The Opus Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 2000 and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It serves as the philanthropic arm of The Opus Group, a commercial real estate development, design, and design-build company. The Foundation operates as a separate entity with its own Board of Directors and has awarded nearly $58.4 million since its founding to help build communities.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$5.5M
+23.0% YoY
Grant Count
164
-2.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$33K
+26.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Opus Foundation is committed to improving conditions that disproportionately affect historically underinvested individuals and communities. The Foundation deploys capital across four primary focus areas:
- Early Childhood Education — Providing high-quality experiences for preschool-aged children that result in enhanced social/emotional skills and school readiness
- Youth Development — Promoting healthy social and academic development of youth with emphasis on fostering aspirations to stay in school and pursue higher education or career tracks
- Workforce Development — Strengthening the workforce in communities to position and prepare under/unemployed individuals for career readiness, advancement, and greater self-sufficiency
- Community Revitalization — Increasing the vitality of economically disinvested neighborhoods through development of small businesses, affordable housing, and other important community assets
The Foundation is guided by eight core principles that emphasize investments in education and self-sufficiency, partnership with entrepreneurial and innovative organizations, inclusive practices, community listening, and racial equity as a core priority.
Grantmaking
Invitation Only
** The Opus Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. Grantmaking is invitation-only. The Foundation operates through semi-annual Impact Fund cycles and monthly Opportunity Fund processes. Decision time varies but typically takes approximately three months.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Opus Foundation funds in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, and Colorado—states where The Opus Group operates. The Foundation supports diverse communities across multiple U.S. cities including Minneapolis, Chicago, Denver, and Phoenix.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $131.7–$139.3 million (as of 2023–2024)
Annual Revenue: $8.4–$29.2 million (varies by fiscal year)
Annual Expenses: $6.5–$6.8 million
Total Liabilities: $3.02 million (2023)
Total Giving: $4.5–$5.9 million annually
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
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 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Matt Rauenhorst — President/Chair
- Kristin Ridley — Vice President and Executive Director (compensation: $240,349 as of 2023)
- Suzanne Flannigan — Vice President
- Ian Widmer — Treasurer
- Elaine Rasmussen — Secretary
- Additional board members include Kim Noonan, Joe Downs, Beth Duyvejonck, Margaret Green-Rauenhorst, Aretha Green-Rupert, Olivia Jefferson, and Tim Murnane
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Rauenhorst | President/Chair | 1 | — |
| Kristin Ridley | Vice President/Executive Director | 40 | $240,349 |
| Suzanne Flannigan | Vice President | 6 | — |
| Elaine Rasmussen | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Ian Widmer | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Kristen Grubb | Tax Officer | 10 | $39,998 |
| Beth Duyvejonck | Director | 1 | — |
| Margaret Green-Rauenhorst | Director | 1 | — |
| Aretha Green-Rupert | Director | 1 | — |
| Olivia Jefferson | Director | 1 | — |
| Kelli Justesen | Director | 1 | — |
| Tim Murnane | Director | 1 | — |
| Kim Noonan | Director | 1 | — |
| Larry Pobuda | Director | 1 | — |
Recent Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has announced multiple grant awards in recent periods, including grants exceeding $1.9 million (December 2025), $1.5 million (June 2025), and $1.4 million in other recent cycles. Notable recent grants include support to the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for hotel-to-housing conversion initiatives.
Opus Foundation Awards Over $1.9 Million in Grants - OpusThe Foundation maintains an active volunteer engagement program, hosting an annual company-wide volunteer day called Founder's Day since 2012 to commemorate the organization's founding.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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