, MN | Legacy Grant for the Browns Valley Carnegie Public Library Preservation Project | $207,744 |
| Brown County New ULM, MN | Legacy Grant for the BCHS Comprehensive Inventory Phase 6 | $198,093 |
| Ramsey County Historical Society St. Paul, MN | Legacy Grant for projects focusing on archival digitization, exhibition planning, facility improvements, and community-centered cultural heritage preservation | $194,605 |
| Preserve Appleton's Heritage Appleton, MN | Legacy Grant for Appleton City Hall Phase 1A Masonry, Roof and Foundation | $186,276 |
| Germanic American Institute St. Paul, MN | Legacy Grant for GAI: Accessible Entrance and Bathroom | $164,500 |
| City of Sandstone Sandstone, MN | Legacy Grant for Sandstone Public School Building Roof Stabilization | $159,209 |
| Lower Phalen Creek Project St. Paul, MN | Legacy Grant for the Wakan Tipi Center Exhibit Fabrication | $140,018 |
| Regents University of MN Minneapolis, MN | Legacy Grant for the set of projects focused on preserving historic structures and collections while expanding access to Minnesota's cultural and healthcare history | $133,022 |
Ready to take the next step with Minnesota Historical Society?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $349,295,518 | $85,392,186 | $74,224,936 | $7,639,810 | 180 | $17,690,979 |
| 2024 | $338,487,820 | $96,755,531 | $71,067,324 | $6,631,233 | 153 | $22,260,021 |
| 2023 | $312,635,056 | $91,494,356 | $65,750,419 | $7,582,939 | 176 | $4,233,463 |
| 2022 | $275,417,631 | $63,620,828 | $55,381,723 | $6,127,798 | 162 | $4,838,271 |
| 2021 | $299,649,325 | $62,868,869 | $48,824,377 | $5,795,502 | 179 | $5,992,881 |
| 2020 | $261,681,031 | $58,257,393 | $56,385,651 | $5,867,283 | 182 | $5,434,811 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
MNHS says it collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and print and online publishing. Its Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grants Program aims to preserve and enhance access to the state’s cultural and historical resources.
In FY25, MNHS reported providing more than $6.8 million through the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund for 185 Legacy Grants across Minnesota. Its grant awards include projects involving historic buildings, collections, exhibits, digitization, and access to cultural heritage.
The grantees’ own mission statements illustrate the range of organizations supported. Friends of Linden Hill describes its work as preserving and sharing the history and spirit of the Musser/Weyerhaeuser estate on the Mississippi River. Brown County Historical Society says it discovers and memorializes county history and preserves related writings and records. Ramsey County Historical Society describes its mission as preserving the past, informing the present, and inspiring the future. Other grantees include organizations whose stated missions concern local heritage, German language and culture education, and care for natural places and sacred sites.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, MNHS reported 180 grants totaling $7,639,810. Grant amounts ranged from $5,196 to $272,500, with a median of $21,728. All reported grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota.
Among the largest reported awards were $272,500 to Friends of Linden Hill for rehabilitation of the exterior barn, carriage house, and greenhouse; $244,761 to the City of Hackensack for phase one stabilization of a conservation building; and $207,744 to the City of Browns Valley for the Browns Valley Carnegie Public Library Preservation Project. Other large awards included $198,093 to Brown County for a comprehensive inventory project and $194,605 to Ramsey County Historical Society for projects involving archives, exhibitions, facilities, and community-centered cultural heritage preservation.
MNHS also lists the Heritage Partnership Program, a competitive program for capacity building and program development of history-based partnerships, and State Capital Projects Grants-in-Aid, a competitive program for preservation projects in publicly owned and used buildings. The latter is for public entities that own and use the buildings. The Society’s grants pages provide an application page, a grants portal, and a program manual. Legacy Grants, the Heritage Partnership Program, and State Capital Projects Grants-in-Aid are listed as currently open.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists S Kent Whitworth as Director and Chief Executive Officer and Board Secretary; Jennifer Jones as Executive Vice President Strategy; Jennifer Pogatchnik as Vice President Advancement; Fred Neher as Vice President Finance; Brian Juntti as Executive Vice President Mission Enablement; Kevin Maijala as Senior Vice President Education & Interpretation; Brenda Raney as Senior Vice President Library, Research & Collections; and Benjamin Leonard as Senior Vice President Historic Sites. Trustees listed include Anton Treuer and Peter Reyes, who is listed as President.
