The American Center for Philanthropy
The American Center for Philanthropy (ACP) is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Northfield, Minnesota. Established in 2001 as the Minnesota Center for Philanthropy, the organization adopted its current name in 2006. ACP operates as a public charity focused on increasing charitable giving by providing donors with information, guidance, and mechanisms to direct their philanthropic contributions effectively.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$40.8M
-1.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.8M
+51.3% YoY
Grant Count
103
-8.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$66K
+66.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
ACP's mission is to support individuals and nonprofit organizations in the transfer of social capital to meaningful and effective purposes, helping donors experience the power and joy of giving.
The organization promotes philanthropy by providing effective, efficient, and flexible means for individuals to carry out their personal charitable objectives through donor-advised funds. Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
Grantmaking
ACP made 652 grants to charitable organizations during 2024. Recent major grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ACP directs grants primarily to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $40,834,964
- Total Revenue: $9,662,924
- Total Expenses: $7,461,735
- Total Giving: $7,200,733
The organization has maintained a donor-advised fund and reported conflict of interest transactions on its most recent tax filing.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $40,834,964 | $41,244,300 | $38,246,702 |
| Revenue | $9,662,924 | $5,365,464 | $8,948,755 |
| Expenses | $7,461,735 | $5,316,889 | $3,919,915 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $5,013,978 | $2,121,876 | $1,211,625 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREGORY A CARLSON | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| RICHARD ESTENSON | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| ARTHUR MONAGHAN | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| BLAKE ABDELLA | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ANDY HAUSKINS | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JIM WEINZETTEL | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
Spicola Family Foundation
MINNETONKA, MN
Assets
—
Grants
3
Total Given
$410K
The Geyer Family Foundation
EDINA, MN
Assets
—
Grants
7
Total Given
$35K
Love 4 One Another Charities
CHANHASSEN, MN
Assets
$8.5M
Grants
1
Total Given
$90K
Donald and Luella Zibell Family Foundation
NORTHFIELD, MN
Assets
—
Grants
8
Total Given
$80K
Minnesota Citizens Concerned
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Assets
$745K
Grants
2
Total Given
$942K
Clearway Minnesota (sm)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Assets
—
Grants
6
Total Given
$442K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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