Piper Sandler Foundation
Piper Sandler Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its grantmaking includes support for community charitable organizations selected by Piper Sandler and its employees, as well as corporate funding for nonprofits aligned with the firm’s education focus.
Piper Sandler Foundation at a glance
In short: Piper Sandler Foundation gave $4.5M across 59 grants in 2025 (avg $76K), mostly in Minnesota. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,482,177
- -0.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 59
- -36.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $75,969
- +57.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $11,442,990
- +202.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (8 of 59, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (65% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Piper Sandler Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts requests through a complete grant application; the filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. The application cycle runs from July 17 through September 1.
- Review Cycle
- September 1.
- Deadline
- September 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Piper Sandler Community Relations
Mailing address: 350 North 5Th Street Suite 1000, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (612) 303-6479
Email: communityrelations@psc.com
Website: https://www.pipersandler.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Piper Sandler Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Corporate Match ($2.1M). Together the top 10 received $3.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
517 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 430 grants of 517 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Piper Sandler says its community funding supports organizations in communities where its employees live and work, and its corporate funding guidelines refer to key markets where it has business and employee presence. In 2025, 65% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 12% to New York, 9% to Texas, 5% to Illinois and 4% to California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 59 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Piper Sandler Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 59 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $87K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 81% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.4M (2020) to $4.5M (2024). In 2025 it made 59 grants totaling $4.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate Match Minneapolis, MN | Corporate Match Payment | $2,078,802 |
| Student Sponsor Partners Inc New York, NY | Headquarter Giving | $260,000 |
| Greenwood Project Chicago, IL | Board Leader Program, Headquarter Giving | $204,000 |
| Wallin Education Partners St. Paul, MN | Headquarter Giving | $197,075 |
| Dougherty Family College University St Thomas Saint Paul, MN | Headquarter Giving, Gift Matching Payments | $155,000 |
| Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN | Regional Giving, Headquarter Giving | $150,300 |
| Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston Houston, TX | Headquarter Giving | $150,000 |
| Cristo Rey New York High School New York, NY | Headquarter Giving | $150,000 |
| NJ Leep Inc Newark, NJ | Headquarter Giving | $150,000 |
| Chinquapin Preparatory School Highlands, TX | Headquarter Giving | $120,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $11,442,990 | $12,147,551 | $4,483,749 | $4,482,177 | 59 | $4,482,177 | $145,635 | $188,059 |
| 2024 | $3,779,188 | $4,138,526 | $4,500,503 | $4,499,924 | 93 | $4,499,924 | $131,460 | $191,465 |
| 2023 | $4,141,165 | $4,065,874 | $3,393,193 | $3,391,445 | 106 | $3,391,445 | $152,209 | $156,924 |
| 2022 | $3,468,484 | $6,048,988 | $3,903,118 | $3,902,126 | 116 | $3,902,126 | $40,508 | $105,588 |
| 2021 | $1,322,614 | $4,207,771 | $3,499,394 | $3,506,675 | 143 | $3,496,375 | — | $68,780 |
| 2020 | $614,237 | $2,116,920 | $2,398,842 | $2,398,159 | 145 | — | $2,542 | $55,386 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Piper Sandler Foundation reported a distributable amount of $188K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Piper Sandler’s stated community-giving mission is to fund charitable organizations it and its employees select and designate in communities where employees live and work. Its corporate giving focuses on increasing education opportunities for individuals from under-resourced communities. The company describes support for educational programs such as tutoring, mentorship, internships, training and scholarships, and for developing educators from non-traditional backgrounds. It also prioritizes programs for future generations and/or people at risk, local relevance to its business and employee presence, and opportunities for employee involvement.
Examples among its 2025 grantees illustrate the range of education and career programs supported. Greenwood Project says it creates financial-services career pathways for Black and Latino college students. Wallin Education Partners says it supports college and career success for high-potential students from low-income backgrounds through financial aid, holistic support and partnerships. NJ LEEP describes its work as college-access and success programming for low-income and first-generation students in the greater Newark area. Scholars of Finance states its mission is to inspire character and integrity in future finance leaders.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 59 grants totaling $4,482,177. Grant amounts ranged from $4,000 to $2,078,802, with a median of $4,000. The largest listed grant was $2,078,802 to Corporate Match for a corporate match payment. Other notable grants included $260,000 to Student Sponsor Partners for “Headquarter Giving”; $204,000 to Greenwood Project for its board leader program and “Headquarter Giving”; $197,075 to Wallin Education Partners for “Headquarter Giving”; and $155,000 to Dougherty Family College at the University of St. Thomas for “Headquarter Giving” and gift-matching payments. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Twin Cities received $150,300, while Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston, Cristo Rey New York High School and NJ LEEP each received $150,000.
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests should begin with a complete Piper Sandler grant application, which includes a list of required supporting materials. Corporate giving will not fund, among other exclusions, organizations that lack 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status or an equivalent, organizations that do not serve communities where Piper Sandler has a business presence, capital campaigns, political or lobbying activities, or religious activities or purposes. Other listed exclusions include support for individuals’ personal needs or travel, athletic or pageant scholarships, and organizations whose programs discriminate on legally protected grounds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John W. Geelan as president and Katherine P. Clune as CFO/treasurer. Directors listed are Kim Tung Wasley, Jorge Puente (through April 2025), Shelby A. Noble, Michael M. Bailey, Victoria B. Beard, Robert Alastair Mathieson and Michael R. Dillahunt.
Piper Sandler Foundation is led by John W. Geelan, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John W. Geelan
President
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Victoria B. Beard
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jorge Puente
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Tung Wasley
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael M. Bailey
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelby A. Noble
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael R. Dillahunt
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robert Alastair Mathieson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Katherine P. Clune
CFO & Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Debbra L. Schoneman (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: May Della Pietra (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Timothy L. Carter (2020–2024) — CFO & Treasurer
- Former: Thomas P. Schnettler (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Mikki C. Mathews (2022–2023) — Director
- Former: Chad Abraham (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Frank E. Fairman (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Matthew S. Hemsley (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Piper Sandler Foundation
How much does Piper Sandler Foundation give each year?
Piper Sandler Foundation gave $4.5M across 59 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $4.5M across 93 grants.
What is Piper Sandler Foundation's typical grant size?
Piper Sandler Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $75,969, across 59 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Piper Sandler Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Piper Sandler Foundation give grants?
Piper Sandler Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (12%) and Texas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (11 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Saint Paul, MN (6 grants) and Houston, TX (3 grants).
Does Piper Sandler Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 59 grants with a stated purpose on Piper Sandler Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Board Leader Program" (35 grants), "Headquarter Giving" (11 grants) and "Gift Matching Payments" (5 grants).
Who are Piper Sandler Foundation's largest grantees?
Piper Sandler Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Corporate Match ($2,078,802), Student Sponsor Partners Inc ($260,000) and Greenwood Project ($204,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Piper Sandler Foundation?
Piper Sandler Foundation reported $11.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $188K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Piper Sandler Foundation fund?
Piper Sandler’s stated community-giving mission is to fund charitable organizations it and its employees select and designate in communities where employees live and work. Its corporate giving focuses on increasing education opportunities for individuals from under-resourced communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Piper Sandler Foundation?
The foundation accepts requests through a complete grant application; the filing states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Piper Sandler Foundation's EIN?
Piper Sandler Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1734808. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Piper Sandler Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/piper-sandler-foundation-morg_aa9fc502f1284774a1d52a6163fbb85d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411734808_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Piper Sandler Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/piper-sandler-foundation-morg_aa9fc502f1284774a1d52a6163fbb85d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Piper Sandler 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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