The Joseph R Bayer Family Foundation concentrates its giving locally in and around Annandale, MN, funding a small set of faith-based congregations, a community arts/textile center, and a regional philanthropic intermediary. Grants are predominantly unrestricted/general charitable support, indicating a preference for flexible funding to sustain operating capacity of trusted local institutions. The foundation shows a clear pattern of repeat, sizable awards to a few organizations rather than broad, one-off giving.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small number of repeat grantees (three organizations account for the vast majority of dollars); grants appear to be multi-year or serial and focused on general operating/charitable purposes rather than project-specific funding.
A single 2025 grant to Venn Foundation stands out at $752,500, showing that Joseph R Bayer Family Foundation is willing to make very large awards alongside many smaller local grants. The foundation’s recent giving is centered on general charitable purposes, with support flowing to congregations, a community arts and textile center, food assistance, and other small-town civic institutions. That mix suggests a local, relationship-based grantmaker rather than a broad thematic funder. The foundation has also made repeated support to the same organizations over multiple years. St Johns Lutheran Church received funding in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Annandale Arts & Textile Center and Annandale Food Shelf also appear more than once. Those repeat awards point to ongoing support for institutions already known to the funder. In addition to Annandale-area organizations, the foundation has granted to churches and service groups elsewhere in Minnesota, including Grace Lutheran Church in Belgrade and Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park. It also makes hardship support to individuals, indicating that its grantmaking extends beyond organizations alone.
Faith-based congregations are a major part of the portfolio. Joseph R Bayer Family Foundation gave $531,250 to St Johns Lutheran Church for general charitable purposes, and it also supported Grace Lutheran Church in Belgrade with $76,300 in 2025. Those gifts sit alongside smaller awards to other church-based recipients. The foundation also backs community-serving institutions in Annandale. It awarded $76,095 to Annandale Arts & Textile Center in 2024 and $35,000 in 2025, showing continued support for arts and textile programming. Food access appears as another clear thread: Annandale Food Shelf received $3,500 in 2025 after earlier gifts of $2,500 in 2024 and 2023. Beyond local programming, the foundation has made general charitable-purpose grants to regional and national relief or health organizations, including Doctors Without Borders and PanCan, and to Second Harvest Heartland for food-related work.
Typical awards are small: the grant-size distribution is p25 $250, median $500, and p75 $1,000. The recent record also shows occasional much larger grants, including six-figure awards, which indicates a portfolio split between a few major gifts and many modest grants. Repeat recipients are common; several organizations appear in multiple years, including St Johns Lutheran Church, Annandale Arts & Textile Center, Annandale Food Shelf, and Pleasant Lake Improvement Association. The foundation’s giving is handled as grantmaking rather than program-related investing, and it also funds individuals, including hardship support.
$1.4M
$1.3M
$1.2M
$1.5M
Most grants fall between $250 and $1K, with a median of $500.
25th Percentile
$250
Median
$500
75th Percentile
$1K
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Notable grantees: Venn Foundation, St. Johns Lutheran Church (Annandale), Annandale Arts & Textile Center, Grace Lutheran Church
Giving is strongly concentrated in Minnesota, which accounts for 65% of grants and is the top state by recipient count. Annandale appears frequently, including St Johns Lutheran Church, Annandale Arts & Textile Center, Annadale Food Shelf, Pleasant Lake Improvement Association, Annadale Public Schools, and Annadale Youth First. Other Minnesota recipients include Grace Lutheran Church in Belgrade, Venn Foundation in St Paul, and Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park. Outside Minnesota, the foundation has also granted to organizations in Colorado, California, Maryland, Arizona, and Virginia.
Its recent grants emphasize general charitable purposes for faith-based congregations, local community institutions, food assistance groups, and a regional philanthropic intermediary. Named recipients include St Johns Lutheran Church, Annandale Arts & Textile Center, Annandale Food Shelf, and Venn Foundation.
Repeat support is a clear pattern. St Johns Lutheran Church received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Annandale Arts & Textile Center and Annandale Food Shelf also appear across multiple years.
The distribution is small on most awards: p25 is $250, median is $500, and p75 is $1,000. At the same time, the foundation also made much larger grants in 2025, including a $752,500 award to Venn Foundation and a $531,250 award to St Johns Lutheran Church.
Minnesota is the main giving state, with 65% of grants going to recipients there. Recipients include organizations in Annandale, St Paul, Belgrade, Brooklyn Park, and Minnetonka.
