The Margaret Ellen Nielsen Foundation concentrates its giving on religious organizations and faith-based leadership, routinely providing large, unrestricted or capital-style grants to congregations and Christian ministries. Most funding supports church operating needs and infrastructure projects, plus a major gift to a national campus ministry campaign, indicating interest in both local parish sustainability and broader faith leadership development. Grants are few but sizable, and the foundation shows a tendency to repeat support to longstanding grantees.
A $170,000 campaign gift to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship- USA sets the tone for The Margaret Ellen Nielsen Foundation’s recent giving: it supports faith-based leadership development alongside local church operations and building needs. The foundation has also made repeated, sizable awards to First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach Inc, including unrestricted support, mission and general funds, and a children’s ministry facilities review. Those grants show a pattern of backing congregational infrastructure as well as day-to-day ministry capacity. Its recent portfolio also reaches beyond one congregation. The foundation has funded church leader training through Worldwide Discipleship Association Inc, supported a campus ministry program at multiple universities, and made grants tied to youth ministry, civic philanthropy, and humanitarian relief. The mix suggests a donor that favors Christian organizations, often with flexible support, but also steps into named projects when a specific need is defined. Grant amounts are generally substantial, with several awards clustered in the tens of thousands and multiple repeat grants to the same organizations across years.
Faith-based leadership is a central theme. The foundation gave $170,000 to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship- USA for the Forming Faithful Leaders Campaign Fund, and it also supported the organization’s program at Harvard University and Northeastern University with grants of $19,800 in 2025 and $19,200 in 2024. Church operations and facilities are another clear area. It awarded $144,000 to First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach Inc for the Mission Fund and General Fund, plus $47,000 for a Children’s Ministry Facilities Review. Congregational building work appears as well, including $60,000 to Southwick Congregational Church for the Steeple Repair Project. The foundation also funds training and service-oriented ministries. Worldwide Discipleship Association Inc received $15,400 for Church Leader Training and Resource Development, while Youth Volunteer Corps was given $35,000 for general support in 2023.
Typical grant size sits at $7,200 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $24,000 at the 75th percentile, with some larger awards reaching well above that range. The foundation behaves like a repeat supporter: several organizations appear across multiple years, including InterVarsity Christian Fellowship- USA, First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach Inc, Lever Inc, Youth Volunteer Corps, and Worldwide Discipleship Association Inc. It is classified as a regular funder rather than a DAF, and it funds individuals as well as organizations. The recent record also shows both unrestricted support and project-specific grants.
$803K
$37.7M
$17.3M
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $7K and $24K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$24K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in WI.
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a small number of recipients with repeat grants to established faith organizations; mix of unrestricted operating support and capital/campaign gifts rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach, Inc., InterVarsity Christian Fellowship–USA, Southwick Congregational Church, Southwick Civic Fund, Inc.
Giving is national, and every recent grant listed goes to a U.S. recipient. New Jersey is the top state by grant count, reflecting repeated support in the state, including Rutgers University Foundation in New Brunswick. Florida appears often as well, with recipients in North Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach County. Other repeat locations include Madison, Wisconsin; North Adams, Massachusetts; and Kansas City, Missouri. The recent record does not show any non-U.S. recipient countries.
Its recent grants concentrate on Christian congregations, campus ministry, and church leadership development. Examples include InterVarsity Christian Fellowship- USA, First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach Inc, and Worldwide Discipleship Association Inc. The foundation also makes grants to civic and humanitarian organizations, but the faith-based pattern is the clearest thread.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach Inc, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship- USA, Lever Inc, Youth Volunteer Corps, and Worldwide Discipleship Association Inc. The repeated awards range from general support to campaign and program funding.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution centers around $7,200 at the 25th percentile, a $10,000 median, and $24,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also includes larger outliers, such as a $170,000 campaign grant and several awards above $100,000.
By recipient location, New Jersey is the top state by grant count, while Florida also appears frequently across North Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach County. The recent grants list is entirely U.S.-based, with no non-U.S. recipient countries shown.
