Minnesota State Fair Foundation logo

Minnesota State Fair Foundation

Public charity · Grantmaker St. Paul, MN EIN: 41-2013696 Website

The Minnesota State Fair Foundation's mission is to preserve and improve the historic Minnesota state fairgrounds and support state fair programs and projects in agriculture, arts & culture, education, the environment, and history.

Minnesota State Fair Foundation at a glance

In short: Minnesota State Fair Foundation gave $1.5M across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $1.5M), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2025)
$1,508,086
-25.2% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
1
+0.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$1,508,086
-25.2% vs 2024
Median grant
$1,508,086
Total assets
$24,912,640
+40.4% vs 2024
Primary geography
Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.

Who Minnesota State Fair Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top recipient in 2025

Minnesota State Agricultural Society - 1265 Snelling Avenue North: $1.5MMinnesota State AgriculturalSociety - 1265 Snelling…$1.5M

The largest 2025 recipient was Minnesota State Agricultural Society - 1265 Snelling Avenue North ($1.5M).

Grant Size Distribution

5 grants across all recorded years

<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M4$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 4 grants of 5 (80%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.

States

Cities

St. Paul

How Minnesota State Fair Foundation gives

  • Giving grew 46% from 2022 to 2025. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M1 grant2019 1 grant2020 1 grant2021 1 grant2022 1 grant2023 1 grant2024 1 grant2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $811K (2020) to $2.0M (2024). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $1.5M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Minnesota State Agricultural Society - 1265 Snelling Avenue North St. Paul, MNImprovements for the MN State Fair$1,508,086
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2025$24,912,640$9,338,544$2,667,172$1,508,0861$723,746
2024$17,749,748$13,731,998$3,129,131$2,015,3781$287,695
2023$6,560,863$3,605,633$2,333,693$1,216,8741$141,962
2022$5,176,918$2,693,185$1,992,212$1,031,6421$24,716
2021$4,967,598$2,790,131$1,920,708$847,7691$1,338
2020$3,684,844$1,410,142$1,718,374$811,2001$24
2019$3,796,174$2,660,144$1,972,256$1,001,2501$511

About Minnesota State Fair Foundation

Based on IRS filings

Minnesota State Fair Foundation is a public charity, based in St. Paul, MN. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $24.9M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $1.5M. Net investment income was $724K.

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Minnesota State Fair Foundation is led by Mary Chung, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 34 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Mary Chung

    Executive Director

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $92K (2020) → $0 (2025)

  • Litton Es Field Jr.

    Chair

    Treasurer → Vice Chair, 2022

    Vice Chair → Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Cathy Lawrence

    Vice Chair & Development Chair

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    Director → Vice Chair & Development Chair, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Shana Zaiser

    Development Director

    On filings since 2023

    40 hrs/week

    $100K (2023) → $101K (2025)

  • Brad Ribar

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dale Bachman

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dan Shogren

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Sorensen

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Frank Parisi

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ken Sandvik

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Linda Tank

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Liz Kramer

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kayla Yang-Best

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ted Johnson

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Danny Grunhovd

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Darrell Thompson

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Doug Huebsch

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrea Ames

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Remes

    Director

    Board Member → Director, 2023

    On filings since 2022

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Frank Sullivan

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Peggy Lucas

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Nicole Behne

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Pete Johnson

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Terri McEnaney

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Alexandria Schroeder

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrea Larson

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Andrea Mokros

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Charlie Nauen

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Chuck Tryon

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Dave Rustad

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Steve Koziolek

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jason Koerth

    Past Chair

    Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2022

    Board Chair → Past Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Eric Britt

    Treasurer

    Board Member → Treasurer, 2022

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Renee Alexander

    Secretary

    On filings since 2023

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (16)
  • Former: Dave Mona (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Julie Craven (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Mike Sullivan (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Jason Koerth Past Chair (2024) — Director
  • Former: Allen Levine (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Jerry Hammer (2019–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Sandy Craighead (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Michael Sullivan (2020–2023) — Director
  • Former: Jeff Hawkins (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: John Fabie (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Patty Smith (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Paul Merkins (2019–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Ron Oleheiser (2020–2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Cynthia Macmillan (2021) — Board Member
  • Former: Bert Greener (2019–2020) — Board Member
  • Former: Cynthia Cashman (2019) — Former Executive 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

Shana Zaiser — Development Director: $101KShana ZaiserDevelopment Director$101K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $101K, to Shana Zaiser (Development Director).

Frequently asked questions about Minnesota State Fair Foundation

How much does Minnesota State Fair Foundation give each year?

Minnesota State Fair Foundation gave $1.5M across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 1 grant.

How large is Minnesota State Fair Foundation?

Minnesota State Fair Foundation reported $24.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.3M.

Where does Minnesota State Fair Foundation operate?

Minnesota State Fair Foundation has awarded grants in Minnesota.

What is Minnesota State Fair Foundation's EIN?

Minnesota State Fair Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-2013696. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

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

Data update history

(8)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 16, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 11, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 8, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 5, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 14, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 11, 2025)
  7. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 3, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Minnesota State Fair Foundation'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.

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