The Centurion Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on scientific and medical research and on higher education, with a mix of major gifts to elite biomedical research centers and targeted support for regional universities in the Upper Midwest. Grants skew large and strategic—often multi-hundred-thousand to multi-million-dollar awards—and include both marquee national research institutions and hometown college priorities. The foundation also uses donor-advised vehicles for flexible, general charitable support.
Centurion Foundation’s most distinctive pattern is its repeated seven-figure support for medical and scientific research, including $2.5 million to the Whitehead Institute in 2025 and $1.016666 million to the University of Pennsylvania in the same year. Those awards sit alongside another major track: direct support for higher education and research capacity, especially at North Dakota State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, and the University of Minnesota Foundation. The foundation also backs specialized clinical and STEM work, from the Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary to MIT - Ai Cures and the Society for Science & the Public. The grant record shows a funder that favors institutional philanthropy over individual giving and uses large, strategic awards across both elite research centers and regional universities. Several grants are designated for medical research, scientific research, or education, while some gifts are listed for general charitable purpose or religious support. In the recent grants list, recipients range from Cambridge and Philadelphia to Fargo and Moorhead, reflecting a mix of national research institutions and Upper Midwest priorities.
Medical and scientific research are central to Centurion Foundation’s giving. In 2025, it gave $1 million to the Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary for medical work and $900,000 to the Society for Science & the Public for scientific research. The same year, MIT - Ai Cures received $1 million for scientific research, showing interest in research tied to AI and health technology. The foundation also backs higher education institutions as research and capacity-building partners. North Dakota State University received $1 million in 2024 for scientific research in microbiology and another $1 million in 2025 for education, while Minnesota State University Moorhead Foundation received $1 million in 2025 for education. Support for regional universities appears alongside national biomedical institutions, not as a separate track. A third pattern is clinical and laboratory-focused support. Harvard College received $350,000 in 2025 for medical research, and the National Brain Tumor Society received $100,000 in 2024 for medical research.
Centurion Foundation’s recent grants are large: the 25th percentile is $350,000, the median is $500,000, and the 75th percentile is $1,000,000. The list includes multiple seven-figure awards and a few smaller grants below that range. Recipients appear across more than one year in several cases, including Whitehead Institute, the University of Pennsylvania, North Dakota State University, Harvard College, and Community Baptist Church. The foundation does not fund individuals and is not shown making program-related investments. Its recent record also includes donor-advised support through Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund for general charitable purpose.
$10M
$157.9M
$30.3M
$10.9M
Most grants fall between $350K and $1M, with a median of $500K.
25th Percentile
$350K
Median
$500K
75th Percentile
$1M
About 22% of grants go to recipients in ND.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeRegístrate gratis para ver qué tan bien se adapta tu organización sin fines de lucro a este financiador, obtener un pitch generado por IA y descubrir fundaciones similares.
Concentrated, large-dollar grants with repeated support to select institutions; a small number of high-value awards rather than many small grants. Mix of national flagship research centers and focused regional university investments, plus occasional use of donor-advised funds for general philanthropic purposes.
Notable grantees: Whitehead Institute, North Dakota State University, University of Pennsylvania, MIT - AI Cures, Society for Science & the Public
Giving is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. North Dakota is the top state by grant count, and 22% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Fargo appears repeatedly, including North Dakota State University, 3535 Foundation, and Community Baptist Church. Other recurring recipient cities include Cambridge, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Boston, Massachusetts. Outside the Upper Midwest, the foundation also grants to New York and Washington, DC.
Its recent grants go mainly to research institutions, universities, and laboratories. Examples include Whitehead Institute, University of Pennsylvania, North Dakota State University, MIT - Ai Cures, and the Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. The record also includes support for science education and public engagement through Society for Science & the Public.
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $350,000, the median is $500,000, and the 75th percentile is $1,000,000. The recent list also includes several awards at $2.5 million, showing that the foundation routinely makes major gifts.
North Dakota is the top state by grant count, and 22% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent North Dakota recipients include North Dakota State University, 3535 Foundation, and Community Baptist Church in Fargo, plus Minnesota State University Moorhead Foundation across the river in Moorhead, Minnesota.
No. The supplied profile says it funds individuals: False and makes program-related investments: False. The recent grants list instead shows institutional awards to universities, research centers, foundations, and nonprofits.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $2,500,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,016,666 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD FOUNDATION | MOORHEAD, MN | $1,000,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| FOUNDATION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY | BOSTON, MA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL |
| MIT - AI CURES | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000,000 | 2025 | SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH |
| NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | FARGO, ND | $1,000,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC | WASHINGTON, DC | $900,000 | 2025 | SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH |
| 3535 FOUNDATION | FARGO, ND | $500,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $500,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION |
| HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $350,000 | 2025 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH | FARGO, ND | $200,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| GOLDMAN SACHS PHILANTHROPY FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500,000 | 2024 | GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE |
| WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $1,000,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY | FARGO, ND | $1,000,000 | 2024 | SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (MICROBIOLOGY) |
| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $683,334 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| HARVARD COLLEGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $350,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| NATIONAL BRAIN TUMOR SOCIETY | NEWTON, MA | $100,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOUNDATION | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $500,000 | 2023 | EDUCATION |
| THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $350,000 | 2023 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH | FARGO, ND | $20,000 | 2023 | RELIGIOUS |
WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE
$2,500,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$1,016,666MEDICAL RESEARCH
MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD FOUNDATION
$1,000,000EDUCATION
FOUNDATION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY
$1,000,000MEDICAL
MIT - AI CURES
$1,000,000SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
$1,000,000EDUCATION
SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC
$900,000SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
3535 FOUNDATION
$500,000RELIGIOUS
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY
$500,000EDUCATION
HARVARD COLLEGE
$350,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH
$200,000RELIGIOUS
GOLDMAN SACHS PHILANTHROPY FUND
$2,500,000GENERAL CHARITABLE PURPOSE
WHITEHEAD INSTITUTE
$1,000,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
$1,000,000SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (MICROBIOLOGY)
UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$683,334MEDICAL RESEARCH
HARVARD COLLEGE
$350,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
NATIONAL BRAIN TUMOR SOCIETY
$100,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOUNDATION
$500,000EDUCATION
THE TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
$350,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH
$20,000RELIGIOUS