Ciresi Walburn Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Ciresi Walburn Foundation
The Ciresi Walburn Foundation concentrates its giving on higher education in Minnesota, making large, targeted gifts to private colleges and programs that expand access for underserved students. Recent grants show a particular interest in supporting a prominent Catholic university and statewide private college capacity plus scholarship and capacity-building initiatives aimed at African American men. The foundation gives few but sizeable awards rather than many small grants, with an explicit regional and education focus.
Focus Areas
Catholic higher education in Minneapolis (University of St. Thomas)Support for Minnesota private colleges and sector capacity buildingScholarships and capacity-building programs for African American men in higher education
Who They Fund
African American men (scholarship & capacity building focus)children and youth (early childhood through K–12)under‑resourced / historically underserved communitiesfamilies navigating school choice and supportsstudents with dyslexia or learning needs
About Ciresi Walburn Foundation
Ciresi Walburn Foundation’s clearest pattern is its sustained backing for higher education pathways in Minnesota, especially at the University of St. Thomas and through scholarship programs for African American men. The largest recent grants in the file go to University of St Thomas in Saint Paul, including awards of $608,500 and $515,000 in 2025, showing that the foundation uses sizable grants to support institutional and student-focused work rather than broad, diffuse funding. Beyond the university, the foundation has also made a $461,596 grant to Minnesota Private College Fund for scholarship and capacity-building work tied to African American men, indicating a separate channel for access and support in private higher education. The foundation’s recent grant record also includes recurring support for education partners in Minneapolis and nearby communities, with grants to organizations such as Serve Minnesota, Way to Grow, Summit Academy OIC, and Ed Allies. That mix points to a funder that combines scholarship aid, institutional support, and education capacity-building within a local Minnesota footprint. The grants are generally large enough to matter at the program or operating level, and they recur across multiple years for several recipients.
What Ciresi Walburn Foundation Funds
A major thread in the foundation’s giving is support for scholarship and leadership programs for Black and African American men. One example is the $461,596 grant to Minnesota Private College Fund for scholarship and capacity building for African American men grants issued. A second area is early childhood education. The foundation gave Way to Grow $135,000 in 2024 and again in 2025, after a $125,000 grant in 2023, all for Great by 8 early childhood education. That repeated pattern suggests ongoing support for early learning capacity in Minneapolis. The foundation also funds college-and-career readiness and workforce training. Summit Academy OIC received $125,000 in 2023, $125,000 in 2024, and $100,000 in 2025 for training the emerging workforce. In K-12 equity work, Northside Achievement Zone received $100,000 in 2023 for permanently close the achievement gap and end generational poverty.
How Ciresi Walburn Foundation Gives
Typical awards are substantial rather than small: the p25 is $40,000, the median is $50,000, and the p75 is $79,000. The recent grants list shows repeated support for the same organizations across multiple years, including University of St Thomas, Serve Minnesota, Way to Grow, Summit Academy OIC, and Ed Allies, which points to multi-year relationships rather than one-off grants. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it operates through an annual grant cycle and named scholarship programs. Some opportunities accept unsolicited requests, including the annual grant application and the Ciresi Walburn Scholars program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.4M
Total Assets
$40.7M
Total Revenue
$2.3M
Total Expenses
$3.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $40K and $79K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$79K
Geographic Reach
Local5 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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