Mortenson Family Foundation
The Mortenson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It supports partnerships and community-driven approaches that advance equity, opportunity, and sustainable systems, with stated grantmaking areas covering children and families, Minnesota’s environment, and developing communities.
Mortenson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Mortenson Family Foundation gave $6.2M across 262 grants in 2024 (avg $24K), mostly in Minnesota. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,205,000
- -2.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 262
- +4.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $23,683
- -7.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $141,813,340
- +3.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (42 of 198, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (78% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mortenson Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation uses online application forms and its grant-management system. Prospective applicants can view current opportunities and apply when an opportunity is open; the foundation’s FAQ says that if an opportunity is not listed, its LOI or application process is not open. Guidelines are available through the foundation. The 2026 opportunities for all three grantmaking areas are closed. Selected nonprofits may be invited to a separate process for funding outside the three priority areas.
- Review Cycle
- Submission deadlines vary by grant opportunity.
- Deadline
- Submission deadlines vary by grant opportunity.
- Contact
Application contact: Ambar Hanson
Mailing address: 700 Meadow Lane North, Minneapolis, MN 55422
Phone: (763) 287-5770
Email: ambar.hanson@mortensonfamily.org
Website: https://mortensonfamily.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Mortenson Family Foundation
Who Mortenson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (DBA Hawaii Land Trust) ($250K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
1,154 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 992 grants of 1,154 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website specifies that Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families serves Minnesota’s seven-county metro area, while Sustaining Environmental Systems is statewide in Minnesota. Strengthening Developing Communities covers 14 countries in Central America and Africa. The foundation’s 2024 filing data show that 78% of grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients; other reported recipient-state shares were Hawaii 4%, California 3%, Colorado 3%, and an unspecified category 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 262 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mortenson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 42 of 198 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $34K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $28K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 36% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5.0M (2020) to $9.7M (2021). In 2024 it made 262 grants totaling $6.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (DBA Hawaii Land Trust) Honolulu, HI | Ola Mahukona | $250,000 |
| Regents of the University of Colorado Denver, CO | Mortenson Center for Global Engineering | $200,000 |
| Allina Health Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Courage Kenny | $100,000 |
| Northside Achievement Zone Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| Schwarz Africa Fund Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| The Museum of Russian Art Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| World Savvy Minneapolis, MN | Information Management System | $100,000 |
| Eastern Congo Initiative (Aka Asili) Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted | $90,000 |
| Montessori American Indian Childcare Center Incorporated St. Paul, MN | Unrestricted | $75,000 |
| People Serving People Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted | $75,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Mortenson Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $141,813,340 | $17,177,085 | $11,267,587 | $6,205,000 | 262 | $7,357,805 | $9,304,781 | $8,102,760 |
| 2023 | $136,619,117 | $9,541,415 | $10,385,024 | $6,380,000 | 250 | $7,512,459 | $3,778,729 | $7,640,739 |
| 2022 | $139,145,890 | $15,465,306 | $10,483,020 | $8,706,000 | 288 | $9,699,054 | $3,357,098 | $7,570,001 |
| 2021 | $135,941,290 | $34,670,895 | $6,341,270 | $9,707,500 | 188 | $10,461,005 | $9,012,336 | $7,206,316 |
| 2020 | $115,408,078 | $41,893,780 | $5,599,280 | $4,982,500 | 166 | — | $5,091,398 | $5,322,654 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mortenson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to build partnerships that strengthen community-driven approaches advancing equity, opportunity, and sustainable systems. Its website identifies these areas of interest:
- Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families: equitable access to academic, social-emotional, and mental health and wellness opportunities across the seven-county metro area, along with more inclusive systems that support student, family, and community agency.
- Sustaining Environmental Systems: reducing and repairing environmental harms and supporting equitable, sustainable access to healthy land and water for Minnesotans.
- Strengthening Developing Communities: supporting higher living standards for youth and families in developing countries through sustainable solutions developed in partnership with communities.
- Enhancing Community Through Impact Investments: investments intended to generate social or environmental benefits as well as a financial return.
The foundation’s 2024 grants also illustrate the kinds of organizations it supports. For example, Northside Achievement Zone describes its mission as ending multigenerational poverty in North Minneapolis by helping low-income children of color succeed in school, careers, and life. Montessori American Indian Childcare Center says it addresses American Indian children’s early childhood needs and academic achievement gap through language and cultural revitalization. People Serving People describes its work as supporting families experiencing housing instability through shelter, early childhood education, housing stabilization, and systems change. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 262 grants totaling $6,205,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median of $15,000. In 2023, it reported 250 grants totaling $6,380,000; in 2022, it reported 288 grants totaling $8,706,000.
Among the largest reported 2024 grants were $250,000 to Hawaiian Islands Land Trust for Ola Mahukona and $200,000 to the Regents of the University of Colorado for the Mortenson Center for Global Engineering. Minnesota recipients included Allina Health Foundation, Northside Achievement Zone, Schwarz Africa Fund, the Museum of Russian Art, and World Savvy, each receiving $100,000. The foundation also gave $90,000 to Eastern Congo Initiative and $75,000 each to Montessori American Indian Childcare Center, People Serving People, Thousand Currents, and Way to Grow.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation’s website lists Alice Mortenson as chair and president, Nathalie Mortenson as vice president, Mark Mortenson as secretary, and Chad Foote as treasurer. Its listed directors are Alice Mortenson, Chris Mortenson, Dana Mortenson, Katie Mortenson, Mark Mortenson, Mathias Mortenson, and Nathalie Mortenson. The website also lists Ambar Hanson, executive director, as an ex-officio board member.
Mortenson Family Foundation is led by Ambar Hanson, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 11 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ambar Hanson
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$162K (2022) → $208K (2024)
Alice D. Mortenson
President & Chair
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher D. Mortenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dana L. Mortenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David C. Mortenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kate M. Mortenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katie M. Mortenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mathias H. Mortenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark A. Mortenson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nathalie G. Mortenson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chad Foote
Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Randy Jenson (2020–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Donna Dalton (2020–2022) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $208K, to Ambar Hanson (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Mortenson Family Foundation
How much does Mortenson Family Foundation give each year?
Mortenson Family Foundation gave $6.2M across 262 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.4M across 250 grants.
What is Mortenson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Mortenson Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $23,683, across 262 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mortenson Family Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does Mortenson Family Foundation give grants?
Mortenson Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (129 grants), St. Paul, MN (63 grants), Burnsville, MN (4 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Mortenson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 70% of Mortenson Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (183 of 262) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Capacity Building" (6 grants).
Who are Mortenson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Mortenson Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Hawaiian Islands Land Trust (DBA Hawaii Land Trust) ($250,000), Regents of the University of Colorado ($200,000) and World Savvy ($150,000 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($10,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 10% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mortenson Family Foundation?
Mortenson Family Foundation reported $141.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $8.1M (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 Mortenson Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to build partnerships that strengthen community-driven approaches advancing equity, opportunity, and sustainable systems. Its website identifies these areas of interest: See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mortenson Family Foundation?
The foundation uses online application forms and its grant-management system. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Mortenson Family Foundation's EIN?
Mortenson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1958621. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Mortenson Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mortenson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 9, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mortenson-family-foundation-morg_b9e0ff6497274a229ec691dc89860f61
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411958621_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mortenson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mortenson-family-foundation-morg_b9e0ff6497274a229ec691dc89860f61},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-09. 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 Mortenson Family 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.
Mortenson Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?