The Firefly Scientists Foundation makes a small number of very large, targeted gifts—primarily to Minnesota institutions—favoring cultural, Jewish community, and nature education causes. They concentrate funding in multi-year or capital-style commitments (e.g., multiple grants to Minnesota Opera and a pledge to a Jewish community center), and also use donor-advised channels. Their giving is more project- and capital-focused than broadly distributed across many small nonprofits.
Firefly Scientists Foundation’s largest recent gift was a $1,151,800 commitment to the Minnesota Jewish Community Center for a capital campaign pledge, the Gesher Initiative, and Play-a-thon sponsorship. That scale, along with repeated support for Minnesota Opera and other Minnesota-based institutions, shows a funder making concentrated, high-value commitments rather than many small awards. Their recent grants also reach into nature education, Jewish community infrastructure, and selected arts and learning programs tied to site expansion or program buildout. The foundation’s portfolio includes a $900,000 grant to Minnesota Opera for the Luminary Arts Center and later support for its lab theater renovation. It also backed Dodge Nature Center with major gifts for the Shepard Farm Program and pledge payment, indicating sustained support for outdoor education. Across the list, grants often appear as pledges, capital campaign payments, sponsorships, or operating support attached to a specific project. Donor-advised vehicles also appear in the recent grants, alongside direct grants to nonprofits and educational institutions. The overall pattern is regional, tightly targeted, and centered on institutions with visible physical or programmatic projects.
In Jewish community and education work, Firefly Scientists Foundation gave $300,000 to Jewish National Fund for the Ecological Rooftop at Lotem construction project and $138,000 for Special in Uniform, School Days at the Ranch. It also supported a major Jewish community center pledge tied to the Gesher Initiative. In the arts, the foundation funded Minnesota Opera with $480,000 in 2024 for lab theater renovation and sponsorship, then $450,000 in 2025 for lab theater renovation. Classical Tahoe also received $187,000 for livestream programming after an earlier unrestricted gift. Nature and outdoor learning appear through gifts to Dodge Nature Center for the Shepard Farm Program and diversity programming, plus $121,000 to Access Ability Wi Inc for Outdoors Access 4 All building awareness, participants, and leaders project. The foundation also supported Farmsteads of New England with general operations.
Typical grants cluster at a high level: p25 is $30,000, median is $50,000, and p75 is $95,250. Recent awards show both large pledges and project-specific installments, including multi-year support for the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it funds individuals as well as organizations. Its recent pattern includes capital campaign pledges, pledge payments, sponsorships, and some unrestricted or general-operating grants.
$3.6M
$74.9M
$7.8M
$4.6M
Most grants fall between $30K and $95K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$30K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$95K
About 5% of grants go to recipients in MN.
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Highly concentrated: few large grants making up the bulk of giving, repeated support to select Minnesota organizations, mix of capital/campaign gifts and program funding rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Minnesota Opera, Minnesota Jewish Community Center, Dodge Nature Center, MEG Memorial Donor Advised Fund - Fidelity
Grantmaking is regional and heavily concentrated in Minnesota, which accounts for the largest share of recipient locations and 3% of grants land in Missouri, where the foundation is headquartered. The most common recipient cities in the recent list include St. Paul, Minneapolis, and West St. Paul, with additional gifts in Inver Grove Heights, Woodbury, and other Minnesota locations. Outside Minnesota, recent recipients include New York, Cincinnati, Newton Centre, Incline Village, Stanford, and Chicago, all within the United States.
The recent grants lean toward Minnesota arts institutions, Jewish community organizations, and nature or outdoor education groups. Examples include Minnesota Opera, the Minnesota Jewish Community Center, Dodge Nature Center, and Jewish National Fund. Several awards are tied to capital campaigns, renovations, sponsorships, or specific program launches.
Yes. Minnesota Opera appears with grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Dodge Nature Center also appears more than once, as do Friends of the Arava Institute, Classical Tahoe, Walker West Music Academy, and Leland Stanford Junior University. That pattern suggests multi-year relationships rather than one-off gifts only.
The middle of the distribution is $50,000. The lower quartile is $30,000 and the upper quartile is $95,250. Recent examples include both smaller project grants and much larger commitments, including seven-figure and high-six-figure awards.
