The Kirchner Family Foundation concentrates its giving on local, community-facing institutions in Minnesota, with a clear preference for supporting K–12 faith-based and independent schools alongside a major cultural/science institution. Grants are unrestricted (“general use”), indicating a priority on flexible operating support rather than project-specific funding. Their giving appears targeted and modest in scope, focusing on a small number of sizable gifts to established organizations rather than broad, dispersed grantmaking.
Concentrated, small-program portfolio: only a few large, one-time unrestricted grants to established local institutions rather than many small awards or long tail of grantees.
A recurring pattern in the Steven L and Jan L Kirchner Family Foundation’s giving is its support for Minnesota schools and public-serving institutions through unrestricted grants. The largest recent award in the data was $105,000 to Providence Academy in Plymouth for general use of charity, followed by $100,000 to Mn Zoo Foundation in Apple Valley for the same purpose. That mix points to a foundation that backs both Catholic or independent K–12 education and regional cultural and science assets. The foundation’s recent grants also show support for local institutions that serve students, families, and the general public. Examples include Our Lady of Grace in Edina, Owatonna ISD 761 Foundation, University of St Thomas, and Richfield United Methodist Church. Several grants are repeated across years, including Mn Zoo Foundation and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, suggesting a steady relationship with selected organizations rather than a broad, one-time strategy. Most gifts are described as general use of charity, which indicates flexible support rather than tightly restricted project funding. The portfolio is concentrated in Minnesota, with additional grants reaching a small number of organizations outside the state.
Catholic and independent education is a clear thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. In 2024, it gave $60,000 to Our Lady of Grace in Edina, $20,000 to St Mary's School in Owatonna, and $10,000 to St John the Baptist Catholic Parish in Excelsior, all as general use of charity. The foundation also supports public science, conservation, and cultural institutions. It awarded $50,000 to Mn Zoo Foundation in 2024 and $20,000 to Como Zoo in the same year, while Minnesota Landscape Arboretum received $25,000 in 2024 and another $25,000 in 2023. Community-based youth and family services appear as well. The grants list includes $25,000 to Childrens Minnesota Foundation, $15,000 to Cookie Cart, and $20,000 to Big Rothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota, each framed as unrestricted support.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized: the 25th percentile is $2,500, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $19,375. That spread sits alongside a smaller number of larger awards, including six-figure gifts and multiple grants in the $20,000 to $50,000 range. The pattern looks relationship-based rather than one-off. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Mn Zoo Foundation and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Grants are described as general use of charity, pointing to unrestricted support. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$598K
$0
$2K
$618K
Most grants fall between $3K and $19K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$19K
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Notable grantees: Providence Academy, MN Zoo Foundation, Our Lady of Grace
Giving is highly concentrated in Minnesota: 81% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and Minnesota is also the top state by grant count. The recipient map is otherwise national but thin, with all grants in the United States. Within Minnesota, the list reaches Minneapolis, St Paul, Plymouth, Edina, Owatonna, Chaska, Bloomington, Hopkins, Excelsior, Roseville, and Brooklyn Park. Outside the state, grants in the recent list include Boston, Des Moines, Washington, Dallas, and Keenesaw.
The foundation supports Catholic K–12 education, independent/private secondary education, regional science and conservation education, and other community-facing nonprofits. Recent grants include schools, a zoo foundation, a university, libraries, youth-serving groups, and local faith-based organizations, mostly as general use of charity.
They are described as general use of charity in the recent grants list, which indicates unrestricted support. That pattern appears across school, cultural, health, and community grants.
The grant-size distribution is relatively concentrated at modest levels: the 25th percentile is $2,500, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $19,375. The recent list also includes larger gifts, including $50,000 and $105,000 awards.
Yes. Minnesota accounts for 81% of grants, and it is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities in Minnesota include Plymouth, Apple Valley, Edina, Owatonna, St Paul, Minneapolis, Chaska, Bloomington, Hopkins, Excelsior, Roseville, and Brooklyn Park.
