The Crimson & Cream Foundation
The Crimson & Cream Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Established in 1996, it supports charitable and educational scholarships, leadership activities, and projects for youth, with a stated mission focused on deserving youth in Minnesota.
The Crimson & Cream Foundation at a glance
In short: The Crimson & Cream Foundation gave $58K across 21 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), top state Minnesota. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $58,000
- +29.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 21
- +10.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,762
- +17.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $776,900
- +16.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (46% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Crimson & Cream Foundation
- Review Cycle
- The website listed March 31, 2026, as the deadline for scholarship applications. That deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The website listed March 31, 2026, as the deadline for scholarship applications.
- Contact
Application contact: Clarence Knox Jr
Mailing address: 5413 Nicollet Ave S, PO Box 138, Minneapolis, MN 55419
Phone: (612) 812-2357
Website: https://mncrimsonandcream.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Crimson & Cream Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 7 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Open Cities Health Center ($5K). Together the top 7 received $16K.
Organizations only. It also paid 13 individual scholarships ($36,250), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 87 grants of 87 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation states that its mission serves deserving youth in Minnesota and identifies the Twin Cities as a focus for youth leadership and social skills development. Its filing limits scholarship awards to individuals in the St. Paul–Minneapolis metropolitan area. In 2024, 46% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota; the next-largest state shares were Virginia (12%), Wisconsin (9%), and Arkansas (9%), followed by the District of Columbia (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Crimson & Cream Foundation gives
- Giving grew 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $31K (2020) to $58K (2024). In 2024 it made 21 grants totaling $58K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Various Charitable Organizations Minneapolis, MN | Service Grant | $6,250 |
| 13 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $36,250 |
| Open Cities Health Center St. Paul, MN | Service Grant | $5,000 |
| Positive Image Brooklyn Center, MN | Service Grant | $3,000 |
| Agape Oasis Minneapolis, MN | Service Grant | $2,000 |
| Phyllis Wheatley Community Center Minneapolis, MN | Service Grant | $2,000 |
| Halle Q Brown Community Center St. Paul, MN | Service Grant | $1,500 |
| Sanctuary Church Minneapolis, MN | Service Grant | $1,000 |
| Robert Russa Moton Museum Farmville, VA | Service Grant | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $776,900 | $99,885 | $80,660 | $58,000 | 21 | $78,393 | $25,373 |
| 2023 | $665,778 | $99,115 | $76,390 | $44,815 | 19 | $74,764 | $32,407 |
| 2022 | $572,426 | $64,169 | $60,129 | $57,900 | 20 | $59,312 | $19,502 |
| 2021 | $744,135 | $77,187 | $52,748 | $47,500 | 14 | $52,146 | $17,032 |
| 2020 | $620,197 | $402,975 | $33,853 | $31,008 | 13 | — | $18,097 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to engage in, advance, promote, and administer charitable and educational scholarships, leadership activities, and projects for deserving Minnesota youth. Its goals include fostering academics, developing young people’s leadership and social skills in the Twin Cities, providing scholarship opportunities, and partnering with community organizations and programs that support youth and families.
Its 2024 grants included scholarships to individual recipients and service grants to organizations. Among the supported organizations, Open Cities Health Center describes its mission as providing culturally competent primary and preventive healthcare to a largely underserved Twin Cities population. Positive Image describes its mission as strengthening families and rebuilding communities through service. Phyllis Wheatley Community Center describes its mission as creating pathways for individuals to discover their strengths and take control of their futures.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $58,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $6,250, with a median of $3,000. The largest reported grants included $6,250 to Various Charitable Organizations in Minneapolis for a service grant, $6,000 to an individual recipient in Virginia for a scholarship, and $5,000 each to Open Cities Health Center in St. Paul for a service grant and to individual recipients in Wisconsin and Arkansas for scholarships. Other reported service grants included $3,000 to Positive Image and $2,000 to Agape Oasis, both in Minnesota.
The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The filing describes scholarship application forms provided by the foundation and directs applicants to its website for additional information. Its filing states that scholarships are limited to individuals in the St. Paul–Minneapolis metropolitan area. Website scholarship information describes eligibility for high school seniors entering a two- or four-year post-secondary institution who are permanent Minnesota residents; the Crimson and Cream Foundation Scholarship criteria also include a minimum 2.5 unweighted GPA and consideration of community service, extracurricular activities, an essay, references, GPA, and financial need. The website states that applications must be submitted online, with supporting documents submitted separately.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Clarence Knox Jr as chairman; Larry Suarez as vice preside; Fred Harris as treasurer; and Lovell Davis as secretary. Board members listed are Lindsay Benjamin, Byron Jackson, Edrin C Williams MDiv, Jeffrey McVay, Dr Phil Rosier, and Sam Powers.
The Crimson & Cream Foundation is led by Clarence Knox Jr., Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 11 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Clarence Knox Jr.
Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Byron Jackson
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edrin C. Williams Mdiv
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Fred Harris
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey McVay
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Larry Suarez
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lindsay Benjamin
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lovell Davis
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phil Rosier
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Harvey Rucker
Chariman Emeritus
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sam Powers
Board Member
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: John Henderson (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Rodney Anderson (2020–2023) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 The Crimson & Cream Foundation
How much does The Crimson & Cream Foundation give each year?
The Crimson & Cream Foundation gave $58K across 21 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $45K across 19 grants.
What is The Crimson & Cream Foundation's typical grant size?
The Crimson & Cream Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $2,762, across 21 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Crimson & Cream Foundation give grants?
The Crimson & Cream Foundation's top state is Minnesota, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (12%) and Wisconsin (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (4 grants) and St. Paul, MN (2 grants).
Does The Crimson & Cream Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The Crimson & Cream Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (13 grants) and "Service Grant" (8 grants).
Who are The Crimson & Cream Foundation's largest grantees?
The Crimson & Cream Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Open Cities Health Center ($5,000), Positive Image ($3,000) and Agape Oasis ($2,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 13 individual scholarships ($36,250), which are not listed by name. Together they received 17% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Crimson & Cream Foundation?
The Crimson & Cream Foundation reported $777K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $100K.
What does The Crimson & Cream Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to engage in, advance, promote, and administer charitable and educational scholarships, leadership activities, and projects for deserving Minnesota youth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Crimson & Cream Foundation?
The Crimson & Cream Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check mncrimsonandcream.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Crimson & Cream Foundation's EIN?
The Crimson & Cream Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1899126. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Crimson & Cream Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Crimson & Cream Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-crimson-and-cream-foundation-morg_55bd5b81ece044328aa36ec280e98a77
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411899126_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Crimson \& Cream Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-crimson-and-cream-foundation-morg_55bd5b81ece044328aa36ec280e98a77},
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 The Crimson & Cream 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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