The Minneapolis Foundation
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1915
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
The Minneapolis Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- 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
The Minneapolis Foundation industry classification
Industry- 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
Where The Minneapolis Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Minneapolis Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- 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
The Minneapolis Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use The Minneapolis Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
The Minneapolis Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Minneapolis Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- African Development CentercoreNonprofit 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 CouncilcoreNonprofit 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 CentercoreNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support for Latino-owned businesses statewide, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
- LISC MNcoreLocal Initiatives Support Corporation partner with deep experience providing small business support statewide, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
- Neighborhood Development CentercoreNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support in the Twin Cities metro area, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
- PFund FoundationcoreNonprofit partner with deep experience providing small business support for LGBTQ+-owned businesses statewide, making grant decisions and distributing financial assistance.
- West Bank Business AssociationcoreNonprofit 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 FoundationminorFeatured initiative linked through The Minneapolis Foundation website as a related foundation.
- Robina FoundationminorMinnesota-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 FoundationminorSignature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation established in 1957, striving to improve lives through effective family grantmaking.
- WCA FoundationminorFounded 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
The Minneapolis Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
The Minneapolis Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Minneapolis Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Minneapolis Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
The Minneapolis Foundation subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
The Minneapolis Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Minneapolis Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Minneapolis Foundation
What does The Minneapolis Foundation do?
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.
Is The Minneapolis Foundation a public or private company?
The Minneapolis Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Minneapolis Foundation founded?
The Minneapolis Foundation was founded in 1915. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Minneapolis Foundation based?
The Minneapolis Foundation is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Minneapolis Foundation make money?
One revenue line is on record: grantmaking and Philanthropic Services.
Who are The Minneapolis Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Chicago Community Trust, The Cleveland Foundation, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, New York Community Trust, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, The Boston Foundation and Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. Broad incumbents are Schwab Charitable and Fidelity Charitable.
Does The Minneapolis Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Minneapolis Foundation.
What industry is The Minneapolis Foundation in?
The Minneapolis Foundation's product category is Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8300.