The Thielen Foundation Inc
The Thielen Foundation Inc is a public charity based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 2018. It supports programs intended to serve, educate, and inspire young people—particularly underserved youth—and help them reach their potential.
The Thielen Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Thielen Foundation Inc gave $314K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in Minnesota. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $314,357
- +9.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- -7.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,196
- +18.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,853
- Total assets
- $2,406,456
- +29.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (86% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Thielen Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
For weight-room renovation consideration, complete the foundation’s online questionnaire. For scholarships, eligible students must attend a partnering school and be nominated by school staff; the materials do not specify a separate application process for students.
- Contact
Mailing address: 314 First Avenue N Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (320) 291-6119
Website: https://thielenfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from The Thielen Foundation Inc
#ChangeThruSport Program
The Thielen Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Adam Thielen Youth Football Camp
The Thielen Foundation Inc
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Brooklyn Center High School Partnership Program
The Thielen Foundation Inc
Amount
$1,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Thielen Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was City of Brooklyn Park ($100K). Together the top 10 received $285K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($21,557), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
63 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 43 grants of 63 (68%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes #ChangeThruSport as serving underserved youth in the upper Midwest, with a focus on Minnesota. Its scholarship program is for students at partnering schools in the Twin Cities area. The foundation’s 2024 filing reported that 86% of grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients and 14% to North Carolina recipients; it also reported new partner high schools in St. Paul and Charlotte that year.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Thielen Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $28K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $16K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $287K (2023) to $1.5M (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $314K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Brooklyn Park Brooklyn Park, MN | Teen center - equipment and programs for youth that promote physical fitness | $100,000 |
| Johnson Fitness & Wellness Cottage Grove, MN | Fitness equipment for a newly renovated weight room at red lake high school to assure safety and wellness of staff, athletes, coaches, and student body | $51,595 |
| Crisis Assistance Ministry Charlotte, NC | Donated funds to help out families with kids who need assistance with rent, food and clothing in charlotte area. | $45,000 |
| Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation Duluth, MN | Ham Family Scholarship Fund | $25,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $21,557 |
| KCB Companies Lakeville, MN | Related to the Gym Revovation Project in Charlotte. | $15,705 |
| Children's Minnesota Edina, MN | Donated funds to support juvenile patients with mental health issues; and to raise awareness for mental health programs. | $10,000 |
| MVL Gala Mankato, MN | Christian Education for Youth | $10,000 |
| First Tee Minnesota St. Paul, MN | Golf Lessons for Kids in Community | $10,000 |
| FCA Minnesota Arden Hills, MN | MN MPLS Urban Ministry Operating Expenses | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Thielen Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,406,456 | $1,203,423 | $597,634 | $314,357 | 12 | $2,507 |
| 2023 | $1,856,246 | $1,223,984 | $441,040 | $286,722 | 13 | $3,735 |
| 2022 | $1,355,279 | $1,495,703 | $1,615,253 | $1,451,568 | 17 | $11,090 |
| 2021 | $1,164,292 | $1,149,824 | $573,545 | $439,998 | 10 | $3,328 |
| 2020 | $357,010 | $424,893 | $560,465 | $432,163 | 11 | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to serve, educate, and inspire people in need, with a focus on youth development and equipping children to reach their full potential. Its #ChangeThruSport program, developed in 2020, provides financial support, sports equipment and apparel, and encouragement for underserved youth in the upper Midwest. The foundation also describes work supporting weight-room renovations, athletic programs, student-athlete scholarships, and families in need.
The foundation’s 2024 grants included support for youth recreation, fitness equipment and facilities, youth programs, golf lessons, Christian education, mental health awareness, and family assistance. Crisis Assistance Ministry, a 2024 grantee, describes its own mission as helping people in financial crisis move toward self-sufficiency. The Minnesota Chill Foundation, another 2024 grantee, says its programs include fitness for kids, college readiness, fishing, and basketball.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $314,357. Grant amounts ranged from $7,500 to $100,000, with a median of $12,852.
Notable 2024 grants included $100,000 to the City of Brooklyn Park for the Zanewood Youth Recreation Center; $51,595 for fitness equipment at Red Lake High School; $45,000 to Crisis Assistance Ministry for assistance to families in Charlotte; and $25,000 to the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation for the Ham Family Scholarship Fund. Other awards included $10,000 to Children’s Minnesota for juvenile mental health support and awareness, and $8,000 to the Minnesota Chill Foundation for youth programs promoting physical fitness or mentoring.
The foundation’s website describes an application for weight-room renovations. It says applicants should complete a questionnaire and that, due to the volume of requests, only those under final consideration will be contacted for further questions. Its scholarship program awards $1,000 scholarships to student-athletes at partnering Twin Cities schools who are nominated by coaches, teachers, or school staff.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Adam Thielen as president, Caitlin Thielen as vice president, and Lukas Inveiss as treasurer.
The Thielen Foundation Inc is led by Adam Thielen, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Adam Thielen
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Caitlin Thielen
Vice President
On filings since 2020
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lukas Inveiss
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Kayleen Alexson (2021–2022) — Advisory Board Members
- Former: Kevin Flynn (2021–2022) — Advisory Board Members
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Thielen Foundation Inc
How much does The Thielen Foundation Inc give each year?
The Thielen Foundation Inc gave $314K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $287K across 13 grants.
What is The Thielen Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Thielen Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $12,853, and its average grant was $26,196, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Thielen Foundation Inc that year got $28K on average.
Where does The Thielen Foundation Inc give grants?
The Thielen Foundation Inc gives mostly in Minnesota: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was North Carolina (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn Park, MN (2 grants).
Does The Thielen Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 8% of The Thielen Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Thielen Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Thielen Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include City of Brooklyn Park ($100,000), Johnson Fitness & Wellness ($51,595) and Crisis Assistance Ministry ($45,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($21,557), which are not listed by name. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Thielen Foundation Inc?
The Thielen Foundation Inc reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.2M.
What does The Thielen Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to serve, educate, and inspire people in need, with a focus on youth development and equipping children to reach their full potential. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Thielen Foundation Inc?
For weight-room renovation consideration, complete the foundation’s online questionnaire. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Thielen Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Thielen Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-5085997. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Thielen Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Thielen Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-thielen-foundation-inc-morg_2d4d1d29d6e940178b8dbafa7c76ac36
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_825085997_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Thielen Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-thielen-foundation-inc-morg_2d4d1d29d6e940178b8dbafa7c76ac36},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Thielen Foundation Inc'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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