Minnesota is the main recipient state in the recent grants list. Specific recipient cities include St. Paul, Minneapolis, West St. Paul, Woodbury, and Inver Grove Heights. Grants also go to recipients in New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Nevada, Kansas, California, New Hampshire, Texas, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, and the recent grants include a scholarship pledge to Leland Stanford Junior University. The grant list also shows support flowing through donor-advised vehicles alongside direct nonprofit grants.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINNESOTA OPERA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $450,000 | 2025 | LAB THEATER RENOVATION |
| JEWISH NATIONAL FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $300,000 | 2025 | ECOLOGICAL ROOFTOP AT LOTEM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT |
| DODGE NATURE CENTER | WEST ST PAUL, MN | $250,000 | 2025 | PLEDGE PAYMENT |
| LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY | STANFORD, CA | $200,000 | 2025 | PLEDGE PAYMENT |
| CLASSICAL TAHOE | INCLINE VILLAGE, NV | $187,000 | 2025 | LIVESTREAM PROGRAMMING |
| WALKER WEST MUSIC ACADEMY | ST PAUL, MN | $125,000 | 2025 | CAPITAL CAMPAIGN |
| HUGS CAFE | MCKINNEY, TX | $125,000 | 2025 | CONSTRUCTION OF CAFE TRAINING FACILITY AND HEADQTR |
| ACCESS ABILITY WI INC | VERONA, WI | $121,000 | 2025 | OUTDOORS ACCESS 4 ALL BUILDING AWARENESS, PARTICIPANTS, LEADERS PROJ |
| FRIENDS OF THE ARAVA INSTITUTE | NEWTON CENTRE, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | MATCHING COMMITMENT PLEDGE |
| ARTISTS BREAKING LIMITS & EXPECTATIONS | CHICAGO, IL | $85,000 | 2025 | ENSEMBLE PROGRAM & PRODUCING |
| HIGHLAND FRIENDSHIP CLUB | ST PAUL, MN | $85,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT POSITION, LANES 4 FRIENDSHIP |
| YOUNG DANCE | ST PAUL, MN | $80,000 | 2025 | ALL ABILITIES DANCE INITIATIVE |
| PARTNERSHIP RESOURCES INC | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $75,000 | 2025 | INCLUSION THROUGH ARTS ACCESS |
| MI WORK MATTERS | LIVONIA, MI | $70,000 | 2025 | TRAINING/EMPLOYMENT EXPANSION PROGRAM |
| SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS | ST PAUL, MN | $70,000 | 2025 | COW TIPPING PRESS GRANT |
| CARRUSEL EN LA SEBASTIANA CORP | GUAYNABO, PR | $65,000 | 2025 | EMPLOYMENT READINESS TRAINING |
| INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SPELLING AS COMMUNICATION | HERNDON, VA | $60,000 | 2025 | NONSPEAKING ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM |
| BEST PREP | BROOKLYN PARK, MN | $56,000 | 2025 | 2024 EDUCATIONAL FORUM, MBV ASSESSMENT THRU WILDER RESEARCH |
| TRUE TALES LIVE | BARRINGTON, NH | $55,000 | 2025 | TRUE TALES PODCAST |
| CHABAD LUBAVITCH JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER | ST PAUL, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | MATCHING CAMPAIGN UPWARD, ONWARD! |
| OPERA THEATRE OF ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED FUNDS |
| VARIETY THE CHILDREN'S CHARITY OF ST LOUIS | ST LOUIS, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT |
| BERNHEIM ARBORETUM & RESEARCH FOREST | CLERMONT, KY | $50,000 | 2025 | OUTDOOR PLAY EQUIPMENT PLAYCOSYSTEM PLAY RESEARCH EXPANSION |
| MNPROV | ST PAUL, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | NEURODIVERSE TALENT TAKING |
| MARNITA'S TABLE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| REVE ACADEMY | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | IMPACT TODAY + VISION TOMORROW INITIATIVE |
| SAFE TODDLES INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | EMPOWERING BLIND TODDLERS THRU SAFE INDEPENDENCE |
| OMNIUM CIRCUS | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | I'M POSSIBLE TOO PRODUCTION |
| FRIENDSHIP CIRCLE OF WASHINGTON | MERCER ISLAND, WA | $50,000 | 2025 | TEEN & YOUNG ADULT LIFE SKILLS |
| KAIROS ALIVE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED IN MEMORY OF MARIA GENNE |
| LIFT FOR LIFE ACADEMY | ST LOUIS, MO | $42,000 | 2025 | WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM |
| DISABILITY BELONGS | FREDERICKSBURG, VA | $38,000 | 2025 | TALENT PIPELINE PROGRAM PROJECT |
| AMERICAN DANCE WHEELS FOUNDATION | BALACYNWYD, PA | $38,000 | 2025 | BETTER TOGETHER PROJECT |
| HIGHLAND POPCORN | ST PAUL, MN | $37,000 | 2025 | EXPANDS INITIATIVE |
