Will Bracken Family Foundation
Will Bracken Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2024, it reported 43 grants totaling $139,150, supporting organizations including arts and music groups, a college, and human-service organizations.
Will Bracken Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Will Bracken Family Foundation gave $139K across 43 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in Minnesota. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $139,150
- -12.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 43
- +34.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,236
- -34.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $250
- Total assets
- $418,975
- -12.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (8 of 43, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (91% 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 Will Bracken Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 700 2Nd Street South Unit W61 61, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (952) 476-1608
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Will Bracken Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Minnesota Orchestra ($40K). Together the top 10 received $129K.
Grant Size Distribution
154 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 154 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Minnesota, 7% to Pennsylvania, and 2% to Michigan. The filing also reports 0% shares for Arkansas and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 43 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Will Bracken Family Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 43 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $219; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $225 first-time, $400 repeat.
- 63% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 59% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 541% 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 $36K (2020) to $166K (2022). In 2024 it made 43 grants totaling $139K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Orchestra Minneapolis, MN | To Provide for Operations | $40,150 |
| Carleton College Northfield, MN | To Provide for Operations | $25,000 |
| Macphail Center for Music Minneapolis, MN | To Provide for Operations | $20,000 |
| Beacon St. Paul, MN | To Provide for Operations | $10,000 |
| Wild & Free Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | To Provide for Operations | $10,000 |
| Guthrie Theater Minneapolis, MN | To Provide for Operations | $7,500 |
| Minnesota Opera Minneapolis, MN | To Provide for Operations | $6,500 |
| Vocal Essence Minneapolis, MN | To Provide for Operations | $6,000 |
| Alight Minneapolis, MN | To Provide for Operations | $2,000 |
| Old Art Building Leelanau Community Cultural Center Leland, MI | To Provide for Operations | $2,000 |
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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 | $418,975 | $88,395 | $145,664 | $139,150 | 43 | $140,678 | $79,873 | $25,988 |
| 2023 | $476,125 | $29,492 | $165,007 | $158,600 | 32 | $159,905 | $21,190 | $31,222 |
| 2022 | $611,096 | $52,486 | $173,617 | $166,200 | 16 | $167,725 | $43,569 | $34,460 |
| 2021 | $732,161 | $158,566 | $94,192 | $87,350 | 30 | $88,775 | $93,958 | $41,346 |
| 2020 | $700,627 | $4,383 | $42,639 | $36,375 | 33 | — | $6,445 | $36,308 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Will Bracken Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $26K 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 grantees describe a range of work: MacPhail Center for Music provides music-learning experiences; Carleton College is a liberal arts college; Alight works with displaced people; and the Minnesota Land Trust protects and restores natural lands. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not a stated mission or list of priorities for the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 43 grants totaling $139,150. Grants ranged from $100 to $40,150, with a median of $250. The largest listed grants included Minnesota Orchestra ($40,150), Carleton College ($25,000), MacPhail Center for Music ($20,000), Beacon ($10,000), Wild & Free Foundation ($10,000), Guthrie Theater ($7,500), Minnesota Opera ($6,500), and VocalEssence ($6,000). The stated purpose for each of these grants was to provide for operations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William M. Bracken as president/treasurer and Margaret Bracken as vice president/secretary.
Will Bracken Family Foundation is led by William M. Bracken, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William M. Bracken
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Margaret Bracken
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
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 Will Bracken Family Foundation
How much does Will Bracken Family Foundation give each year?
Will Bracken Family Foundation gave $139K across 43 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $159K across 32 grants.
What is Will Bracken Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Will Bracken Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $250, and its average grant was $3,236, across 43 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Will Bracken Family Foundation that year got $219 on average.
Where does Will Bracken Family Foundation give grants?
Will Bracken Family Foundation gives mostly in Minnesota: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Minneapolis, MN (21 grants), St. Paul, MN (12 grants) and Leland, MI (2 grants).
Does Will Bracken Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 43 grants with a stated purpose on Will Bracken Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Provide for Operations" (43 grants).
Who are Will Bracken Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Will Bracken Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Minnesota Orchestra ($40,150), Carleton College ($25,000) and Macphail Center for Music ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Will Bracken Family Foundation?
Will Bracken Family Foundation reported $419K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $141K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $26K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Will Bracken Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Will Bracken Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Will Bracken Family Foundation's EIN?
Will Bracken Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-2022611. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Will Bracken Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 20, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 11, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 8, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Will Bracken Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Will Bracken Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Will Bracken Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/will-bracken-family-foundation-morg_79c7ec81e404497dac452bce8783aaa6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_412022611_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Will Bracken Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/will-bracken-family-foundation-morg_79c7ec81e404497dac452bce8783aaa6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Will Bracken Family 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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