The Minneapolis Foundation

What The Minneapolis Foundation does

The Minneapolis Foundation is a community foundation founded in 1915 and headquartered at 800 IDS Center, 80 S 8th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota. It cultivates generosity by driving action on the greatest civic, social, and economic needs in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area and statewide Minnesota, partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors. The foundation administers 1,572 charitable funds, distributed $129 million in annual grants to 5,708 organizations and individuals, and directs 74% of giving to Minnesota-based entities.

Its core offerings span grant programs (Economic Response Fund, Economic Mobility Grants, OneMPLS Fund, Reimagine Education, Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund) and philanthropic services, anchored by Donor Advised Funds (DAFs). Underlying technology is limited to operational back-office systems: a Salesforce-based online grant application portal (theminneapolisfoundation.my.site.com) and an iPhiView-hosted GranteeView fundholder portal (tmf.iphiview.com) for DAF management. The foundation stewards four wholly-owned subsidiary Signature Funds: WCA Foundation (women-focused, ~$18M endowment, founded 1866), Robina Foundation (limited-life foundation that committed over $150M over ~20 years to four institutional partners), Elmer L. & Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation (family grantmaking, est. 1957), and Code42 Foundation (tech-founder endowment added 2024 with a 30-year horizon).

The business model is a non-profit managed-services model: revenue is generated through donor contributions, fund management, and philanthropic advisory services rather than product or service sales. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on a dense local network of corporate contributors (Target, General Mills, Allina Health, Allianz, CHS, Ecolab, Land O'Lakes, Securian, Xcel Energy), seven nonprofit distribution partners (African Development Center, Lake Street Council, Latino Economic Development Center, LISC MN, Neighborhood Development Center, PFund Foundation, West Bank Business Association), professional advisors, and a Board of Trustees with approximately three dozen metro-area leaders. The foundation has 11-50 employees, led by President and CEO R.T. Rybak, and has a four-star Charity Navigator rating.

Name

The Minneapolis Foundation

Legal name

The Minneapolis Foundation

Website

https://minneapolisfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Minneapolis Foundation is a 1915-founded community foundation that administers 1,572 charitable funds, distributes $129 million in annual grants to 5,708 Minnesota-based organizations and individuals, and operates Donor Advised Fund and emergency-response grant programs across the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Donor advised funds
• Charitable fund management
• Nonprofit grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grantmaking and Philanthropic Services: As a community foundation, The Minneapolis Foundation generates revenue through donor contributions, philanthropic services, and fund management rather than traditional product/service sales. The foundation facilitates charitable giving by managing donor advised funds, making grants to nonprofits, and providing philanthropic advisory services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Minneapolis Foundation is a community foundation that cultivates generosity by partnering with nonprofits, facilitating grantmaking, driving research and advocacy, and providing services to donors. It administers Donor Advised Funds and Signature Funds, runs competitive and emergency grant programs, and deploys philanthropic capital to address civic, social, and economic needs across Minnesota.

Product overview

The Minneapolis Foundation operates primarily as a grantmaking and philanthropic services organization, not a technology product company. Its core offerings include: (1) An online grant application portal (theminneapolisfoundation.my.site.com) and GranteeView portal (tmf.iphiview.com) for managing grant applications; (2) The website (minneapolisfoundation.org) providing information about initiatives; (3) Grant programs including the Economic Response Fund ($4M for small businesses), Economic Mobility Grants ($2M), OneMPLS Fund, and Reimagine Education Grants; (4) Donor Advised Fund (DAF) services for philanthropists; (5) Signature Funds including WCA Foundation (women-focused, ~$18M endowment), Robina Foundation (limited-life foundation), and Andersen Foundation (family grantmaking). The foundation also operates learning resources and community engagement platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Fund (DAF) Philanthropic giving vehicle that allows individuals and families to establish charitable funds, receive tax benefits, and recommend grants to nonprofits over time, with community-rooted advisory services and curated nonprofit expertise.
• Economic Response Fund Short-term emergency grant program providing stabilization grants of $2,500 to $10,000 to small businesses in the Twin Cities affected by federal immigration enforcement actions. Grants support payroll, rent, utilities, inventory, security, and other business expenses, distributed through seven intermediary nonprofit partners.
• Economic Mobility Grants Competitive grant program making approximately $2 million available to nonprofit organizations advancing economic mobility, with focus on small business support. Average grants of $50,000-$100,000 per year over two years, with a maximum of $150,000 over two years.
• OneMPLS Fund Fund providing a pathway for community members to respond nimbly to emerging needs in Minneapolis, awarding $3.28 million in 2026 to organizations providing emergency assistance to metro-area households, including housing stability support for students.
• Reimagine Education Grants Grant program helping students transition from school to college and careers through career pathway programs. Planning grants of $25,000 and implementation grants of $100,000-$150,000 over two years, with $875,000 total awarded in 2026.
• Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund Fund supporting restaurants affected by federal immigration enforcement actions, reaching the $1 million mark to help cover rent and payroll for struggling small restaurants, with $100,000 in matching donations from Toast.
• Restore-Rebuild-Reimagine Fund Previous fund that mobilized $50 million in corporate, public, and individual contributions following COVID and the George Floyd incident, supporting community recovery and rebuilding efforts.
• WCA Foundation (Signature Fund) Founded in 1866 as the first benevolent nonprofit in Minnesota. Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation stewarding approximately $18 million endowment, making grants to organizations serving women in areas of health, economic stability, shelter, safety, and education.
• Elmer L. and Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation (Signature Fund) Established in 1957, a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation with programs in Legacy Grants, Social Change Grants, and Trustee-Directed Grants. Family grantmaking focused on arts, humanities, communications, education, environment, human services, and libraries, with social change grants in political power, environmental justice, and civil/human rights.
• Robina Foundation (Signature Fund) Minnesota-based limited-life foundation that committed to donating its entire assets of more than $150 million during roughly 20 years to four institutional partners: Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Council on Foreign Relations, University of Minnesota Law School, and Yale University. Now concluded.

