The Morris Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Cokato, MN EIN: 80-0706745

The Morris Foundation is a private foundation focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in Cokato, MN. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.7M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 16 grants totaling $92K. Net investment income was $55K.

Key facts about The Morris Foundation

In short: The Morris Foundation gave $92K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Minnesota. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
80-0706745
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$91,525
Grants made (2025)
16
Average grant
$5,720
Median grant
$5,000
New grantees (estimate)
13% first-time grantees (2 of 16, 2025)
Total assets
$1,700,230
Primary geography
Minnesota (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.7M

+5.2% YoY

Annual Giving

$92K

+7.9% YoY

Grant Count

16

-15.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$6K

+28.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Morris Foundation reported a distributable amount of $82K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Morris Foundation open to new grantees?

13%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 2 of 16 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $6K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of all 16 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

States

Cities

CokatoDasselHoward LakeMinneapolis

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$25K$50K$75K$100K11 grants202011 grants20218 grants202216 grants202319 grants202416 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Isd 466 School District: $30KIsd 466 School District$30KCokato Museum: $8KCokato Museum$8KCokato Corn Carnival: $7KCokato Corn Carnival$7KLDC Hockey Boosters: $6KLDC Hockey Boosters$6KSpecial Olympics: $5KSpecial Olympics$5KCokato Dassel Rotary: $5KCokato Dassel Rotary$5KCokato Fire Dept: $5KCokato Fire Dept$5KDassel Fire Dept: $5KDassel Fire Dept$5KCity of Cokato - Ambulance: $5KCity of Cokato - Ambulance$5KCokato Lions: $4KCokato Lions$4K

Grant Size Distribution

70 grants across all recorded years

69<$50K1$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
ISD 466 SCHOOL DISTRICT Cokato, MNTO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT FOR SCHOOL$30,000
COKATO MUSEUM Cokato, MNTO SUPPORT LOCAL MUSEUM MAINTENANCE$8,000
COKATO CORN CARNIVAL Cokato, MNTO SUPPORT LOCAL EVENT$7,000
LDC HOCKEY BOOSTERS Dassel, MNTO SUPPORT LOCAL YOUTH ACTIVITIES$6,120
SPECIAL OLYMPICS Cokato, MNTO SUPPORT SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN$5,475
COKATO DASSEL ROTARY Cokato, MNTO SUPPORT LOCAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIO$5,000
COKATO FIRE DEPT Cokato, MNTP PROVIDE EQUIPMENT FOR FIREMEN$5,000
DASSEL FIRE DEPT Dassel, MNTO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT FOR FIREMEN$5,000
CITY OF COKATO - AMBULANCE Cokato, MNTO PROVIDE EQUIPMENT FOR AMBULANCE$5,000
COKATO LIONS Cokato, MNTO SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITY$4,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$50K$100K$150K$200K202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$1,700,230$1,616,901$1,530,026
Revenue$65,441$154,942$21,337
Expenses$107,399$97,683$93,622
Qualifying Distributions$91,525$84,790$80,449
Net Investment Income$55,168$148,029$30,956
Distributable Amount$81,774$77,363$74,348

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 4, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 24, 2026)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
  8. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
  9. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  10. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
  11. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 4, 2025)
  12. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 24, 2026)

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

The Morris Foundation is led by Garth Asplin, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Garth Asplin

    President

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Doug Lundeen

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Mark Forsman

    Director

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Paul Halonen

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    No compensation reported

  • Bradley Morris

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Mike Carpentier

    Investment A

    On filings since 2023

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Mark Peterson (2020–2022) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Morris Foundation

How much does The Morris Foundation give each year?

The Morris Foundation gave $92K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $85K across 19 grants.

What is The Morris Foundation's typical grant size?

The Morris Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,720, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Morris Foundation that year got $1K on average.

Where does The Morris Foundation give grants?

The Morris Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cokato, MN (12 grants) and Dassel, MN (4 grants).

Does The Morris Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The Morris Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support Local Youth Activities" (4 grants).

Who are The Morris Foundation's largest grantees?

The Morris Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Isd 466 School District ($30,000), Cokato Museum ($8,000) and Cokato Corn Carnival ($7,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Morris Foundation?

The Morris Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $92K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $82K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What is The Morris Foundation?

The Morris Foundation is a private foundation focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in Cokato, MN. It holds $1.7M in total assets as of 2025.

What is The Morris Foundation's EIN?

The Morris Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 80-0706745. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

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