| HENNEPIN THEATER TRUST | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $36,000 | 2025 | SENSORY FRIENDLY THEATRE, PRODUCTION CURRICULUM, TOOLKIT DEVELOPMENT |
| WINTERS CENTER FOR AUTISM | WEST BABYLON, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | WINTERS CREATIVE CAREER CENTER |
| GIGI'S PLAYHOUSE | HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS WITH DOWN SYNDROME |
| ARTS IN MOTION STUDIO | BRENTWOOD, MO | $35,000 | 2025 | ARTS IN MOTION STUDIO PROJECT |
| ARTS FOR ALL KENTUCKY | MURRAY, KY | $33,000 | 2025 | ART PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS |
| NO LIMITS CAFE | RED BANK, NJ | $30,000 | 2025 | SUZANNE HATFIELD TRAINING PROGRAM |
| ELPIS ENTERPRISES | ST PAUL, MN | $27,000 | 2025 | INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY PROJECT |
| HUGH E SANDEFUR TRAINING CENTER | HENDERSON, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| MANO A MANO INTL PARTNERS | ST PAUL, MN | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED GIFT |
| VALLEY FRIENDSHIP CLUB | STILLWATER, MN | $25,000 | 2025 | HORTICULTURE EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES |
| VETRI COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $22,400 | 2025 | COOKING FOR INDEPENDENCE; PILOT SERIES - PEOPLE W/ COGNITIVE DISABILITIES |
| MINNESOTA INDEPENDENCE COLLEGE & COMMUNITY | RICHFIELD, MN | $20,000 | 2025 | GALA SPONSORSHIP |
| ADAPTIVE OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER | CARRABASSETT VALLEY, ME | $20,000 | 2025 | ADAPTIVE MOBILITY INITIATIVE |
| ALIVE & KICKIN | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $10,000 | 2025 | MATCHING OPPORTUNITY GRANT |
| WILDERNESS INQUIRY | ST PAUL, MN | $3,000 | 2025 | GREAT RIVER RACE |
| MINNESOTA OPERA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $480,000 | 2024 | LAB THEATER RENOVATION, SPONSORSHIP |
JEWISH NATIONAL FUND
$300,000ECOLOGICAL ROOFTOP AT LOTEM CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
DODGE NATURE CENTER
$250,000PLEDGE PAYMENT
LELAND STANFORD JUNIOR UNIVERSITY
$200,000PLEDGE PAYMENT
WALKER WEST MUSIC ACADEMY
$125,000CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
HUGS CAFE
$125,000CONSTRUCTION OF CAFE TRAINING FACILITY AND HEADQTR
ACCESS ABILITY WI INC
$121,000OUTDOORS ACCESS 4 ALL BUILDING AWARENESS, PARTICIPANTS, LEADERS PROJ
ARTISTS BREAKING LIMITS & EXPECTATIONS
$85,000ENSEMBLE PROGRAM & PRODUCING
YOUNG DANCE
$80,000ALL ABILITIES DANCE INITIATIVE
PARTNERSHIP RESOURCES INC
$75,000INCLUSION THROUGH ARTS ACCESS
MI WORK MATTERS
$70,000TRAINING/EMPLOYMENT EXPANSION PROGRAM
CARRUSEL EN LA SEBASTIANA CORP
$65,000EMPLOYMENT READINESS TRAINING
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SPELLING AS COMMUNICATION
$60,000NONSPEAKING ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
TRUE TALES LIVE
$55,000TRUE TALES PODCAST
CHABAD LUBAVITCH JEWISH EDUCATIONAL CENTER
$50,000MATCHING CAMPAIGN UPWARD, ONWARD!
OPERA THEATRE OF ST LOUIS
$50,000UNRESTRICTED FUNDS
OUTDOOR PLAY EQUIPMENT PLAYCOSYSTEM PLAY RESEARCH EXPANSION
MNPROV
$50,000NEURODIVERSE TALENT TAKING
REVE ACADEMY
$50,000IMPACT TODAY + VISION TOMORROW INITIATIVE
SAFE TODDLES INC
$50,000EMPOWERING BLIND TODDLERS THRU SAFE INDEPENDENCE
OMNIUM CIRCUS
$50,000I'M POSSIBLE TOO PRODUCTION
KAIROS ALIVE
$50,000UNRESTRICTED IN MEMORY OF MARIA GENNE
AMERICAN DANCE WHEELS FOUNDATION
$38,000BETTER TOGETHER PROJECT
HIGHLAND POPCORN
$37,000EXPANDS INITIATIVE
HENNEPIN THEATER TRUST
$36,000SENSORY FRIENDLY THEATRE, PRODUCTION CURRICULUM, TOOLKIT DEVELOPMENT
WINTERS CENTER FOR AUTISM
$35,000WINTERS CREATIVE CAREER CENTER
GIGI'S PLAYHOUSE
$35,000PROGRAMMING FOR ADULTS WITH DOWN SYNDROME
ARTS IN MOTION STUDIO
$35,000ARTS IN MOTION STUDIO PROJECT
ARTS FOR ALL KENTUCKY
$33,000ART PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS
NO LIMITS CAFE
$30,000SUZANNE HATFIELD TRAINING PROGRAM
HUGH E SANDEFUR TRAINING CENTER
$25,000GENERAL OPERATIONS
VALLEY FRIENDSHIP CLUB
$25,000HORTICULTURE EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES
VETRI COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
$22,400COOKING FOR INDEPENDENCE; PILOT SERIES - PEOPLE W/ COGNITIVE DISABILITIES
ADAPTIVE OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER
$20,000ADAPTIVE MOBILITY INITIATIVE
ALIVE & KICKIN
$10,000MATCHING OPPORTUNITY GRANT