Rooted Philanthropic
Rooted Philanthropic is a private foundation based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, focused on supporting and investing in work in Saint Paul’s East Side neighborhoods. It provides financial and other supportive resources to efforts aligned with its interests, which include entrepreneurship and small business, education, and wellness.
Rooted Philanthropic at a glance
In short: Rooted Philanthropic gave $2.5M across 42 grants in 2025 (avg $58K), mostly in Minnesota. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,453,700
- +3.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 42
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $58,421
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $35,000
- Total assets
- $8,636,763
- -3.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (17 of 42, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (95% 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 Rooted Philanthropic
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 804 Margaret Street, Saint Paul, MN 55106
Phone: (651) 225-1463
Website: https://rootedphilanthropic.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Rooted Philanthropic
Who Rooted Philanthropic funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Hill-Murray Foundation ($530K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
106 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 106 (58%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation focuses its giving and support on Saint Paul’s East Side. Its grantmaking page identifies service areas D1, D2, D4, and D5. In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 5% to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Rooted Philanthropic open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 42 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $32K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $35K first-time, $40K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 791% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2023–2025). 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 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.0M (2023) to $2.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 42 grants totaling $2.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hill-Murray Foundation St. Paul, MN | Future leaders scholarship program, pioneer premer auction sponsorship, hill murray gala auction sponsorship | $530,000 |
| Latino Economic Development Center St. Paul, MN | Program Support | $219,000 |
| Indigenous Roots St. Paul, MN | Program Support | $172,500 |
| Center for Broadcast Journalism St. Paul, MN | Capital Support | $160,000 |
| Culture Booster Minneapolis, MN | General Operating Support | $130,000 |
| Esaba Charitable Foundation St. Paul, MN | General Operating Support | $129,600 |
| Local Initiative Support Corporation New York, NY | Program Support | $119,600 |
| Hmong American Farmers Association Saint Paul, MN | General Operating Support | $110,000 |
| Urban Roots St. Paul, MN | General Operating Support | $75,325 |
| The Sanneh Foundation St. Paul, MN | General Operating Support | $65,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Rooted Philanthropic?
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 | $8,636,763 | $2,979,005 | $3,378,111 | $2,453,700 | 42 | $3,283,773 | $893,805 | $415,010 |
| 2024 | $8,963,867 | $5,025,806 | $3,092,168 | $2,370,900 | 43 | $4,047,350 | $1,580,988 | $434,267 |
| 2023 | $6,792,802 | $8,296,801 | $2,302,974 | $1,994,075 | 21 | $2,266,638 | $103,739 | $222,348 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rooted Philanthropic reported a distributable amount of $415K 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
The foundation’s three funding pillars are entrepreneurship and small business, education, and wellness. Its stated aim is to support sustainable, generational wealth, health, and well-being, with strategies shaped by community participation and advisement.
For entrepreneurship and small business, the foundation describes its approach through “Cohort, Capability, and Capital”: cohort-based training and assistance for entrepreneurs, support for organizations advancing small-business development, and access to affordable capital. It says it prioritizes BIPOC and female entrepreneurs and business owners who have historically faced barriers to economic opportunity.
The foundation generally provides general operating support, and may also fund training, technical assistance, learning cohorts, or other grantee services. Its stated grantmaking mechanisms include support for nonprofits and individuals, capital activation and loans, program-related and mission-related investments, loan guarantees, charitable purposes at for-profits, collaboratives, intermediaries, community-event sponsorships, direct program creation, and co-investment.
The 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Latino Economic Development Center describes its mission as creating economic opportunities for Latinos across Minnesota; Indigenous Roots describes its work as cultivating opportunities with and for Brown, Black, Native, and Indigenous peoples through cultural arts and activism. The Center for Broadcast Journalism says it works to advance representation in media by providing education, paid internships, and employment opportunities, while Hmong American Farmers Association describes its mission as advancing the economic, social, and cultural prosperity of Hmong American farmers in Minnesota.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 42 grants totaling $2,453,700 in 2025. Those grants ranged from $100 to $530,000, with a median of $35,000. Its largest 2025 grants included $530,000 to Hill-Murray Foundation for scholarship and gala-related purposes; $219,000 to Latino Economic Development Center for program support; $172,500 to Indigenous Roots for program support; and $160,000 to Center for Broadcast Journalism for capital support. Other notable awards included $130,000 to Culture Booster and $129,600 to ESABA Charitable Foundation, both for general operating support.
The website says grants are made on an ongoing basis, without application deadlines or a strict application process, and that most arise through relationship-building, referrals, community advisors, existing grantees, and other community engagement. It invites organizations whose work aligns with its funding interests to submit a Mini Letter of Inquiry. The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shannon Runyon and Tony Nicholson as directors, Charles Runyon as president, Patrick Troska as executive director, and Vong Thao as manager. The website lists Patrick J. Troska as executive director; Vong Thao as program officer for entrepreneurship and small business; Felicia Henderson as program officer for wellness; and Betsy Currie as operations manager.
Rooted Philanthropic is led by Patrick Troska, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 2 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Patrick Troska
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$140K (2023) → $228K (2025)
Charles Runyon
President
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shannon Runyon
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony Nicholson
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vong Thao
Manager
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$29K (2023) → $108K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Delaney Runyon (2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2022–2025. "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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $228K, to Patrick Troska (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Rooted Philanthropic
How much does Rooted Philanthropic give each year?
Rooted Philanthropic gave $2.5M across 42 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.4M across 43 grants.
What is Rooted Philanthropic's typical grant size?
Rooted Philanthropic's median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $58,421, across 42 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rooted Philanthropic that year got $32K on average.
Where does Rooted Philanthropic give grants?
Rooted Philanthropic gives mostly in Minnesota: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Paul, MN (28 grants), Minneapolis, MN (9 grants) and Saint Pail, MN (2 grants).
Does Rooted Philanthropic give general operating support?
Yes: 67% of Rooted Philanthropic's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (8 grants) and "Sponsorship" (4 grants).
Who are Rooted Philanthropic's largest grantees?
Rooted Philanthropic's largest 2025 grantees include Hill-Murray Foundation ($530,000), Latino Economic Development Center ($219,000) and Indigenous Roots ($172,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rooted Philanthropic?
Rooted Philanthropic reported $8.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $415K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Rooted Philanthropic fund?
The foundation’s three funding pillars are entrepreneurship and small business, education, and wellness. Its stated aim is to support sustainable, generational wealth, health, and well-being, with strategies shaped by community participation and advisement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rooted Philanthropic?
Rooted Philanthropic does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check rootedphilanthropic.org for any change to that policy.
What is Rooted Philanthropic's EIN?
Rooted Philanthropic's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-1319784. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2022–2025.
Does Rooted Philanthropic 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2022–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Rooted Philanthropic's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rooted Philanthropic funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rooted-philanthropic-morg_826c67055ea449b69bbb494f22e1ac35
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_301319784_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rooted Philanthropic funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rooted-philanthropic-morg_826c67055ea449b69bbb494f22e1ac35},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Rooted Philanthropic'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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