The Wark Foundation concentrates its giving on sustaining Jewish communal life and education in the Twin Cities region, with repeated, substantial general operating gifts to synagogues, federations, and community service organizations. They also support local education broadly, including early childhood programs and independent K–12 schools. Grants are typically unrestricted annual support intended to maintain core operations and community infrastructure.
Concentrated, relatively small portfolio of multi-year/repeat grants focused on a handful of local organizations; primarily unrestricted general operating support rather than project-specific funding; larger single gifts (six-figure) are common.
David M Wark and Mary Ann Barrows Wark Foundation’s recent giving centers on annual general operating support for Jewish communal institutions in Saint Paul, especially Mount Zion Temple, St Paul Jewish Federation, and Maayanot Community Mikveh of Minnesota. The pattern is consistent across multiple years, with unrestricted gifts used to sustain core operations rather than project-specific work. The foundation’s largest recent grants also show a strong commitment to early childhood and school-age education in Minnesota. Think Small received $120,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while St Paul Academy and Summit School appears with recurring operating support as well. The Jean Lyle Children’s Center also receives repeated gifts, indicating attention to local child and family services. A smaller set of grants extends beyond those core Jewish and education institutions, including support for the Minnesota Multifaith Network and Harvard-Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s giving is regional, concentrated in Minnesota, and structured around steady support for institutions that anchor community life.
Jewish communal infrastructure is the clearest thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. Mount Zion Temple in Saint Paul received $100,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for general operating support, while St Paul Jewish Federation received $87,550 in 2025 after earlier annual gifts of $85,000 in 2023 and 2024. They also back ritual and community services. Maayanot Community Mikveh of Minnesota in Mendota Heights received $50,000 in 2024 and 2025, plus another $20,000 in 2025, all as general operating support. Education appears in multiple forms. Think Small in Saint Paul received $120,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, and St Paul Academy and Summit School received $50,000 in 2025 after $20,000 gifts in 2023 and 2024. The Jean Lyle Children’s Center also received annual operating support in Saint Paul.
Typical grants cluster around the foundation’s middle range, with a p25 of $20,000, a median of $32,000, and a p75 of $85,000. Recent awards include a few larger operating grants at $100,000 and $120,000, but many gifts sit at $20,000 to $50,000. The recent record also shows recurring support: several recipients appear in multiple years with annual gifts, including 2023 through 2025 patterns for some organizations. The foundation does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments, and the grant descriptions repeatedly identify the support as general operating support or annual gifts.
$561K
$5.3M
$795K
$619K
Most grants fall between $20K and $85K, with a median of $32K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$32K
75th Percentile
$85K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MN.
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Notable grantees: Think Small, Mount Zion Temple, St. Paul Jewish Federation (UJFC), Maayanot Community Mikveh of Minnesota, St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Giving is concentrated in Minnesota, with Saint Paul appearing most often among recipient cities. Minneapolis-area support is represented through the broader Twin Cities network, including Mendota Heights and Apple Valley. Outside Minnesota, only a small number of grants appear in the recent list, such as Cambridge, Massachusetts. All recent grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients, with 24 grants and 100% in the United States.
It most often supports Jewish communal institutions and education-related organizations. Recent grants include Mount Zion Temple, St Paul Jewish Federation, Maayanot Community Mikveh of Minnesota, Think Small, St Paul Academy and Summit School, and The Jean Lyle Children’s Center, usually as general operating support.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years with annual gifts. Think Small received $120,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Mount Zion Temple received $100,000 in each of those years; and St Paul Jewish Federation received gifts in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $32,000 at the median, and $85,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent grants also include larger annual gifts such as $100,000 and $120,000.
Most grants go to Minnesota recipients, especially in Saint Paul. The recent list also includes Mendota Heights and Apple Valley, with one grant to Cambridge, Massachusetts.
No. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THINK SMALL | SAINT PAUL, MN | $120,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION) | SAINT PAUL, MN | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| ST PAUL JEWISH FEDERATION (UJFC) | SAINT PAUL, MN | $87,550 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MAAYANOT COMMUNITY MIKVEH OF MINNESOTA | MENDOTA HTS, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| ST PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL | SAINT PAUL, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| THE JEAN LYLE CHILDREN'S CENTER | SAINT PAUL, MN | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MAAYANOT COMMUNITY MIKVEH OF MINNESOTA | MENDOTA HTS, MN | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| THINK SMALL | SAINT PAUL, MN | $120,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION) | SAINT PAUL, MN | $100,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| ST PAUL JEWISH FEDERATION (UJFC) | SAINT PAUL, MN | $85,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MAAYANOT COMMUNITY MIKVEH OF MINNESOTA | MENDOTA HTS, MN | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION) | SAINT PAUL, MN | $32,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| THE JEAN LYLE CHILDREN'S CENTER | SAINT PAUL, MN | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| ST PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL | SAINT PAUL, MN | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| HARVARD - RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MINNESOTA MULTIFAITH NETWORK | APPLE VALLEY, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| THINK SMALL | SAINT PAUL, MN | $120,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION) | SAINT PAUL, MN | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF GREATER ST PAUL FORMERLY UJFC | SAINT PAUL, MN | $85,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION) | SAINT PAUL, MN | $32,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| THE JEAN LYLE CHILDREN'S CENTER | SAINT PAUL, MN | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| ST PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL | SAINT PAUL, MN | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| HARVARD - RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
| MINNESOTA MULTIFAITH NETWORK | APPLE VALLEY, MN | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT |
MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION)
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
ST PAUL JEWISH FEDERATION (UJFC)
$87,550GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MAAYANOT COMMUNITY MIKVEH OF MINNESOTA
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
THE JEAN LYLE CHILDREN'S CENTER
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MAAYANOT COMMUNITY MIKVEH OF MINNESOTA
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION)
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
ST PAUL JEWISH FEDERATION (UJFC)
$85,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MAAYANOT COMMUNITY MIKVEH OF MINNESOTA
$50,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION)
$32,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
THE JEAN LYLE CHILDREN'S CENTER
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
HARVARD - RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MINNESOTA MULTIFAITH NETWORK
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION)
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MOUNT ZION TEMPLE (FKA MOUNT ZION HEBREW CONGREGATION)
$32,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
THE JEAN LYLE CHILDREN'S CENTER
$20,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
HARVARD - RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED STUDY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT
MINNESOTA MULTIFAITH NETWORK
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT/ANNUAL GIFT