Salem Foundation Inc
Salem Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wayzata, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable, religious, educational, cultural, health, and social-services organizations, with the largest share of grant dollars going to Minnesota recipients.
Salem Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Salem Foundation Inc gave $26K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $875), mostly in Minnesota. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $26,250
- +43.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 30
- +76.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $875
- -18.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $769,373
- -0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (6 of 30, 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 Salem Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The filing says to submit a letter and include a copy of the IRS determination letter. It names Robert Parish as the contact. Grants are to be expended for charitable, literary, educational, religious, and scientific organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Robert Parish
Mailing address: 418 Waycliffe Drive North, Wayzata, MN 55391
Phone: (952) 476-6292
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Salem Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Vetertainment ($3K). Together the top 10 received $17K.
Grant Size Distribution
181 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 180 grants of 181 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 65% of grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients, 10% to Florida, 10% to Tennessee, 6% to Connecticut, and 4% to Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Salem Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 30 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $958; repeat grants $854. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 33% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 64% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 55% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $18K (2024) to $321K (2023). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $26K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vetertainment Stillwater, MN | Social Services Program Support | $3,000 |
| Wayzata Community Church Wayzata, MN | Religious Program Support | $3,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Health Program Support | $2,500 |
| Church of St John the Evangelist Saint Paul, MN | Religious Program Support | $1,500 |
| Mounds Park Academy St. Paul, MN | Educational Program Support | $1,500 |
| The Retreat East Wayzata, MN | Cultural and Social Services Program Support | $1,250 |
| Americares Stamford, CT | Social Services Program Support | $1,000 |
| Animal Humane Soceity Golden Valley, MN | Social Services Program Support | $1,000 |
| Minnesota Zoo Foundation Apple Valley, MN | Cultural Program Support | $1,000 |
| Science Museum of Minnesota Saint Paul, MN | Cultural Program Support | $1,000 |
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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 | $769,373 | $31,568 | $32,225 | $26,250 | 30 | $29,337 | $28,430 | $53,013 |
| 2024 | $770,030 | $22,525 | $23,938 | $18,250 | 17 | $21,006 | $18,768 | $49,674 |
| 2023 | $771,443 | $17,027 | $326,768 | $321,432 | 37 | $324,107 | $16,251 | $43,078 |
| 2022 | $1,043,202 | $39,170 | $84,374 | $73,600 | 56 | $76,800 | $35,859 | $58,215 |
| 2021 | $1,088,406 | $174,968 | $55,170 | $48,500 | 41 | $51,650 | $171,261 | $56,687 |
| 2020 | $969,165 | $-70,471 | $47,620 | $43,000 | 34 | — | $37,209 | $49,395 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Salem Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $53K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including social services, religion, health, education, and culture.
Examples of grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital says its mission is to advance cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment, without denying treatment based on a child’s race, religion, or family’s ability to pay. Mounds Park Academy says it teaches students to think independently, communicate effectively, and act with respect and integrity. The Science Museum of Minnesota states its mission as “Turn on the science: inspire learning. inform policy. improve lives.” The Minnesota Zoo Foundation says it supports conservation and animal-care programs on behalf of the Minnesota Zoo, whose mission is to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife. Angel Foundation says it offers cancer patients and loved ones financial assistance, education, and emotional support.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $26,250. Grants ranged from $250 to $3,000, with a median grant of $500.
Largest reported grants included $3,000 each to Vetertainment for social-services program support and Wayzata Community Church for religious-program support; $2,500 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for health-program support; and $1,500 each to the Church of St. John the Evangelist for religious-program support and Mounds Park Academy for educational-program support. Other reported awards included $1,250 to The Retreat for cultural and social-services program support, $1,000 each to Americares, Animal Humane Society, Minnesota Zoo Foundation, Science Museum of Minnesota, and St. Paul Academy & Summit School, and $750 to Angel Foundation.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert S. Parish as president, Michael Parish as secretary, and John C. Parish Jr. and Judith Diedrich as directors.
Salem Foundation Inc is led by Robert S. Parish, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert S. Parish
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John C. Parish Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judith Diedrich
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Parish
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Salem Foundation Inc
How much does Salem Foundation Inc give each year?
Salem Foundation Inc gave $26K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $18K across 17 grants.
What is Salem Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Salem Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $500, and its average grant was $875, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Salem Foundation Inc that year got $958 on average.
Where does Salem Foundation Inc give grants?
Salem Foundation Inc 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 Florida (10%) and Tennessee (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Saint Paul, MN (5 grants), Minneapolis, MN (2 grants) and Milwaukee, WI (2 grants).
Does Salem Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Salem Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Social Services Program Support" (14 grants), "Educational Program Support" (5 grants) and "Religious Program Support" (4 grants).
Who are Salem Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Salem Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Vetertainment ($3,000), Wayzata Community Church ($3,000) and St Jude Children's Research Hospital ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Salem Foundation Inc?
Salem Foundation Inc reported $769K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $29K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53K (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 Salem Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including social services, religion, health, education, and culture. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Salem Foundation Inc?
The filing says to submit a letter and include a copy of the IRS determination letter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Salem Foundation Inc's EIN?
Salem Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-6058845. 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 November 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 1, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 22, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 28, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Salem Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?