Nicholson Family Foundation
The Nicholson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Paul, Minnesota. It makes grants to charitable organizations, but states that it gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Nicholson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Nicholson Family Foundation gave $902K across 156 grants in 2024 (avg $6K), mostly in Minnesota. 7% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $902,138
- +6.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 156
- -3.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,783
- +10.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $15,414,714
- +3.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 7% first-time grantees (11 of 156, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (91% 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 Nicholson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6 West Fifth Street 200, St Paul, MN 55102-1490
Phone: (651) 290-0549
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Nicholson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Park Square Theater Company ($62K). Together the top 10 received $365K.
Grant Size Distribution
777 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 766 grants of 777 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota. The remaining reported shares were 4% to recipients in the District of Columbia and 1% each to recipients in Colorado, Virginia and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 156 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Nicholson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
7%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 156 grantees (7%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 92% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $744K (2020) to $902K (2024). In 2024 it made 156 grants totaling $902K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Park Square Theater Company Available Upon Request, MN | General Operations | $61,687 |
| Ramsey County Historical Society Inc Available Upon Request, MN | Capital Campaign | $61,556 |
| MN Historical Society Available Upon Request, MN | General Operations | $43,237 |
| Commonbond Communities Available Upon Request, MN | General Operations | $34,401 |
| Wilder Foundation Amherst H Available Upon Request, MN | Endowment | $32,312 |
| Metro State University Foundation Available Upon Request, MN | General Operations | $29,837 |
| St Paul Parks and Conservancy Available Upon Request, MN | General Operations | $27,750 |
| George Washington University Available Upon Request, DC | Planet Forward Fund | $25,000 |
| Listening House of St Paul Available Upon Request, MN | General Operations | $25,000 |
| Allina Health Foundation Available Upon Request, MN | General Operations | $24,467 |
Ready to take the next step with Nicholson Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation reported 156 grants in 2024, 161 in 2023 and 168 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $15,414,714 | $1,949,605 | $1,105,184 | $902,138 | 156 | $949,026 | $1,552,544 | $936,613 |
| 2023 | $14,911,368 | $827,211 | $953,040 | $843,942 | 161 | $879,064 | $570,711 | $858,082 |
| 2022 | $15,019,356 | $1,266,331 | $1,361,542 | $798,594 | 168 | $828,757 | $609,056 | $847,002 |
| 2021 | $14,592,074 | $3,184,374 | $1,662,956 | $849,827 | 149 | $874,939 | $1,931,770 | $875,919 |
| 2020 | $12,675,460 | $850,303 | $981,746 | $743,751 | 143 | — | $325,255 | $746,628 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nicholson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $937K 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
No mission statement or formal funding-area list is provided. The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, historical societies, affordable housing, health care, education, parks and community organizations.
Among its grantees, Ramsey County Historical Society describes its mission as “preserving our past, informing our present, inspiring our future.” CommonBond Communities says it works to build stable homes, strong futures and vibrant communities, including through affordable housing with services. Listening House of St. Paul describes its mission as welcoming the community through radical hospitality.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 156 grants totaling $902,138. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $61,687, with a median of $2,500.
The largest listed grants included $61,687 to Park Square Theater Company for general operations; $61,556 to Ramsey County Historical Society for a capital campaign; $43,237 to the Minnesota Historical Society for general operations; and $34,401 to CommonBond Communities for general operations. Other notable grants included $32,312 to Wilder Foundation Amherst H for an endowment, $29,837 to Metro State University Foundation for general operations, and $25,000 to George Washington University for the Planet Forward Fund.
Additional 2024 recipients included Allina Health Foundation, which received $24,467; Como Friends, which received $19,100; Twin Cities Public Television, which received $17,600; Mounds Park Academy, which received $16,000; and People Incorporated, which received $14,000.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Richard H. Nicholson as president, David O. Nicholson as vice president, Ford J. Nicholson as secretary, Todd S. Nicholson as treasurer, and Pondie N. Taylor as manager/advisor.
Nicholson Family Foundation is led by Richard H. Nicholson, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Richard H. Nicholson
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$17K (2020) → $25K (2024)
David O. Nicholson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ford J. Nicholson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Todd S. Nicholson
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Pondie N. Taylor
Manager & Advisor
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
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 $25K, to Richard H Nicholson (President).
Frequently asked questions about Nicholson Family Foundation
How much does Nicholson Family Foundation give each year?
Nicholson Family Foundation gave $902K across 156 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $844K across 161 grants.
What is Nicholson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Nicholson Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $5,783, across 156 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Nicholson Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Nicholson Family Foundation give grants?
Nicholson Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Available Upon Request, MN (129 grants), Available Upon Request, CO (8 grants), Available Upon Request, DC (4 grants) and Available Upon Request, CA (3 grants).
Does Nicholson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 92% of Nicholson Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (144 of 156) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Endowment" (5 grants) and "Scholarship" (3 grants).
Who are Nicholson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Nicholson Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Park Square Theater Company ($61,687), Ramsey County Historical Society Inc ($61,556) and MN Historical Society ($43,237), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Nicholson Family Foundation?
Nicholson Family Foundation reported $15.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $949K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $937K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Nicholson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement or formal funding-area list is provided. The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, historical societies, affordable housing, health care, education, parks and community organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nicholson Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Nicholson Family Foundation's EIN?
Nicholson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1572346. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Nicholson Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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 11, 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 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Nicholson Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Nicholson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nicholson-family-foundation-morg_309b66e64d0941bd9206ef4a3a8d5220
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411572346_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nicholson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nicholson-family-foundation-morg_309b66e64d0941bd9206ef4a3a8d5220},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Nicholson 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.
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