The Mind Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, focused on transforming public education and advancing educational opportunity. Founded in 2006, the organization invests in K-12 education to improve academic achievement and life outcomes for students in Indianapolis, across Indiana, and beyond. The Mind Trust operates through a combination of direct school support, program management, and community engagement initiatives.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$58.7M
+72.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.1M
-59.2% YoY
Grant Count
53
-8.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$134K
-55.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Mind Trust invests in public education to transform lives and increase academic achievement in Indianapolis, across Indiana, and beyond.
The organization operates across four primary focus areas:
Growing Great Schools: The Mind Trust has supported the launch of more than 50 high-quality public schools in Indianapolis and continues to support school growth through fellowships and strategic investments in schools and networks with proven results for students.
Supporting Existing Schools: The organization manages investments and partnerships to foster collaborative learning, increase student achievement, and ensure operational excellence for a community of more than 60 Indianapolis charter and innovation network schools.
Creating and Managing Innovative Programs: The Mind Trust develops and manages transformative programs that enhance student learning, including Indiana Learns and Indy Summer Learning Labs, with a goal of tripling Indianapolis student proficiency.
Engaging the Community: The organization provides opportunities for community members to connect with schools, support students, and advocate for high-quality education for every student.
Grantmaking
The Mind Trust operates as both a grant recipient and a grantmaker, distributing funds to support education initiatives and community partnerships.
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Mind Trust primarily focuses on Indianapolis, Indiana, with expanding work across Indiana and Connecticut. The organization has impacted more than 132,000 Indianapolis public school students since its founding in 2006.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024-2025):
- Total Revenue: $57,932,587 (2025)
- Total Expenses: $35,611,037 (2025)
- Total Assets: $58,731,314 (2025)
- Total Liabilities: $2.64 million (2024)
- Staff: 43 employees (2025)
Historical Funding Raised: Since its founding in 2006, The Mind Trust has raised over $108 million to reinvest in schools, leaders, and organizations that improve education opportunities for Indianapolis students. Approximately 54 percent of this funding has come from local Indianapolis sources.
Tax Status: Tax-exempt since March 2007 (EIN: 20-4560286). The organization reported conflict of interest transactions in its June 2024 tax filing.
Rating: The Mind Trust received a Four-Star rating with a 97% score based on accountability and finance metrics.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $58,731,314 | $34,049,326 | $26,440,445 |
| Revenue | $57,932,587 | $49,302,138 | $29,881,369 |
| Expenses | $35,611,037 | $43,542,749 | $21,711,220 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,152,619 | $1,193,552 | $891,331 |
| 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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
241 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Mind Trust Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Stand for Children Leadership Center Inc ($550,000), Tntp Inc ($550,000), Paramount Schools of Excellence ($410,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ROCK COMMUNITY CENTER FOR YOUTH AND CHILDREN LLC INDIANAPOLIS, IN | PARTNER INVESTMENT | $5,250 |
| TFT DESIGN LLC CARMEL, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $7,500 |
| NOVA X-STREAM INC (NYLA NOVA FOUNDATION) INDIANAPOLIS, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $8,000 |
| INVENT LEARNING HUB INDIANAPOLIS, IN | SCHOOL SUPPORT AWARD | $8,750 |
| KIAS READING SOLUTIONS LLC CARMEL, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $10,000 |
| NAPTOWN UNITED INC INDIANAPOLIS, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $10,000 |
| EVOLVE INTERNATIONAL INC INDIANAPOLIS, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $10,000 |
| COMMUNITY ALLIANCE OF THE FAR EASTSIDE INC INDIANAPOLIS, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $10,000 |
| NEW BREED OF YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM INC INDIANAPOLIS, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $10,000 |
| NANNY'S LOVING CARE MINISTRIES INC INDIANAPOLIS, IN | SCHOOL COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP INVESTMENT | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Brandon Brown — Chief Executive Officer
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRANDON BROWN | CEO | 40 | $363,128 |
| LESLIE SHEGOG | EXECUTIVE VP AND COO | 40 | $257,084 |
| KRISTIN GRIMME | CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER | 40 | $219,436 |
| CORRIE LAPP | SVP OF FINANCE | 40 | $200,639 |
| PATRICK JONES | SVP LEADERSHIP & EQUITY | 40 | $191,784 |
| KELLI MARSHALL | SVP OF SCHOOLS | 40 | $183,202 |
| KIMBERLY PRESTON | SVP OF POLICY | 40 | $182,540 |
| SEANA MURPHY | SD INDIANA LEARNS | 40 | $140,469 |
| LAUREN PETERSON | VP OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | 40 | $134,709 |
| LUKE LENNON | SD LEADERSHIP & DEV | 40 | $133,330 |
| MADELINE POULAKIDAS | SD OF FINANCE AND OPERATION | 40 | $126,343 |
| STACY HELMUTH | SD OF DEVELOPEMENT | 40 | $122,568 |
| JIM SCHUMACHER | BOARD CHAIR | 0.5 | — |
| ANN MURTLOW | BOARD TREASURER | 0.5 | — |
| STEVEN JONES | SECRETARY | 0.25 | — |
| RODNEY BYRNES | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| MIRIAM ACEVEDO DAVIS | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| NAEHA DEAN | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| DAVID HARRIS | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| REBECCA KUBACKI | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| MAGGIE LEWIS | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| MARK MILES | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| JANE PAULEY | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| DAVID SHANE | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
| BILL SHREWSBERRY | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**2025:**
Awarded $50,000 in the fifth round of the Go Farther Literacy Fund to 21 Indianapolis families, organizations, and schools.