Yes. The recent grants list includes a $2,000 hardship grant to Tracy Jansen in 2025, showing that the foundation’s giving includes direct support to individuals as well as organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VENN FOUNDATION | ST PAUL, MN | $752,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH | ANNADALE, MN | $531,250 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH | BELGRADE, MN | $76,300 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNADALE ARTS & TEXTILE CENTER | ANNADALE, MN | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FOUNTAINS UNITED METHODIST | FOUNTAINS, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNADALE FOOD SHELF | ANNADALE, MN | $3,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PLEASANT LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION | ANNADALE, MN | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PANCAN | MANHATTAN BEACH, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNADALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | ANNADALE, MN | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| UNION GOSPEL MISSION | ST PAUL, MN | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNADALE YOUTH FIRST | ANNADALE, MN | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SALVATION ARMY | ROSEVILLE, MN | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MOUNTAIN VALLEY DEVELOPMENT | GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ICA FOOD SHELF | MINNETONKA, MN | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| STEARNS HISTORY MUSEUM | ST COULD, MN | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| TRACY JANSEN | ANNADALE, MN | $2,000 | 2025 | HARDSHIP GRANT |
| SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND | BROOKLYN PARK, MN | $1,500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MINNESOTA ASSISTANCE COUNCIL FOR VETERNS | ST PAUL, MN | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HAMILTON HABITAT INC | GRAND MARAIS, MN | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| GUTHRIE THEATRE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SMILE NETWORK | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH | HOVLAND, MN | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| EXCELSIOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | EXCELSIOR, MN | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA | ST CLOUD, MN | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HEIFER INTERNATIONAL | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | ST CLOUD, MN | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CENTRACARE FOUNDATION | ST CLOUD, MN | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| VERDE CARES INC | RIO VERDE, AZ | $500 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| OUTWARD BOUND | BALTIMORE, MD | $350 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HOVLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT | HOVLAND, MN | $350 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST JUDES RESEARCH | MEMPHIS, TN | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ACHON UGANDA CHILDREN'S FUND | PORTLAND, OR | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SEATTLE FOUNDATION | SEATTLE, WA | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| NATIONAL PEACE CORP ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SOUTHWEST WILDLIFE CONSERVATION CENTER | SCOTTSDALE, AZ | $250 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $150 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CARING BRIDGE | ALBERT LEA, MN | $150 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COMMENORATIVE AIR FORCE | TOPEKA, KS | $100 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNANDALE ARTS & TEXTILE CENTER | ANNANDALE, MN | $76,095 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ST JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH | ANNANDALE, MN | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PLEASANT LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION | ANNANDALE, MN | $2,550 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNANDALE FOOD SHELF | ANNANDALE, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PANCAN | MANHATTAN BEACH, CA | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNANDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS | ANNANDALE, MN | $1,500 | 2024 | ANGEL FUND |
| UNION GOSPEL MISSION | ST PAUL, MN | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ANNANDALE YOUTH FIRST | ANNANDALE, MN | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| EXCELSIOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | EXCELSIOR, MN | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SALVATION ARMY | ROSEVILLE, MN | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
ST JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH
$531,250GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
$76,300GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ANNADALE ARTS & TEXTILE CENTER
$35,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FOUNTAINS UNITED METHODIST
$5,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ANNADALE FOOD SHELF
$3,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PLEASANT LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ANNADALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
UNION GOSPEL MISSION
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ANNADALE YOUTH FIRST
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SALVATION ARMY
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MOUNTAIN VALLEY DEVELOPMENT
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ICA FOOD SHELF
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
STEARNS HISTORY MUSEUM
$2,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
TRACY JANSEN
$2,000HARDSHIP GRANT
HAMILTON HABITAT INC
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
GUTHRIE THEATRE
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
EXCELSIOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CENTRAL MINNESOTA
$500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
HEIFER INTERNATIONAL
$500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CENTRACARE FOUNDATION
$500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
VERDE CARES INC
$500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
OUTWARD BOUND
$350GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
HOVLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT
$350GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST JUDES RESEARCH
$250GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ACHON UGANDA CHILDREN'S FUND
$250GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
$150GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
COMMENORATIVE AIR FORCE
$100GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ANNANDALE ARTS & TEXTILE CENTER
$76,095GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ST JOHNS LUTHERAN CHURCH
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PLEASANT LAKE IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
$2,550GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ANNANDALE FOOD SHELF
$2,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PANCAN
$1,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ANNANDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
$1,500ANGEL FUND
ANNANDALE YOUTH FIRST
$1,500GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
EXCELSIOR UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SALVATION ARMY
$1,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSES