The Frandsen Family Foundation
The Frandsen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in North Branch, Minnesota. Its reported giving includes support for student tuition and books, as well as grants for operations, community food and church programs, and individuals facing financial need.
Key facts about The Frandsen Family Foundation
In short: The Frandsen Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $104K), mostly in Minnesota. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 82-4618033
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,042,802
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- Average grant
- $104,280
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $2,077,521
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.1M
+1221.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.0M
+33.4% YoY
Grant Count
10
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$104K
+33.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Frandsen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $13K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How The Frandsen Family Foundation gives
- Giving grew 216% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for an individual student’s college tuition and books, trail and historical organizations, a church food shelf and community, and people experiencing financial need.
The Ice Age Trail Alliance describes its mission as conserving, creating, maintaining, and promoting the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. The Chisago County Historical Society says it works to discover, preserve, and share Chisago County history.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $1,042,802. The grants ranged from $500 to $1,018,802, with a median of $3,000. The largest grant, $1,018,802, was listed for an individual student scholarship recipient for college tuition and books. Other notable grants included $5,000 each to Friends of Gandy Dancer for operations, the Ice Age Trail Alliance for operations, and Zion Lutheran Church for its food shelf and church community.
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes scholarships for full-time semester enrollment toward a certificate, diploma, or associate degree at Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, Pine Technical Community College, or a pre-approved technical college. Eligible students must begin in the semester following receipt of a high school diploma from Luck or Rush City high schools. The scholarship covers remaining tuition and fees after federal Pell and state grants are applied. Renewal the following year requires completing 24 credit hours, maintaining at least a 2.5 GPA, and meeting with academic advisors each semester.
How to Apply
The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants may mail or email an application including their name, personal phone number, mailing address, personal email, intended major, technical college name, and the college’s address.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota and 2% to recipients in Wisconsin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $255K (2019) to $1.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Individual Student Scholarship Reci ($1.0M). Together the top 6 received $1.0M.
Organizations only. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($3,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 65 grants of 70 (93%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Student Scholarship Reci North Branch, MN | College Tuition, Books for Students | $1,018,802 |
| Friends of Gandy Dancer Frederic, WI | Operations | $5,000 |
| Ice Age Trail Alliance Cross Plains, WI | Operations | $5,000 |
| Mary Jo Vaughn North Branch, MN | Help with life expenses, low income and elderly, health issues | $5,000 |
| Zion Lutheran Church Frederic, WI | Food Shelf and Church Community | $5,000 |
| 4 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $3,500 |
| Chisago County Historical Society Lindstrom, MN | Operations | $500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,042,802 | 10 |
| 2024 | $781,478 | 10 |
| 2023 | $507,907 | 12 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,077,521 | $157,207 | $28,790 |
| Revenue | $3,020,019 | $962,500 | $400,000 |
| Expenses | $1,099,705 | $834,083 | $538,284 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,099,705 | $834,084 | $538,284 |
| Net Investment Income | $19 | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $13,444 | $4,627 | $5,997 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 27, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 7, 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 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Dennis Frandsen is listed as foundation manager on the 2025 filing.
The Frandsen Family Foundation's only listed officer is Dennis Frandsen, Foundation Manager on every filing since 2019 (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dennis Frandsen
Foundation Manager
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Application contact: Frandsen Family Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 104, Rush City, MN 55069
Phone: (320) 358-4406
Frequently asked questions about The Frandsen Family Foundation
How much does The Frandsen Family Foundation give each year?
The Frandsen Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $781K across 10 grants.
What is The Frandsen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Frandsen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $104,280, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Frandsen Family Foundation give grants?
The Frandsen Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were North Branch, MN (2 grants) and Frederic, WI (2 grants).
Does The Frandsen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on The Frandsen Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (3 grants).
Who are The Frandsen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Frandsen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Individual Student Scholarship Reci ($1,018,802), Friends of Gandy Dancer ($5,000) and Ice Age Trail Alliance ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 4 grants to individuals ($3,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 99% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Frandsen Family Foundation?
The Frandsen Family Foundation reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $13K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Frandsen Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for an individual student’s college tuition and books, trail and historical organizations, a church food shelf and community, and people experiencing financial need. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Frandsen Family Foundation?
The 2024 filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Frandsen Family Foundation's EIN?
The Frandsen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-4618033. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching The Frandsen Family Foundation by hand.
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