The Walser Foundation
The Walser Foundation is a private foundation based in Bloomington, Minnesota. It supports access to education and career training, with the stated aim of helping build a strong workforce and supporting the next generation of risk-takers, innovators, and change-makers.
The Walser Foundation at a glance
In short: The Walser Foundation gave $1.4M across 189 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Minnesota. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,420,365
- +15.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 189
- +3.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,515
- +12.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $12,165,845
- +39.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (52 of 176, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (80% 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 Walser Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation's website says it is not accepting new applicants in 2026; new applications resume in 2027. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) organizations based in Minnesota and Kansas that focus on post-secondary education and workforce development. Its filing instructions ask applicants to send a letter of inquiry to Nancy Warner, Foundation Director, and provide a grant report form; event sponsorship applications are submitted through an online form. Organizations are limited to one application per year.
- Review Cycle
- May 15 and October 15, as listed on the foundation’s filing.
- Deadline
- May 15 and October 15, as listed on the foundation’s filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Nancy Warner
Mailing address: 7700 France Ave S Suite 410N, Edina, MN 55435
Phone: (952) 355-4058
Email: nwarner@walser.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Walser Foundation
Who The Walser Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was WSU Tech Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $292K.
Organizations only. It also paid 8 grants to individuals ($8,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
729 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 728 grants of 729 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its service communities as being in Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, New Mexico, and Georgia. In filing year 2024, 80% of grant dollars went to Minnesota recipients, 17% to Kansas, and 2% to Illinois; Texas and Oklahoma each accounted for 0% as reported.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 189 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Walser Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 52 of 176 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 62% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 82% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 325% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $586K (2020) to $1.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 189 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WSU Tech Foundation Wichita, KS | Walser alternative fuels lab pledge - 1 of 4 | $50,000 |
| Rainbows United Wichita, KS | Grant for Vehicle Raffle | $32,487 |
| Dunwoody College of Technology Minneapolis, MN | Grant - Automotive Program | $30,000 |
| MN Adult & Teen Challenge Minneapolis, MN | Raffle Car Grant | $29,368 |
| 23RD Veteran Chicago, IL | Shop for a Cause Drive | $28,988 |
| The Minneapolis Foundation Minneapolis, MN | Contribution to Trades Ambassador Project Fund (Trades Hub) | $28,000 |
| Angel Foundation Minnesota Mendota Heights, MN | Shop for a Cause | $22,338 |
| Fraser Minneapolis, MN | 11 Days of Giving Match and Grant | $22,000 |
| Jewish Family & Children's Services Golden Valley, MN | Grant - Parent Child + | $20,000 |
| Literacy Minnesota St. Paul, MN | Grant - Summer Reads | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Walser 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 | $12,165,845 | $4,427,143 | $1,747,342 | $1,420,365 | 189 | $1,677,916 | $160,575 | $516,169 |
| 2023 | $8,737,203 | $128,163 | $1,289,708 | $1,226,845 | 183 | $1,226,845 | $96,975 | $432,650 |
| 2022 | $8,939,692 | $2,336,521 | $1,056,132 | $1,010,733 | 141 | $1,010,758 | $52,382 | $327,020 |
| 2021 | $8,657,350 | $7,217,882 | $790,704 | $780,883 | 115 | $780,908 | $26,747 | $234,654 |
| 2020 | $1,989,031 | $665,900 | $585,676 | $585,505 | 101 | — | $18,831 | $90,908 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Walser Foundation reported a distributable amount of $516K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to increase access to high-quality education and career-training programs in the communities it serves. Its website describes support for education and career training as a way to build a strong workforce for the future.
Its 2024 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. Dunwoody College of Technology says it builds opportunities for graduates to pursue successful careers and develop as leaders and entrepreneurs. WSU Tech Foundation says it supports the interests and programs of WSU Tech. Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve services for children with special needs, literacy education, civic and economic needs, and vehicle repairs for people experiencing poverty.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 189 grants totaling $1,420,365. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $50,000 to WSU Tech Foundation for a Walser Alternative Fuels Lab pledge, $32,487 to Rainbows United for a vehicle raffle, and $30,000 to Dunwoody College of Technology for its automotive program. Other recipients included The Minneapolis Foundation, which received $28,000 for the Trades Ambassador Project Fund (Trades Hub); Fraser, which received $22,000 for an 11 Days of Giving match and grant; and Literacy Minnesota, which received $20,000 for Summer Reads.
The foundation’s scholarship listings describe $1,000 awards for high school seniors in participating Minnesota and Kansas schools. The listings specify at least 30 hours of volunteer service and a GPA of 2.75 or higher. These are scholarships for students, rather than grants for outside organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Andrew D. Walser as President, Paul M. Walser as CEO, and Nancy Warner as Foundation Director.
The Walser Foundation is led by Paul M. Walser, CEO on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Paul M. Walser
CEO
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew D. Walser
President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Warner
Foundation Director
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Walser Foundation
How much does The Walser Foundation give each year?
The Walser Foundation gave $1.4M across 189 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 183 grants.
What is The Walser Foundation's typical grant size?
The Walser Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,515, across 189 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Walser Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Walser Foundation give grants?
The Walser Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Kansas (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (61 grants), St. Paul, MN (32 grants), Wichita, KS (26 grants) and Bloomington, MN (4 grants).
Does The Walser Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 15% of The Walser Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 189) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Driven to Give" (15 grants), "Shop for a Cause" (6 grants) and "Driving a Stronger Community Scholarship" (6 grants).
Who are The Walser Foundation's largest grantees?
The Walser Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include WSU Tech Foundation ($50,000), Dunwoody College of Technology ($32,956 across 2 grants) and Rainbows United ($32,487), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 8 grants to individuals ($8,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 8% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Walser Foundation?
The Walser Foundation reported $12.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $516K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Walser Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to increase access to high-quality education and career-training programs in the communities it serves. Its website describes support for education and career training as a way to build a strong workforce for the future. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Walser Foundation?
The foundation's website says it is not accepting new applicants in 2026; new applications resume in 2027. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Walser Foundation's EIN?
The Walser Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4968499. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Walser Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Walser Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Walser Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-walser-foundation-morg_597bee320fba4f5fa43759565d2efc87
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204968499_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Walser Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-walser-foundation-morg_597bee320fba4f5fa43759565d2efc87},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Walser 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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