The foundation gives a mix of general and unrestricted grants, mission and general fund support, and named project grants. Recent examples include unrestricted church support, a steeple repair project, a children’s ministry facilities review, a campaign fund for campus ministry, and church leader training and resource development.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIDELITY INVESTMENTS CHARITABLE GIFT FUND | CINCINNATI, OH | $250,000 | 2026 | Steven E. and Elizabeth T. Nielsen Gift Fund |
| WILLIAMS COLLEGE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $150,000 | 2026 | Alumni Fund |
| URBAN YOUTH IMPACT INC | WEST PALM BCH, FL | $125,000 | 2026 | Complete the Campus |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $65,000 | 2026 | Forming Faithful Leaders Campaign |
| URBAN YOUTH IMPACT INC | WEST PALM BCH, FL | $50,000 | 2026 | Carver Christian Academy of Urban Youth Impact |
| LEVER INC | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $50,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SOUTHWICK CIVIC FUND INC | SOUTHWICK, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | Richard Atkinson Fund |
| SIM USA INCORPORATED | CHARLOTTE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | Support for the African Strategic Discipleship Movement |
| YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS | KANSAS CITY, MO | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $15,000 | 2026 | Intravarsity Christian Fellowship's Donor engagement function |
| HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $10,000 | 2026 | Women's Giving Circle |
| HUCKLEBERRY SPRINGS CHURCH | KNOXVILLE, TN | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF EVANGELICAL STUDENTS U | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $2,500 | 2026 | Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Valencia College |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $170,000 | 2025 | Forming Faithful Leaders Campaign Fund |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH PALM BEACH INC | N PALM BEACH, FL | $144,000 | 2025 | Mission Fund and General Fund |
| SOUTHWICK CIVIC FUND INC | SOUTHWICK, MA | $55,000 | 2025 | Richard Atkinson Fund |
| LEVER INC | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH PALM BEACH INC | N PALM BEACH, FL | $47,000 | 2025 | Children's Ministry Facilities Review |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $19,800 | 2025 | Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Harvard University and Northeastern University |
| WORLDWIDE DISCIPLESHIP ASSOCIATION INC | FAYETTEVILLE, GA | $13,200 | 2025 | Church Leader Training and Resource Development Fund |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $10,200 | 2025 | Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Southern Connecticut State University and Yale |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $7,500 | 2025 | Scripture Engagement Program |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $7,500 | 2025 | Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Valencia College |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $7,500 | 2025 | QSSA Program |
| YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS | KANSAS CITY, MO | $7,500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $5,100 | 2025 | Graduate Ministries Program |
| FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH PALM BEACH INC | N PALM BEACH, FL | $138,000 | 2024 | Mission Fund and General Fund |
| SOUTHWICK CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH | SOUTHWICK, MA | $60,000 | 2024 | Steeple Repair Project |
| LEVER INC | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| MISERICORDIA FOUNDATION | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| WORLD VISION | FEDERAL WAY, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | Zambia Water, Sanitation and Health (WASH) Initiative |
| YOUTH VOLUNTEER CORPS | KANSAS CITY, MO | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $19,200 | 2024 | Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Harvard University and Northeastern University |
| WORLDWIDE DISCIPLESHIP ASSOCIATION INC | FAYETTEVILLE, GA | $13,200 | 2024 | Church Leader Training and Resource Development fund |
| RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $12,500 | 2024 | Rutgers Future Scholars fund |
| CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF ALABAMA | BIRMINGHAM, AL | $10,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| HEIFER INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION | LITTLE ROCK, AR | $10,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| JEWISH FEDERATION OF PALM BEACH COUNTY INC | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | Israel Terror Relief 2023 fund |
| WOMEN IN THE WINDOW INTERNATIONAL INC | WEST PALM BEACH, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | Nyanam Fish Farming Project |
| WORLD VISION | FEDERAL WAY, WA | $10,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES USA INC | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $10,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $9,600 | 2024 | Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Southern Connecticut State University and Yale |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $7,200 | 2024 | Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Valencia College |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $7,200 | 2024 | Scripture Engagement Program |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $7,200 | 2024 | Q/SSA Program |
| JUPITER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL INC | JUPITER, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | South Campus - Urban Youth Impact fund |
| HOUSING PARTNERSHIP INC | RIVIERA BEACH, FL | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF EVANGELICAL STUDENTS U | MADISON, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA | MADISON, WI | $4,800 | 2024 | Graduate Ministries Program |
Steven E. and Elizabeth T. Nielsen Gift Fund
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$65,000Forming Faithful Leaders Campaign
LEVER INC
$50,000General & Unrestricted
SOUTHWICK CIVIC FUND INC
$25,000Richard Atkinson Fund
SIM USA INCORPORATED
$25,000Support for the African Strategic Discipleship Movement
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$15,000Intravarsity Christian Fellowship's Donor engagement function
HUCKLEBERRY SPRINGS CHURCH
$10,000General & Unrestricted
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$2,500Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Valencia College
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$170,000Forming Faithful Leaders Campaign Fund
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH PALM BEACH INC
$144,000Mission Fund and General Fund
SOUTHWICK CIVIC FUND INC
$55,000Richard Atkinson Fund
LEVER INC
$50,000General & Unrestricted
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH PALM BEACH INC
$47,000Children's Ministry Facilities Review
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$19,800Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Harvard University and Northeastern University
Church Leader Training and Resource Development Fund
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$10,200Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Southern Connecticut State University and Yale
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$7,500Scripture Engagement Program
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$7,500Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Valencia College
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$7,500QSSA Program
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$5,100Graduate Ministries Program
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NORTH PALM BEACH INC
$138,000Mission Fund and General Fund
SOUTHWICK CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
$60,000Steeple Repair Project
LEVER INC
$50,000General & Unrestricted
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$19,200Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Harvard University and Northeastern University
Church Leader Training and Resource Development fund
Israel Terror Relief 2023 fund
WOMEN IN THE WINDOW INTERNATIONAL INC
$10,000Nyanam Fish Farming Project
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$9,600Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Southern Connecticut State University and Yale
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$7,200Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Program at Valencia College
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$7,200Scripture Engagement Program
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$7,200Q/SSA Program
JUPITER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL INC
$5,000South Campus - Urban Youth Impact fund
INTERVARSITY CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP- USA
$4,800Graduate Ministries Program