Sandcastle Foundation
Sandcastle Foundation is a private foundation based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, youth services, health, housing, and community support.
Sandcastle Foundation at a glance
In short: Sandcastle Foundation gave $940K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $23K), mostly in Minnesota. 49% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $940,000
- +17.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +28.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,927
- -8.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $11,247,711
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 49% first-time grantees (20 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (70% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sandcastle Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 9427 Olympia Drive, Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Phone: (952) 944-8586
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sandcastle Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of St Thomas ($75K). Together the top 10 received $450K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 160 grants of 172 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Minnesota recipients received 70% of grant dollars, Missouri recipients 10%, and Montana recipients 5%. New York and Arizona recipients received 3% and 2%, respectively.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sandcastle Foundation open to new grantees?
49%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 20 of 41 grantees (49%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $27K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 49% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 57% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 97% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $320K (2019) to $940K (2025). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $940K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $75,000 |
| Ujamaa Place Saint Paul, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $70,000 |
| African American Child Wellness Institute Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $50,000 |
| Washington University Saint Louis, MO | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $50,000 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities St. Paul, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $40,000 |
| Crescent Cove Brooklyn Center, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $40,000 |
| Constellation Fund Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $35,000 |
| Aeon Minneapolis, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $30,000 |
| Eden Prairie Community Foundation Eden Prairie, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $30,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of Minnesota North St. Paul, MN | Unrestricted Charitable Grant | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sandcastle Foundation?
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 | $11,247,711 | $1,562,719 | $1,031,277 | $940,000 | 41 | $942,519 | $367,425 | $976,254 |
| 2024 | $10,719,869 | $1,620,960 | $873,460 | $800,000 | 32 | $821,606 | $461,057 | $837,058 |
| 2023 | $9,972,369 | $1,539,960 | $862,734 | $805,000 | 34 | $822,752 | $412,400 | $658,027 |
| 2022 | $9,295,143 | $1,308,132 | $655,254 | $600,000 | 33 | $615,956 | $152,702 | $600,911 |
| 2021 | $8,638,665 | $1,557,456 | $505,302 | $440,000 | 32 | $454,870 | $405,532 | $577,640 |
| 2020 | $7,586,511 | $2,093,009 | $406,389 | $370,000 | 32 | — | $954,206 | $400,570 |
| 2019 | $5,899,891 | $1,333,317 | $380,551 | $320,000 | 29 | — | $204,551 | $318,430 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sandcastle Foundation reported a distributable amount of $976K 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, UJAMAA PLACE says it provides holistic opportunities for young Black men experiencing inequity at the intersection of race and poverty. The African American Child Wellness Institute describes its work as increasing mental health services for children and adults in the African American community. AEON says it creates and sustains quality affordable homes, while VEAP describes services related to healthy food, housing stability, and supportive services.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 41 grants totaling $940,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $75,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest grants included $75,000 to the University of St. Thomas, $70,000 to UJAMAA PLACE, $50,000 each to the African American Child Wellness Institute and Washington University, and $40,000 each to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities and Crescent Cove. The listed 2025 grants were described as unrestricted charitable grants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Nancy J. Heim as president and David Heim, Michael Heim, and Erik Heim as directors.
Sandcastle Foundation is led by Nancy J. Heim, President since 2023 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nancy J. Heim
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Heim
Director
President → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Erik Heim
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michael Heim
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Brenda K. Heim (2019) — Director
- Former: Michael G. Luger (2019) — Director
- Former: Steven P. Heim (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Sandcastle Foundation
How much does Sandcastle Foundation give each year?
Sandcastle Foundation gave $940K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $800K across 32 grants.
What is Sandcastle Foundation's typical grant size?
Sandcastle Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $22,927, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sandcastle Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Sandcastle Foundation give grants?
Sandcastle Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Missouri (10%) and Montana (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (12 grants), St. Paul, MN (6 grants), St. Louis, MO (3 grants) and Eden Prairie, MN (2 grants).
Does Sandcastle Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 98% of Sandcastle Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (40 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sandcastle Foundation's largest grantees?
Sandcastle Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of St Thomas ($75,000), Ujamaa Place ($70,000) and African American Child Wellness Institute ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sandcastle Foundation?
Sandcastle Foundation reported $11.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $943K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $976K (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 Sandcastle Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, UJAMAA PLACE says it provides holistic opportunities for young Black men experiencing inequity at the intersection of race and poverty. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sandcastle Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sandcastle Foundation's EIN?
Sandcastle Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-2450108. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Sandcastle Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sandcastle Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sandcastle Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sandcastle-foundation-morg_96beaeb7bdc04986a58a78ddd23ab69a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_812450108_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sandcastle Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sandcastle-foundation-morg_96beaeb7bdc04986a58a78ddd23ab69a},
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 Sandcastle 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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