Minnesota Humanities Center
Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) is a public charity based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It administers grants and creates humanities programming across Minnesota, supporting individuals and organizations working in areas such as cultural heritage, education, and public programming.
Key facts about Minnesota Humanities Center
In short: Minnesota Humanities Center gave $8.0M across 115 grants in 2025 (avg $70K), mostly in Minnesota. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 41-1322769
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,001,806
- Grants made (2025)
- 115
- Average grant
- $69,581
- Median grant
- $43,700
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (49 of 115, 2025)
- Total assets
- $43,958,165
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Deadline
- Listed application deadlines include September 11, 2026, for the Minnesota Musicians Grant and Youth Literary Grant;…
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). 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 · View filing
Total Assets
$44.0M
+59.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.0M
+104.5% YoY
Grant Count
115
+27.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$70K
+60.1% YoY
Is Minnesota Humanities Center open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 49 of 115 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $44K; repeat grants $89K. How we count
Medians: $36K first-time, $51K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
MHC’s mission is to spark positive change by increasing collective understanding of ourselves, our communities, and our histories through stories and experiences. Its stated focus areas include education, civic renewal, immersive experiences, and public programming.
Its grantmaking supports individuals, nonprofits, schools, museums, and other organizations across Minnesota. Recent recipients illustrate the range: Hunger Solutions Minnesota describes its work as ending hunger in Minnesota; Springboard for the Arts works to cultivate vibrant arts communities; and Minnesota Children’s Museum provides hands-on experiences intended to foster children’s learning.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, MHC reported 115 grants totaling $8,001,806. Grants ranged from $5,885 to $563,780, with a median of $43,700. The largest listed awards included $563,780 to Hunger Solutions Minnesota, $535,812 to Springboard for the Arts, and $472,500 to Minnesota Children’s Museum. These awards were listed for Art and Cultural Heritage.
Review Cycle
** Listed application deadlines include September 11, 2026, for the Minnesota Musicians Grant and Youth Literary Grant; October 2, 2026, for Underrepresented Cultural Studies Materials Grants; and October 26, 2026, for the Cultural Heritage (Year 2) Grant.
How to Apply
staff first screen applications for basic requirements, then an independent panel scores them, and MHC determines the final list based on the panel’s recommendations. For grants of $50,000 or more, MHC requires a monitor visit that includes a financial review.
Open Grants
14 open opportunities from Minnesota Humanities Center
Children’s Museums Grant
Minnesota Humanities Center
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Civics Grants
Minnesota Humanities Center
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Community Identity and Heritage Grant
Minnesota Humanities Center
Amount
Up to US $300,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Minnesota Humanities Center?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
MHC’s grantmaking supports individuals and organizations across Minnesota. All reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 115 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
429 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hunger Solutions Minnesota Saint Paul, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $563,780 |
| Springboard for the Arts Little Falls, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $535,812 |
| Minnesota Childrens Museum Saint Paul, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $472,500 |
| Giiwedinong Museum Park Rapids, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $280,493 |
| Dakhota Iapi Okhodakichiye Osseo, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $239,611 |
| The Works Museum Bloomington, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $204,111 |
| United Way of Central Minnesota Saint Cloud, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $178,241 |
| Move for America St Paul, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $169,850 |
| Children's Discovery Center Campbell, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $162,000 |
| Duluth Children's Museum Duluth, MN | Art and Cultural Heritage | $159,093 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $43,958,165 | $30,735,557 | $14,629,871 | $8,001,806 (115 grants) |
| 2024 | $27,594,386 | $6,498,770 | $9,896,506 | $3,912,543 (90 grants) |
| 2023 | $30,568,198 | $23,707,380 | $9,405,048 | $4,461,587 (90 grants) |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $43,958,165 | $27,594,386 | $30,568,198 |
| Revenue | $30,735,557 | $6,498,770 | $23,707,380 |
| Expenses | $14,629,871 | $9,896,506 | $9,405,048 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $153,301 | $182,437 | $100,904 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Johua Ney as Chair; Mattie Harper DeCarlo as Vice Chair; Sherry Sanchez Tibbetts as Secretary; and Lynne K Leaf as Treasurer. Directors listed are Nancy Aronson Norr, Michelle Bauer, Julie Brock, Will Cooley, Dr Marcheta Evans, and Dr Antonia Felix.
