The Hegardt Foundation directs the bulk of its dollars into philanthropic vehicles (donor‑advised funds and community foundations) while awarding the remainder to arts and culture organizations and a smaller set of social‑justice and community service groups. Their operating support tends to favor performing arts ensembles, regional arts institutions, and a handful of civic and health‑justice organizations, with several repeat grants to intermediary funds and select arts partners. Grants are largely unrestricted/general operating support.
Highly concentrated dollars routed through a few large donor‑advised/community foundation grants, supplemented by a spread of mid‑to‑small general‑operating grants—particularly to arts organizations. Several repeat grantees and intermediaries indicate a mix of sustained relationships and discretionary direct funding.
Hegardt Foundation’s largest recent commitments are four donor-advised fund grants, including $1,354,000 to Schwab Charitable’s Aurora Charitable Fund, $1,220,000 to Liberty Hill Foundation’s Fe Fi Fo Fund, $1,140,000 to St Paul & Minnesota Foundation’s Gavia Fund, and $1,010,000 to Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation’s Hegardt Fund. That pattern shows a foundation that uses philanthropic intermediaries for much of its giving, while also making direct operating grants to arts, faith, and community organizations. Among its direct awards, the foundation has supported the Armory Arts & Music Center in Duluth with $100,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and it has made $20,000 grants to organizations such as the Guthrie Theater, Tubman, and American Craft Council. The recent record also includes grants to performing arts groups outside Minnesota, such as Perspectives Ensemble in New York and San Francisco Ballet. Operating support is the dominant grant form in the recent list, and several awards are repeated across years, suggesting a mix of sustained relationships and pass-through philanthropy.
A clear thread in the direct portfolio is performing arts and cultural infrastructure. The foundation gave $100,000 to Armory Arts & Music Center in Duluth in 2024, matching a $100,000 grant there in 2023, and it also made $20,000 general operating grants to Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and American Craft Council in Minneapolis. It also supports social-justice and health-related work. In 2023, Tubman received $20,000 in general operating support, and Planned Parenthood NCS received $10,000 in 2024. Faith and community organizations appear as well. Pilgrim Congregational UCC in Duluth received $25,000 in 2024, and Monte del Sol in Santa Fe received $10,000 in 2023. The direct grants are overwhelmingly framed as general operating support rather than project-specific awards.
The foundation’s recent grants cluster around a median size of $20,000, with a lower quartile of $10,000 and an upper quartile of $75,000. The largest awards are reserved for donor-advised funds and community foundations, while direct grants are often smaller operating gifts. The recent list also shows repeat support: Armory Arts & Music Center received $100,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and International Shakespeare Center appears in consecutive years. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Most direct awards are unrestricted or general operating support.
$4.9M
$0
$2
$24K
Most grants fall between $10K and $75K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$75K
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Notable grantees: Schwab Charitable (Aurora Charitable Fund), St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation (Gavia Fund), Armory Arts & Music Center, Guthrie Theater, Tubman
Grant dollars are spread nationally, but Minnesota receives the largest share of grants by count, at 41% of the total. Recipient locations in the recent list include St Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth, and San Francisco, showing a strong Minnesota presence alongside coastal arts and philanthropy hubs. Non-U.S. recipient countries are not part of the recent grant record provided; all listed grants go to U.S. organizations.
The foundation gives heavily through donor-advised funds and community foundations, and it also supports arts and culture organizations, especially performing arts companies and regional arts institutions. The recent record includes multiple general operating grants to theater, dance, and cultural groups, along with social-justice and community service nonprofits.
The recent grant distribution centers on a median of $20,000, with a p25 of $10,000 and a p75 of $75,000. Larger awards in the file are mainly donor-advised fund grants, while direct operating grants are often in the $10,000 to $25,000 range.
Its geographic scope is national, but Minnesota receives the largest share of grants by count, at 41%. Recent recipients also include organizations in California, New York, Massachusetts, Texas, and New Mexico, so the giving pattern extends well beyond the foundation’s headquarters state.
Yes. The recent grants list is dominated by general operating support, including awards to arts organizations, faith-based groups, and social-justice nonprofits. The biggest exceptions are the donor-advised fund and community foundation grants, which are structured as pass-through philanthropy rather than project-specific awards.
Yes. Armory Arts & Music Center received $100,000 in both 2023 and 2024, and International Shakespeare Center appears in both years as well. Several donor-advised fund recipients also recur in 2024 across multiple entries.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schwab Charitable | San Francisco, CA | $1,354,000 | 2024 | Aurora Charitable Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| Liberty Hill Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $1,220,000 | 2024 | Fe Fi Fo Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| St Paul & Minnesota Foundation | St Paul, MN | $1,140,000 | 2024 | Gavia Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation | Duluth, MN | $1,010,000 | 2024 | Hegardt Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| Armory Arts & Music Center | Duluth, MN | $100,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Pilgrim Congregational UCC | Duluth, MN | $25,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| BRAI | Boston, MA | $12,500 | 2024 | General Operating |
| International Shakespeare Center | Sante Fe, NM | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Planned Parenthood NCS | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Tapestry Dance Company | Austin, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | General Operating |
| Schwab Charitable | San Francisco, CA | $5,624 | 2024 | Aurora Charitable Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation | Duluth, MN | $5,622 | 2024 | Hegardt Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| St Paul & Minnesota Foundation | St Paul, MN | $5,622 | 2024 | Gavia Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| Liberty Hill Foundation | Los Angeles, CA | $5,622 | 2024 | Fe Fi Fo Fund (Donor Advised Fund) |
| Office of People | Los Angeles, CA | $125,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Armory Arts & Music Center | Duluth, MN | $100,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Gooden Center | Pasadena, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Santa Fe Community Foundation | Santa Fe, NM | $25,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Perspectives Ensemble | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Guthrie Theater | Minneapolis, MN | $20,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| American Craft Council | Minneapolis, MN | $20,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Tubman | MInneapolis, MN | $20,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| PRX Incorporated | Cambridge, MA | $20,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| International Shakespeare Center | Santa Fe, NM | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| San Francisco Ballet | San Francisco, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Monte del Sol | Santa Fe, NM | $10,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
| Fractured AtlasThe Polyphonists | Hartsdale, NM | $5,000 | 2023 | General Operating |
Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
$1,010,000Hegardt Fund (Donor Advised Fund)
Pilgrim Congregational UCC
$25,000General Operating
BRAI
$12,500General Operating
International Shakespeare Center
$10,000General Operating
Tapestry Dance Company
$10,000General Operating
Schwab Charitable
$5,624Aurora Charitable Fund (Donor Advised Fund)
Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
$5,622Hegardt Fund (Donor Advised Fund)
Office of People
$125,000General Operating
Perspectives Ensemble
$25,000General Operating
American Craft Council
$20,000General Operating
PRX Incorporated
$20,000General Operating
International Shakespeare Center
$10,000General Operating
San Francisco Ballet
$10,000General Operating
Monte del Sol
$10,000General Operating
Fractured AtlasThe Polyphonists
$5,000General Operating