About Hrk Foundation
The HRK Foundation concentrates its multi-million dollar giving on place-based conservation and community endowments in the Upper Midwest, with a particular emphasis on the Apostle Islands/Duluth–Superior region and Minnesota. Grants are large and often structured as endowments or transfers of assets to sustain long-term operations (parks, historic preservation, donor-advised funds), while also supporting targeted social causes such as women’s philanthropy and healing/justice start-ups.
Focus Areas
Conservation and creation of nature parks in the Apostle Islands/Great Lakes regionEndowments and donor-advised funds for regional community foundations (Duluth–Superior area)Historic preservation for Apostle Islands cultural and built heritageWomen’s philanthropic initiatives in Minnesota (Hayes Fund)Seed/start-up funding for healing and restorative justice organizations
Who They Fund
children and youth (K–12) — including science program participantsstudents / scholarship recipients (postsecondary)
About Hrk Foundation
Hrk Foundation’s largest recent grant was a $2,010,919 transfer of interests in Localized LLC to keep an exempt nature park operating. That single award captures the foundation’s pattern: it backs place-based conservation, community endowments, and long-horizon stewardship rather than short-term projects alone. In the Upper Midwest, the foundation has repeatedly funded the Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay region, including major support for the Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy and the Apostle Islands & Chequamegon Bay Area Community Funds. It has also made substantial grants to organizations tied to women’s philanthropy and healing justice, showing that its portfolio extends beyond land and heritage to social infrastructure. The foundation’s recent giving includes both unrestricted support and capital-style commitments, alongside start-up funding for new organizations. Recipient organizations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and South Dakota appear throughout the recent grants list, with awards ranging from five-figure operating support to seven-figure endowments and asset transfers. The overall shape is a regional funder using sizable, sometimes structured grants to sustain institutions, preserve cultural and natural assets, and seed aligned nonprofits.
What Hrk Foundation Funds
A major theme is conservation and heritage in the Apostle Islands and nearby Lake Superior communities. The foundation gave $1,000,000 to Apostle Islands Historic Preservation Conservancy for an endowment, then followed with additional support to the same conservancy in 2023. It also awarded $108,281 to Bayfield Heritage Association for general operating support and $101,437 to Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua for general operating support, linking preservation with local cultural infrastructure. Another clear line of giving is community-fund infrastructure: Apostle Islands & Chequamegon Bay Area Community Funds received $1,000,000 in 2023 and another $100,000 in 2023. On the social side, Hrk Foundation backed Women’s Foundation of Minnesota with $1,000,000 for general operating support and $400,000 for the Hayes Fund, while Healing Justice Foundation received $450,000, $250,000, $150,000, $100,000, and $100,000 across 2024 and 2023 for start-up funding and general support.
How Hrk Foundation Gives
Typical grant size sits at $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $15,163 at the 75th percentile, but the foundation also makes much larger institutional awards. The recent record shows repeat support to several recipients across multiple years, including Apostle Islands & Chequamegon Bay Area Community Funds, Healing Justice Foundation, Friends of the Mississippi River, and Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. That pattern suggests sustained relationship giving rather than isolated one-off awards. The foundation funds individuals and uses a mix of general operating support, capital support, endowments, start-up funding, and transfers of interests in assets. The grants list does not indicate an application process.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4.7M
Total Assets
$15.1M
Total Revenue
$1.5M
Total Expenses
$5.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $3K and $15K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$15K
Geographic Reach
Regional23 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Where Hrk Foundation Funds
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Hrk Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 849 | $20.3M | 99.9% |
| 2 | Italy | 1 |
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