Quantifiable outcome

• $129 million in annual grants distributed to 5,708 organizations and individuals
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance to small businesses owned by African immigrants and refugees statewide.
• Lake Street CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support for businesses on or near the Lake Street corridor, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
• Latino Economic Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support for Latino-owned businesses statewide, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
• LISC MNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Initiatives Support Corporation partner with deep experience providing small business support statewide, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
• Neighborhood Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support in the Twin Cities metro area, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
• PFund FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support for LGBTQ+-owned businesses statewide, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
• West Bank Business AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support for businesses in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
• Jay & Rose Phillips Family FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured initiative linked through The Minneapolis Foundation website as a related foundation.
• Robina FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinnesota-based limited-life foundation (slated to end December 31, 2020) that committed to donate its entire assets of more than $150 million during roughly 20 years. Now concluded.
• Elmer L. & Eleanor J. Andersen FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation established in 1957, striving to improve lives through effective family grantmaking.
• WCA FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1866, the first benevolent nonprofit organization in Minnesota. Now a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation making grants to nonprofit human service agencies with an endowment of approximately $18 million.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Chicago Community Trust: The Chicago Community Trust is a large metropolitan community foundation offering donor advised funds, competitive grants, and regional impact programs. Similar mission, donor services, and grantmaking architecture to The Minneapolis Foundation with comparable scale.
• The Cleveland Foundation: The Cleveland Foundation was the first community foundation in the United States (1914) and operates the same community foundation model: DAFs, competitive grantmaking, signature fund stewardship, and citywide civic impact focus. Comparable in mission, structure, and program mix to The Minneapolis Foundation.
• Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation: The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is the other major community foundation serving the Twin Cities metro. It operates the same community foundation model with donor advised funds, competitive grant rounds, and signature fund stewardship, making it the most directly comparable peer to The Minneapolis Foundation.
• New York Community Trust: The New York Community Trust is one of the largest US community foundations, managing charitable funds, making competitive grants, and stewarding permanent endowments for regional impact. Directly comparable community foundation model and program architecture.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Silicon Valley Community Foundation is a large community foundation with a major DAF business serving high-net-worth tech donors. Operates the same community foundation model with regional grantmaking and signature fund stewardship, comparable to The Minneapolis Foundation.
• San Francisco Foundation: The San Francisco Foundation is a Bay Area community foundation operating donor advised funds, competitive grants, and signature fund stewardship with a regional impact focus. Same model and similar mission as The Minneapolis Foundation.
• The Boston Foundation: The Boston Foundation is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the US, operating donor advised funds, competitive grants, and signature fund stewardship in a single metropolitan area. Same model, similar program mix, and similar civic-impact focus as The Minneapolis Foundation.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation operates a nearly identical community foundation model with donor advised funds, signature funds, and regional grantmaking. Mid-size metropolitan community foundation directly comparable in structure and offerings to The Minneapolis Foundation.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: Schwab Charitable is one of the largest national donor-advised fund sponsors, providing DAFs to individual donors and financial advisors. Directly competes with The Minneapolis Foundation for DAF business at the regional and national level, leveraging Schwab's broader wealth management ecosystem.
• Fidelity Charitable: Fidelity Charitable is the largest donor-advised fund sponsor in the United States, offering a national DAF product that competes directly for the same individual donor and family office segment as The Minneapolis Foundation's DAF program. Operates at much larger scale with a national footprint and lower-cost digital platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCfXg8uukslFZMumV1K2NaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/MinneapolisFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-minneapolis-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mplsfoundation
• Xx.com/mplsfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Minneapolis Foundation