Women's Foundation of Minnesota
The Women's Foundation of Minnesota is a statewide community foundation dedicated to gender and racial equity. Founded in 1983, it was the nation's first statewide community foundation dedicated to gender equality and remains the largest of its kind in the country. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the organization invests in innovative community-based, community-led solutions across Minnesota.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$39.4M
+4.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.9M
-2.1% YoY
Grant Count
90
-8.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$43K
+6.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: The Women's Foundation of Minnesota invests in ending systemic inequities and driving innovation for gender and racial justice.
Vision: A world of opportunity where all women, girls, gender-expansive people across intersecting identities – and their families – have the power to create and lead safe, prosperous lives.
The Foundation defines "woman" inclusively, encompassing anyone who identifies as a woman and/or girl, including transgender and gender-expansive people that experience gender-based structural harm.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Safety
- Leadership
- Holistic well-being and reproductive justice
- Economic security and economic justice
- Pathways to opportunity for women, girls, gender-expansive people, and families
The Foundation leverages community investments, research, policy and advocacy, strategic communications, and cross-sector convening to advance its mission.
Grantmaking
The Foundation uses an Intersectional Equity Framework to understand how gender, race, place (geography), and additional identities (ethnicity, sovereignty, socioeconomic class, age, disability, LGBTQ+, immigration status) intersect to identify barriers and opportunities. All grants support general operating expenses, providing greater flexibility for organizations and enabling multi-year funding to build organizational stability.
Ready to take the next step with Women's Foundation of Minnesota?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation funds throughout Minnesota, with a strong commitment to Greater Minnesota and inclusive geographic representation.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent (FY24, Apr. 1, 2023 - Mar. 31, 2024):
- Total assets: $37,705,804
- Total revenues: $7,678,057
- Total expenses: $8,716,638
- Total giving: $4,259,328
- Employees: 29
Annual Revenue: $4.2 million (per company data)
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $39,363,615 | $37,705,804 | $35,113,777 |
| Revenue | $9,098,569 | $7,678,057 | $11,550,455 |
| Expenses | $8,558,658 | $8,716,638 | $6,176,461 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $983,186 | $413,011 | $121,751 |
| 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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Women's Foundation of Minnesota
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include A Call to Men ($340,000), Bemidji State Alumni & Foundation ($200,000), Dunwoody College of Technology ($200,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Call to Men Rockville Centre, NY | DAF withdrawl; withdrawal; general operating support in honor of Ted Bunch and Tony Porter; your research project | $340,000 |
| 100 Rural Women Marcell, MN | Ask a Leading Woman podcast; general operating support | $45,000 |
| Ain Dah Yung Center St Paul, MN | General operating; safety fund grant as it aligns with submitted proposal | $70,000 |
| All Square Minneapolis, MN | General operating support | $5,450 |
| An Opera Theatre Minneapolis, MN | General operating support | $10,000 |
| Ann Bancroft Foundation St Paul, MN | Sponsorship of annual celebration in April 2024; unrestricted; general operating support | $68,500 |
| Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy Bayfield, WI | General operating support | $10,000 |
| Artspace Projects Minneapolis, MN | General operating support; GOP | $25,000 |
| Augsburg University Minneapolis, MN | Minnesota Urban Debate League; support of sociology student learning; general operating support; girlsBEST renewal grant | $19,000 |
| Bagosendaan Mahnomen, MN | girlsBEST Renewal grant | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
President and CEO: Gloria Perez
Senior Director of Communications: Jen Lowman Day
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chanda Smith Baker | Chair | 3 | — |
| Anita Patel | Vice Chair | 3 | — |
| Debarati Sen | Treasurer | 3 | — |
| Ed Heisler | Secretary | 3 | — |
| Bethlehem Gronneberg | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Raichel Brown | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Brenda Quaye | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Sandra Vargas | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Valerie Spencer | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Fatima Said | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Vanessa Goodthunder | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Katherine Hayes | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Kris Maritz | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Rajni Shah | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Elizabeth Tolzmann | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Tonya Jackman Hampton | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Henry Jimenez | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Velma Korbel | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Mary Miklethun | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Adair Mosely | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Ellie Krug | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Susan Sands | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Gloria Perez | President and CEO | 40 | $267,750 |
| Heidi WalshExecutive | VP Finance and Operations | 40 | $191,702 |
| Carolyn Van Nelson | Director of Finance & Technology | 40 | $113,303 |
| Nadia Siddiqui | VP of Advancement | 40 | $150,792 |
| LaCora Bradford Kesti | VP Community Impact | 40 | $141,129 |
| Michelle Trans Myers | VP of Innovation & Strategic Comms | 40 | $129,269 |
| Jennifer Lowman DaySenior | Director Communications | 40 | $123,837 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has announced several significant grant initiatives:
Women's Foundation Awards $330000 in Grants to Support Future ...**Wealth-Building Initiatives:** Awarded $1.1 million for wealth-building programs
Women\u2019s Foundation Awards $1.1 Million for Wealth-Building Initiatives\**girlsBEST Grants:** Awarded $330,000 to support future economic prosperity for Minnesota girls
Women's Foundation Awards $330000 in Grants to Support Future ...**Fund for Safety Grants:** Awarded $425,000 to support safety initiatives
Women\u2019s Foundation Awards $425,000 in Fund for Safety Grants \u2013\**Young Leaders Investment:** Invested $45,000 in innovative young leaders
WFM Invests $45000 in Innovative Young LeadersSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Women's Foundation of Minnesota fund?
**Mission:** The Women's Foundation of Minnesota invests in ending systemic inequities and driving innovation for gender and racial justice. **Vision:** A world of opportunity where all women, girls, gender-expansive people across intersecting identities – and their families – have the power to create and lead safe, prosperous lives. The Foundation defines "woman" inclusively, encompassing anyone who identifies as a woman and/or girl, including transgender and gender-expansive people that exper…
How do I apply for a grant from Women's Foundation of Minnesota?
**Grant Activity (FY24):** • Total grants awarded: $2.6 million • Number of grants: 280 grants to 185 nonprofit organizations • Community investments: $4.3 million across Minnesota • People impacted: 140,422 through competitive grantmaking **Grant Approach:** The Foundation uses an Intersectional Equity Framework to understand how gender, race, place (geography), and additional identities (ethnicity, sovereignty, socioeconomic class, age, disability, LGBTQ+, immigration status) intersect to ide…
Where does Women's Foundation of Minnesota make grants?
The Foundation funds throughout Minnesota, with a strong commitment to Greater Minnesota and inclusive geographic representation.
What size grants does Women's Foundation of Minnesota award?
In 2025, Women's Foundation of Minnesota awarded 90 grants totaling $3.9M — an average of about $43K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Women's Foundation of Minnesota's EIN?
Women's Foundation of Minnesota's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1635761. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Women's Foundation of Minnesota's focus areas in our free grants database
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
Spicola Family Foundation
MINNETONKA, MN
Assets
—
Grants
3
Total Given
$410K
Litchfield Student Anglers Club
LITCHFIELD, MN
Assets
$738
Grants
0
Total Given
—
The Geyer Family Foundation
EDINA, MN
Assets
—
Grants
7
Total Given
$35K
Love 4 One Another Charities
CHANHASSEN, MN
Assets
$8.5M
Grants
1
Total Given
$90K
Donald and Luella Zibell Family Foundation
NORTHFIELD, MN
Assets
—
Grants
8
Total Given
$80K
Minnesota Citizens Concerned
MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Assets
$745K
Grants
2
Total Given
$942K
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Women's Foundation of Minnesota on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities
Go from researching Women's Foundation of Minnesota to a real strategy.