The Mind Trust awards $50,000 in the fifth round of Go Farther Literacy FundOpened applications for the Expanding What Works grant to support high-quality summer programming across Indiana.
Application opens for Expanding What Works grant to support high-quality**2024:**
Awarded $350,000 in School-Community Partnership Investments to 29 Indianapolis organizations.
The Mind Trust awards $350,000 in School-Community Partnership Investments\Opened the fifth year of Go Farther Literacy Fund applications.
The Mind Trust awards $50,000 in the fifth round of Go Farther Literacy Fund**2023:**
Received $6,785,000 in total grant funding from Glick Philanthropies, Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation to support teacher recruitment and training, parent engagement, and efforts to raise Indianapolis student proficiency in math and reading.
Application opens for Expanding What Works grant to support high-qualityGlick Philanthropies awarded $75,000 to support advancement of the organization's strategic plan priorities, with a headline goal of tripling student math and reading proficiency by 2027.
**2022:**
Received $5,175,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. ($4,275,000) and Eli Lilly and Company Foundation ($900,000) to support the growth of Innovation Network Schools, parent engagement and advocacy work, and execution of the organization's five-year strategic plan.
**2021:**
Received $3.45 million from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support Teach For America Indianapolis and TNTP's Indianapolis Teaching Fellows, which recruit, develop, and retain high-quality, diverse teachers for public schools in Indianapolis.
**2020:**
Awarded up to $1.54 million to support Indianapolis schools during the critical transition period following the shift to e-learning caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with grants from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation and Glick Philanthropies.
**2019:**
Received three grants totaling $24.42 million from The City Fund ($18 million), Lilly Endowment Inc., and the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation to support the growth and success of high-quality schools and education talent pipelines in Indianapolis over two to three years.
Application opens for Expanding What Works grant to support high-qualitySubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Mind Trust Inc fund?
**Mission:** The Mind Trust invests in public education to transform lives and increase academic achievement in Indianapolis, across Indiana, and beyond. The organization operates across four primary focus areas: • **Growing Great Schools:** The Mind Trust has supported the launch of more than 50 high-quality public schools in Indianapolis and continues to support school growth through fellowships and strategic investments in schools and networks with proven results for students. • **Supporting…
How do I apply for a grant from The Mind Trust Inc?
The Mind Trust operates as both a grant recipient and a grantmaker, distributing funds to support education initiatives and community partnerships. **Recent Grant Awards:** • **School-Community Partnership Investments (2024):** Awarded $350,000 to 29 Indianapolis organizations to support school-community partnerships. • **Go Farther Literacy Fund (2025):** Awarded $50,000 in the fifth round of the fund to 21 Indianapolis families, organizations, and schools. The fund has been operating for at l…
Where does The Mind Trust Inc make grants?
The Mind Trust primarily focuses on Indianapolis, Indiana, with expanding work across Indiana and Connecticut. The organization has impacted more than 132,000 Indianapolis public school students since its founding in 2006.
What size grants does The Mind Trust Inc award?
In 2025, The Mind Trust Inc awarded 53 grants totaling $7.1M — an average of about $134K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Mind Trust Inc's EIN?
The Mind Trust Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4560286. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Mind Trust Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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