Yes. Mn Zoo Foundation appears in both 2023 and 2024, and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum also appears in both years. That suggests repeat support for selected organizations rather than entirely one-time grantmaking.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OUR LADY OF GRACE | EDINA, MN | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| OWATONNA ISD 761 FOUNDATION | OWATONNA, MN | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| MN ZOO FOUNDATION | APPLE VALLEY, MN | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| UNIVERSITY OF ST THOMAS | ST PAUL, MN | $45,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| RICHFIELD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $25,021 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| CHILDRENS MINNESOTA FOUNDATION | EDINA, MN | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM | CHASKA, MN | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| ST MARY'S SCHOOL | OWATONNA, MN | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| COMO ZOO | ST PAUL, MN | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| BIG ROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF SOUTHERN MINNESOTA | OWATONNA, MN | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TRUST | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| CHILDREN'S THEATRE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $17,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| STAGES THEATER COMPANY | HOPKINS, MN | $17,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| COOKIE CART | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| UNIVERSITY OF MN FOUNDATION | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| DRAKE UNIVERSITY | DES MOINES, IA | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| SCIENCE MUSEUM OF MINNESOTA | ST PAUL, MN | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC PARISH | EXCELSIOR, MN | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| FRIENDS OF THE HENNEPIN COUNTY LIBRARY | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| HOUSING FIRST | ROSEVILLE, MN | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| SECOND HARVEST HEARTLAND | BROOKLYN PARK, MN | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| NATIONAL PARKS FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION | DALLAS, TX | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY | KEENESAW, GA | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETY | GOLDEN VALLEY, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| GIRLS ON THE RUN MN | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| YOUTHLINK | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| TCO FOUNDATION | GOLDEN VALLEY, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS MN | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| BEST BUDDIES INTERNATIONAL | MIAMI, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| PARK NICOLLET FOUNDATION | ST LOUIS PARK, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| MAKE A WISH MN FOUNDATION | ST PAUL, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT FOUNDATION | PLYMOUTH, MN | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| BUNDLES OF LOVE | APPLE VALLEY, MN | $3,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| MINNESOTA MILK BANK FOR BABIES | GOLDEN VALLEY, MN | $3,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| MISSING GRACE FOUNDATION | MAPLE GROVE, MN | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| SHAREWINTER FOUNDATION | PROVIDENCE, RI | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| BESTPREP | BROOKLYN PARK, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| BEIGNET FEST FOUNDATION | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF MINNEAPOLIS | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| MINNESOTA CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | ST PAUL, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| CARING BRIDGE | EAGAN, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| TEAM GILBOA SKI CLUB OF MN | EDINA, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| NATIONAL MS SOCIETY | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| ALLINA HEALTH FOUNDATION | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| SHARING AND CARING HANDS | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $1,691 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| BRIDGING INC | BLOOMINGTON, MN | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| EDINA CRIME PREVENTION FUND | EDINA, MN | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
| SAN DIEGO ZOO WILDLIFE ALLIANCE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL USE OF CHARITY |
OUR LADY OF GRACE
$60,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
OWATONNA ISD 761 FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
RICHFIELD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
$25,021GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
MINNESOTA LANDSCAPE ARBORETUM
$25,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
ST MARY'S SCHOOL
$20,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
COMO ZOO
$20,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
CHILDREN'S THEATRE
$17,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
STAGES THEATER COMPANY
$17,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
DRAKE UNIVERSITY
$15,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC PARISH
$10,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
HOUSING FIRST
$7,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
$7,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETY
$5,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
GIRLS ON THE RUN MN
$5,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
TCO FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
THREE RIVERS PARK DISTRICT FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
BUNDLES OF LOVE
$3,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
MINNESOTA MILK BANK FOR BABIES
$3,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
MISSING GRACE FOUNDATION
$3,000GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
BEIGNET FEST FOUNDATION
$2,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF MINNEAPOLIS
$2,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
CARING BRIDGE
$2,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
TEAM GILBOA SKI CLUB OF MN
$2,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY
EDINA CRIME PREVENTION FUND
$1,500GENERAL USE OF CHARITY