Minnesota Humanities Center is led by Kevin Lindsey, CEO since 2024 (on filings since 2019); 5 of 29 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kevin Lindsey
CEO
Chief Executive Officer → CEO, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$96K (2020) → $223K (2025)
Johua Ney
Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2022
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Casey Demarais
Director of Public Programming
Director of Stratagy → Director of Public Programming, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$117K (2024) → $116K (2025)
Kim Schaufenbuel
Director
Secretary → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Will Cooley
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jessica O'Brien
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rebecca Lynn Petersen
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jay Sieling
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Bauer
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Aronson Norr
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amina Jaafar PhD
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carolyn Roby
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Hamlar
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Brock
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristie Lazenberry
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary L Hilfiker
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Warren Larson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Antonia Felix
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jordan Metsa
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marcheta Evans
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Kuskie
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Lindstrom
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kirsten Wittmann
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rose McGee
Humanities Griot
Program Officer → Humanities Griot, 2024
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$110K (2019) → $115K (2025)
MayKao Fredericks
Cho
Chief Humanities Officer → Cho, 2024
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$110K (2021) → $111K (2025)
Aby John
COO
Chief Operating Officer → COO, 2024
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$105K (2021) → $125K (2025)
Lynne K Leaf
Treasurer
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mattie Harper DeCarlo
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sherry Sanchez Tibbetts
Secretary
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (40)
- Former: Carter Meland (2024) — Director
- Former: J Wes Flinn (2024) — Director
- Former: Kirsten Johnson (2024) — Director
- Former: Cassandra Demarais (2020–2023) — Director of Strategic Ptnrshps
- Former: Mark Kuskie (2023) — Director
- Former: Ali Elhassan (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Brian Steeves (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Bryan Ljung (2019–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Carol Aegerter (2019–2022) — Director-Bldg Renovation
- Former: David Dayhoff (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Jacqueline Johnson (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Les Heen (2019–2022) — Chair
- Former: Nkem Chirpich (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Patrick Henry (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Rebecca Evan (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Trudy Ohnsorg (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Annamarie Hill (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Christine Wolf (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Nicholas Jenkins (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Alexandra Siclait (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Anita Patel (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Athena Kildegaard (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Kristin White (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: Sylvia Strobel (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Tzianena Vang (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Sheila Tabaka (2021) — Director
- Former: Jean King (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: John Lally (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Alex Tittle Sr. (2019) — Director
- Former: Annamarie Gutsch (2019) — Director
- Former: Anne Hunter (2019) — Interim CEO
- Former: Brianna Erickson (2019) — Director
- Former: Colleen Aho (2019) — Director
- Former: David O'Fallon (2019) — Chief Executive Officer
- Former: Keith Brooks (2019) — Director
- Former: Leondra Burchall (2019) — Vice President
- Former: Lisa Belak (2019) — Director
- Former: Matembo Kitoy (2019) — Director
- Former: Meredith Beeson (2019) — Director
- Former: Tom Schmall (2019) — Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
Contact
Mailing address: 987 Ivy Ave E, St Paul, MN 55106
Phone: (651) 772-4291
Website: https://mnhum.org
Frequently asked questions about Minnesota Humanities Center
How much does Minnesota Humanities Center give each year?
Minnesota Humanities Center gave $8.0M across 115 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.9M across 90 grants.
What is Minnesota Humanities Center's typical grant size?
Minnesota Humanities Center's median grant in 2025 was $43,700, and its average grant was $69,581, across 115 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Minnesota Humanities Center that year got $44K on average.
Where does Minnesota Humanities Center give grants?
Minnesota Humanities Center 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 Minneapolis, MN (38 grants), Saint Paul, MN (30 grants), St Cloud, MN (4 grants) and Duluth, MN (4 grants).
Does Minnesota Humanities Center give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 115 grants with a stated purpose on Minnesota Humanities Center's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Art and Cultural Heritage" (115 grants).
Who are Minnesota Humanities Center's largest grantees?
Minnesota Humanities Center's largest 2025 grantees include Hunger Solutions Minnesota ($563,780), Springboard for the Arts ($535,812) and Minnesota Childrens Museum ($472,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Minnesota Humanities Center?
Minnesota Humanities Center reported $44.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $30.7M.
What does Minnesota Humanities Center fund?
MHC’s mission is to spark positive change by increasing collective understanding of ourselves, our communities, and our histories through stories and experiences. Its stated focus areas include education, civic renewal, immersive experiences, and public programming. Its grantmaking supports individuals, nonprofits, schools, museums, and other organizations across Minnesota. Recent recipients illustrate the range: Hunger Solutions Minnesota describes its work as ending hunger in Minnesota; Sprin…
How do I apply for a grant from Minnesota Humanities Center?
In filing year 2025, MHC reported 115 grants totaling $8,001,806. Grants ranged from $5,885 to $563,780, with a median of $43,700. The largest listed awards included $563,780 to Hunger Solutions Minnesota, $535,812 to Springboard for the Arts, and $472,500 to Minnesota Children’s Museum. These awards were listed for Art and Cultural Heritage. MHC’s grant programs support a range of activities. Opportunities listed by the organization include grants for Minnesota musicians; authors and organizat…
What is Minnesota Humanities Center's EIN?
Minnesota Humanities Center's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1322769. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Minnesota Humanities Center by hand.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Minnesota Humanities Center's focus areas in our free grants database
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Minnesota Humanities Center down — hundreds of funders to go?