Severson Family Foundation
Severson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota, including universities, churches, and community organizations.
Severson Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Severson Family Foundation gave $178K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in South Dakota. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $178,120
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -15.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,193
- +21.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,200
- Total assets
- $748,395
- -4.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- South Dakota (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 Severson Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1601 Utah Ave S, Saint Louis Park, MN 55426
Phone: (952) 417-9147
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Severson Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Augustana University ($100K). Together the top 10 received $177K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 66 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. South Dakota received 65% of grant dollars, North Dakota 28%, and Minnesota 7%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Severson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 11 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. How we count
- 91% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 210% of 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 $75K (2020) to $365K (2023). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $178K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD | Community Benefit | $100,000 |
| First Lutheran Church Fargo, ND | Community Benefit | $50,000 |
| Westwood Lutheran Church St Louis Park, MN | Community Benefit | $9,920 |
| Habitat for Humanity Sioux Falls, SD | Community Benefit | $4,000 |
| The Banquet Sioux Falls, SD | Community Benefit | $4,000 |
| Pickerel Lake Conservancy Sioux Falls, SD | Environmental Conservation | $3,200 |
| Rise Early Learning Center St Louis Park, MN | Early Childhood Education | $2,000 |
| Sioux Falls Area Humane Society Sioux Falls, SD | Community Benefit | $2,000 |
| Big Paws Canine Hartford, SD | Community Benefit | $1,000 |
| First Tee South Dakota Sioux Falls, SD | Community Benefit | $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 | $748,395 | $161,131 | $193,711 | $178,120 | 11 | $183,295 | $152,131 | $87,133 |
| 2024 | $780,975 | $192,709 | $192,713 | $173,870 | 13 | $176,763 | $182,443 | $83,421 |
| 2023 | $780,979 | $365,075 | $376,438 | $365,250 | 14 | $368,025 | $263,216 | $79,687 |
| 2022 | $792,342 | $169,176 | $212,434 | $193,100 | 13 | $196,485 | $128,148 | $92,939 |
| 2021 | $835,600 | $288,280 | $323,778 | $309,700 | 15 | $312,413 | $245,469 | $101,793 |
| 2020 | $871,098 | $76,751 | $88,032 | $75,300 | 19 | — | $36,139 | $81,449 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Severson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $87K 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 include support for community benefit, environmental conservation, and early childhood education.
Among its 2025 grantees, The Banquet describes itself as a feeding ministry serving hungry people in the Sioux Falls community. Habitat for Humanity says its mission is to create decent, affordable housing for people in need. The Sioux Falls Area Humane Society describes itself as a safe haven and human voice for animals in need. Rise Early Learning Center says it supports the developmental needs of young children and helps children and families thrive.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $178,120 through 11 grants. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $3,200.
The largest grants were $100,000 to Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and $50,000 to First Lutheran Church in Fargo, North Dakota. Other listed grants included $9,920 to Westwood Lutheran Church; $4,000 each to Habitat for Humanity and The Banquet; and $3,200 to Pickerel Lake Conservancy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jane M Severson as president; Mary L Severson as vice president; Allan M Severson as secretary/treasurer; and Julie Schnaible and Jeffrey A Severson as directors.
Severson Family Foundation is led by Jane M Severson, President on every filing since 2021; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jane M Severson
President
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
$600 (2021) → $2K (2025)
Jeffrey A Severson
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Schnaible
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Allan M Severson
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary L Severson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jane S Kelly (2020) — President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $2K, to Jane M Severson (President).
Frequently asked questions about Severson Family Foundation
How much does Severson Family Foundation give each year?
Severson Family Foundation gave $178K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $174K across 13 grants.
What is Severson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Severson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,200, and its average grant was $16,193, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Severson Family Foundation give grants?
Severson Family Foundation gives mostly in South Dakota: 65% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Dakota (28%) and Minnesota (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Sioux Falls, SD (7 grants) and St Louis Park, MN (2 grants).
Does Severson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Severson Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Benefit" (9 grants).
Who are Severson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Severson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Augustana University ($100,000), First Lutheran Church ($50,000) and Westwood Lutheran Church ($9,920), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Severson Family Foundation?
Severson Family Foundation reported $748K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $183K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $87K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Severson Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for community benefit, environmental conservation, and early childhood education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Severson Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Severson Family Foundation's EIN?
Severson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-6326223. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Severson Family Foundation 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work Severson Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Severson Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/severson-family-foundation-morg_f2cda25d1dd845faacef51a47c935db0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_206326223_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Severson Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/severson-family-foundation-morg_f2cda25d1dd845faacef51a47c935db0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Severson Family 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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