Minnesota Historical Society is led by S Kent Whitworth, Director, Chief Executive Officer & Board Secretary since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 9 of 44 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
S Kent Whitworth
Director, Chief Executive Officer & Board Secretary
Director & Chief Executive Officer → Director, Chief Executive Officer & Board Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$273K (2020) → $311K (2025)
Peter Reyes
President
Vice President & Board Member → President & Board Member, 2024
President & Board Member → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anton Treuer
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$11K (2020) → $12K (2025)
Barbara Burwell
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Schmechel
Trustee
Treasurer & Board Member → Board Member, 2023
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ford W Bell
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Grant Davis
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Krista E O'Malley
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
M Mitchell Davis
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Monica Little
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard C Nash
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Richard E Engebretson
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie L Fehr
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gwen Westerman
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joanell Dyrstad
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda B Mona
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Tunheim
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Noelle Turner
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Essig
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Diana Schutter
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dustin Heckman
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Driscoll Hlavka
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Murray
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roger Sit
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Sayles Belton
Trustee
Board Member → Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bridget Larson-Linder
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Shogren
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jesse B Gomez
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Pacheco Jr.
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kyle Ward
Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brenda Raney
Senior Vice President Library, Research & Collections
Senior Director Preservation & Outreach → Senior Vice President Library, Research & Collections, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$119K (2020) → $168K (2025)
Fred Neher
Vice President Finance
Chief Financial Officer → Vice President Finance, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$126K (2020) → $173K (2025)
Jennifer Jones
Executive Vice President Strategy
Associate Executive Director → Executive Vice President Strategy, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$144K (2020) → $209K (2025)
Jennifer Pogatchnik
Vice President Advancement
Chief Development Officer → Vice President Advancement, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$114K (2021) → $174K (2025)
Kevin Maijala
Senior Vice President Education & Interpretation
Senior Director Learning Initiatives → Senior Vice President Education & Interpretation, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$136K (2021) → $168K (2025)
Brian Juntti
Executive Vice President Mission Enablement
Chief Communications & Marketing Officer → Executive Vice President Shared Services, 2024
Executive Vice President Shared Services → Executive Vice President Mission Enablement, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$142K (2023) → $172K (2025)
Benjamin Leonard
Senior Vice President Historic Sites
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$151K (2024) → $162K (2025)
David Hakensen
Past President
President & Board Member → Past President & Board Member, 2024
Past President & Board Member → Past President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Blaha
Ex-Officio Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Keith Ellison
Ex-Officio Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Peggy Flanagan
Ex-Officio Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Steve Simon
Ex-Officio Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Thomas Forsythe
Vice President & Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Vice President & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Walz
Ex-Officio Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (21)
- Former: Thomas Forsythe and Board Member (2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Benjamin Vander Kooi (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Jean Larson (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Joseph Nayquonabe (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Michael Farnell (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Michael J Davis (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Phyllis Rawls Goff (2020–2023) — Ex-Officio Board Member
- Former: Steven R Gibson (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Warren Zaccaro (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Briana Joyner (2021–2023) — Chief Human Resources & Inclusion Officer
- Former: Katherine Beane (2022) — Director & Native American Initiatives
- Former: Robert Garcia (2022) — Technical Services Manager
- Former: Dennis Lamkin (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Douglas Marty (2020–2021) — Deputy Director Administration
- Former: Eric Ahlness (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Kurt V BlueDog (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: MayKao Y Hang (2020–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Andrea Kajer (2020) — Deputy Director
- Former: Joe Horse Capture (2020) — Director Native American Initiatives
- Former: Suzanne Blue (2020) — Board Member
- Former: William Green (2020) — Vice President & Board Member
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 $311K, to S Kent Whitworth (Director & Chief Executive Officer, Board Secretary). 9 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Historical Society
How much does Minnesota Historical Society give each year?
Minnesota Historical Society gave $7.6M across 180 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $6.6M across 153 grants.
What is Minnesota Historical Society's typical grant size?
Minnesota Historical Society's median grant in 2025 was $21,728, and its average grant was $42,443, across 180 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Minnesota Historical Society that year got $26K on average.
Where does Minnesota Historical Society give grants?
Minnesota Historical Society gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Paul, MN (29 grants), Minneapolis, MN (26 grants), Duluth, MN (5 grants) and Red Wing, MN (3 grants).
Does Minnesota Historical Society give general operating support?
Occasionally: 1% of Minnesota Historical Society's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 180) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Minnesota Historical Society's largest grantees?
Minnesota Historical Society's largest 2025 grantees include Friends of Linden Hill Inc ($272,500), City of Hackensack ($244,761) and City of Browns Valley ($207,744), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 9% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Minnesota Historical Society?
Minnesota Historical Society reported $349.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $85.4M.
What does Minnesota Historical Society fund?
MNHS says it collects, preserves, and tells the story of Minnesota’s past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs, and print and online publishing. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Minnesota Historical Society?
Minnesota Historical Society has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mnhs.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Minnesota Historical Society's EIN?
Minnesota Historical Society's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-0713907. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Minnesota Historical Society's focus areas in our free grants database
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Funders that support many of the same organizations
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Assets
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Grants
180
Total Given
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More similar funders
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Minnesota Historical Society funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/minnesota-historical-society-morg_29d6c79fc52d4cc19871b1f3d1e712a1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_410713907_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Minnesota Historical Society funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/minnesota-historical-society-morg_29d6c79fc52d4cc19871b1f3d1e712a1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Minnesota Historical Society'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.
Minnesota Historical Society down — hundreds of funders to go?