The Martinson Foundation
The Martinson Foundation is a private foundation based in Appleton, Minnesota. It reported 16 grants totaling $56,993 in 2024, supporting organizations and community entities including a heritage-preservation organization, schools, the city, health services, and a public library.
The Martinson Foundation at a glance
In short: The Martinson Foundation gave $57K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Minnesota. 13% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $56,993
- -4.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,562
- -16.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $763,910
- -4.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Martinson Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing lists James Massee as the contact. It gives no application form or materials, deadline, or award restrictions. The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: James Massee
Mailing address: C/O Farmers Merchants State Bank, 239 North Miles, Appleton, MN 56208
Phone: (320) 289-1454
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Martinson Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Preserve Appleton's Heritage ($10K). Together the top 10 received $51K.
Grant Size Distribution
78 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 78 grants of 78 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported grant dollars in 2024 went to recipients in Minnesota.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Martinson Foundation open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 75% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+12%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $49K (2019) to $61K (2022). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $57K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Preserve Appleton's Heritage Appleton, MN | General | $10,400 |
| Lac QUI Parle Valley Schools Madison, MN | General | $9,500 |
| City of Appleton Appleton, MN | General | $7,400 |
| Appleton Area Health Services Appleton, MN | General | $6,433 |
| Appletonmilan Elementary Appleton, MN | General | $5,400 |
| Toys for Tots Appleton, MN | General | $3,000 |
| Appleton Public Library Appleton, MN | General | $2,800 |
| Appleton '52 Wing Committee Appleton, MN | General | $2,000 |
| Dollars for Scholars Madison, MN | General | $2,000 |
| Prairie Playhouse Appleton, MN | General | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Martinson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $763,910 | $26,791 | $58,729 | $56,993 | 16 | $56,993 | $22,966 | $65,023 |
| 2023 | $795,848 | $31,251 | $61,186 | $59,529 | 14 | $59,529 | $29,594 | $57,153 |
| 2022 | $825,783 | $44,628 | $62,764 | $60,741 | 14 | $60,741 | $27,505 | $59,375 |
| 2021 | $843,919 | $63,730 | $52,560 | $50,833 | 14 | — | $27,310 | $60,801 |
| 2020 | $832,749 | $31,453 | $53,256 | $49,201 | 20 | — | $24,982 | $50,767 |
| 2019 | $854,552 | $33,139 | $52,440 | $49,116 | 21 | — | $24,201 | $49,465 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Martinson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $65K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants went to a range of organizations and entities. Preserve Appleton’s Heritage describes its own mission as preserving the historical heritage of the Appleton area; it received $10,400 from the foundation in 2024.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $56,993. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $10,400, with a median grant of $2,000. Notable recipients included Preserve Appleton’s Heritage ($10,400), Lac Qui Parle Valley Schools ($9,500), City of Appleton ($7,400), Appleton Area Health Services ($6,433), and Appleton-Milan Elementary ($5,400). The listed purposes for these grants were general.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Martinson Foundation's only listed officer is CO Farmers & Merchants State Bank, President & Secretary since 2024 (on filings since 2019) (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2024 filing
CO Farmers & Merchants State Bank
President & Secretary
President, Secretary & Treasurer → President & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Martinson Foundation
How much does The Martinson Foundation give each year?
The Martinson Foundation gave $57K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $60K across 14 grants.
What is The Martinson Foundation's typical grant size?
The Martinson Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,562, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Martinson Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Martinson Foundation give grants?
The Martinson Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Appleton, MN (14 grants) and Madison, MN (2 grants).
Does The Martinson Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Martinson Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (16 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Martinson Foundation's largest grantees?
The Martinson Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Preserve Appleton's Heritage ($10,400), Lac QUI Parle Valley Schools ($9,500) and City of Appleton ($7,400), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Martinson Foundation?
The Martinson Foundation reported $764K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $57K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $65K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Martinson Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to a range of organizations and entities. Preserve Appleton’s Heritage describes its own mission as preserving the historical heritage of the Appleton area; it received $10,400 from the foundation in 2024. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Martinson Foundation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing lists James Massee as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Martinson Foundation's EIN?
The Martinson Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1454653. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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 2019 (received by the IRS February 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 31, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 16, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Martinson Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-martinson-foundation-morg_ecb09801348848fa8ac35a2377aece65
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_411454653_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Martinson Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-martinson-foundation-morg_ecb09801348848fa8ac35a2377aece65},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Martinson 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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