The Head Family Foundation
The Head Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Minnetonka, Minnesota. In 2025, it reported 99 grants totaling $827,350, including support for arts and cultural organizations, educational institutions, and organizations providing community and human services.
The Head Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Head Family Foundation gave $827K across 99 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Minnesota. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $827,350
- +43.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 99
- +8.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,357
- +32.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $10,970,138
- +5.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (11 of 94, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (82% 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 The Head Family 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: 11100 Wayzata Blvd 230, Minnetonka, MN 55305
Phone: (952) 681-2891
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Head Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Minnesota Orchestra ($250K). Together the top 10 received $545K.
Grant Size Distribution
509 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 499 grants of 509 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota. Other listed recipient-state shares were Ohio (9%), Arizona (2%), Illinois (2%), and Massachusetts (2%). The foundation also listed a $10,000 grant to Doctors Without Borders in New York, NY.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 99 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Head Family Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 94 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 85% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 157% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $447K (2022) to $827K (2025). In 2025 it made 99 grants totaling $827K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Orchestra Minneapolis, MN | General Support | $250,000 |
| Kenyon College Gambier, OH | General Support | $70,000 |
| The Family Partnership Minneapolis, MN | General Support | $50,000 |
| The Redemption Project Waseca, MN | General Support | $50,000 |
| The Redemption Project Waseca, MN | General Support | $30,000 |
| Minnesota Public Radio St. Paul, MN | General Support | $25,000 |
| Heard Museum Phoenix, AZ | Best of show sponsorship and best of classification ribbon sponsorship | $15,000 |
| McAd (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) Minneapolis, MN | Scholarship Fund | $15,000 |
| Minnesota Children's Press (Anne Brataas Project) Grand Marais, MN | General Support | $15,000 |
| Breck School Golden Valley, MN | General Support | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Head Family 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 | $10,970,138 | $657,490 | $870,961 | $827,350 | 99 | $831,127 | $617,681 | $528,288 |
| 2024 | $10,373,162 | $191,169 | $621,135 | $575,680 | 91 | $579,615 | $151,149 | $480,375 |
| 2023 | $9,558,650 | $358,095 | $614,975 | $559,087 | 106 | $563,540 | $321,756 | $438,674 |
| 2022 | $8,740,937 | $567,340 | $497,953 | $447,300 | 98 | $451,074 | $525,477 | $488,688 |
| 2021 | $10,076,048 | $855,623 | $597,662 | $546,950 | 115 | — | $820,953 | $437,514 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Head Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $528K 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 statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied activities. For example, the Minnesota Orchestra received general support, Kenyon College received general support, and MCAD received a scholarship-fund grant.
The grantees describe their own work in different ways: The Family Partnership says its mission is to build strong families, vital communities, and a better future for children, including working with families experiencing deep poverty and trauma. The Redemption Project describes its work as eliminating recidivism through education, mentoring, support, and employment. Minnesota Public Radio says it aims to create the future of public media by amplifying voices to inform, include, and inspire. These are grantees’ missions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 99 grants totaling $827,350. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $250,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest listed awards included $250,000 to the Minnesota Orchestra and $70,000 to Kenyon College, both for general support. Other listed awards included $50,000 to The Family Partnership, $50,000 and $30,000 to The Redemption Project, and $25,000 to Minnesota Public Radio.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christopher Kirwan as director, Martha M Head as president, Martha E H Kirwan as secretary, and Virginia R Head as treasurer.
The Head Family Foundation is led by Martha M. Head, President on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Martha M. Head
President
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christopher Kirwan
Director
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Martha E. H. Kirwan
Secretary
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Virginia R. Head
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 The Head Family Foundation
How much does The Head Family Foundation give each year?
The Head Family Foundation gave $827K across 99 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $576K across 91 grants.
What is The Head Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Head Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $8,357, across 99 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Head Family Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does The Head Family Foundation give grants?
The Head Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (44 grants), Saint Paul, MN (16 grants), Chicago, IL (7 grants) and Phoenix, AZ (3 grants).
Does The Head Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of The Head Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (81 of 99) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Contributions" (4 grants).
Who are The Head Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Head Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Minnesota Orchestra ($250,000), The Redemption Project ($80,000 across 2 grants) and Kenyon College ($70,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Head Family Foundation?
The Head Family Foundation reported $11.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $831K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $528K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Head Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied activities. For example, the Minnesota Orchestra received general support, Kenyon College received general support, and MCAD received a scholarship-fund grant. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Head Family 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 The Head Family Foundation's EIN?
The Head Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2032551. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Head 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Live grants for the work The Head Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Head Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Head Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-head-family-foundation-morg_678e338eeb1c4779bbf04271b6c13605
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202032551_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Head Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-head-family-foundation-morg_678e338eeb1c4779bbf04271b6c13605},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Head 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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