The Osilas Foundation is a highly-focused, local funder that concentrates its giving on arts, culture and local history in the White Bear Lake area. It makes large, unrestricted operating grants to a very small group of community cultural institutions, often supporting the same organizations repeatedly. The foundation’s support appears aimed at sustaining core community cultural infrastructure—historical preservation, an arts center, and regional theater—rather than broad or national causes.
Osilas Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by repeated, large operating support for a small cluster of White Bear Lake institutions. The biggest grant in the dataset is a $795,000 award to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society in 2023, listed alongside support for the Manitou Days, Armory Campaign, interns and new hire, and Builders Fund. That pattern continues across later years with $555,000 in 2024 and $501,000 in 2025 to the same historical society, plus $522,000 in 2024 and $311,000 in 2025 to White Bear Center for the Arts. The foundation’s portfolio shows a clear emphasis on sustaining local cultural infrastructure rather than distributing funds broadly. Lakeshore Players Theatre received $200,000 in 2023 and $27,500 in 2024, both tied to operating support and facility or fund-a-need needs. Other grants reach nearby community organizations and cultural partners, including White Bear Area Food Shelf, Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation, and Children’s Performing Arts. Its giving also extends beyond White Bear Lake when a grant aligns with historical, cultural, or community programming purposes, as seen in awards to Mount Vernon, Park Square Theatre, and Minnesota News Media Institute.
Arts and cultural programming appear across several named grants. White Bear Center for the Arts received $522,000 in 2024 for general operating support, Heart 4 Art, and tribute funding in honor of Suzi Hudson; the same organization received $385,000 in 2023 for general operating support, Heart 4 Art, and audiovisual and furniture needs. Lakeshore Players Theatre also received support tied to operating stability and facilities, including $200,000 in 2023 for general operating support and a walkway. The foundation also backs historical preservation and local history. The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society’s $795,000 grant in 2023 included Manitou Days, the Armory Campaign, interns and a new hire, and the Builders Fund. Outdoor and conservation-related work appears in a $51,000 grant to Belwin Conservancy for Outdoor Education Area and Wild Space Preservation. In community journalism and public events, Minnesota News Media Institute received $39,800 in 2024 for press publication and the 16th Annual Boat Show, followed by $32,000 in 2025 for general operating support.
$1.8M
$22.8M
$1M
$1.9M
Most grants fall between $1K and $22K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$22K
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Concentrated, high-dollar local giving: few large grants (many multi-six-figure) focused on repeat grantees, primarily unrestricted/general operating support to sustain core cultural institutions.
Notable grantees: White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Center for the Arts, Lakeshore Players Theatre
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized relative to the foundation’s largest awards: p25 is $1,200, median is $5,000, and p75 is $21,500. The distribution shows a small number of very large awards alongside many smaller gifts. The same organizations appear in multiple years, including the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Center for the Arts, Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation, Lakeshore Players Theatre, and Children’s Performing Arts, indicating repeated support rather than one-time awards. The foundation is not a fund for individuals and does not make program-related investments.
Grantmaking is concentrated in Minnesota, with 85% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. White Bear Lake is the dominant recipient city, with multiple awards to the historical society, arts center, community foundation, food shelf, theater, academy, and emergency food shelf. Outside White Bear Lake, named Minnesota recipients include Afton, Minneapolis, and St Paul. The only non-U.S. geography in the recipient distribution is the United States, which accounts for all 125 grants.
Most of the named grants go to cultural and community institutions in White Bear Lake: the historical society, the arts center, and Lakeshore Players Theatre. The grant list also includes community foundation support, food shelf support, a conservancy, a news media institute, and schools or higher-education foundations.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society, White Bear Center for the Arts, Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation, Lakeshore Players Theatre, and Children’s Perfoming Arts. The repeated awards include both general operating support and named project or campaign support.
The typical grant size is $1,200 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $21,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes much larger awards, including $795,000 to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society and $555,000 to the same organization in 2024.
Its grantmaking is local, and 85% of grants go to recipients in Minnesota. White Bear Lake is the main recipient city, with additional Minnesota grants in Afton, Minneapolis, and St Paul. All recipient-country data in the file is in the United States.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Bear Lake Area Historical Society | White Bear Lake, MN | $585,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation | White Bear Lake, MN | $360,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Lakeshore Players Theatre | White Bear Lake, MN | $271,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| White Bear Center for the Arts | White Bear Lake, MN | $210,000 | 2026 | General Operating/Heart 4 Art |
| Liberty Classical Academy | White Bear Lake, MN | $60,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| YMCA of the North | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Midwest Ski Otters | White Bear Lake, MN | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Dodge Nature Center and Preschool | West St Paul, MN | $25,000 | 2026 | General Operating/Night for Nature |
| White Bear Area Food Shelf | White Bear Lake, MN | $20,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Children's Perfoming Arts | White Bear Lake, MN | $20,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| St Catherine University | St Paul, MN | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Sarah Lawrence College | Bronxville, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| White Bear Lake Wooden Boat Show | White Bear Lake, MN | $15,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Park Square Theatre | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| St Paul Gardens Club | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Stages Theatre Company | Hopkins, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | Season of Celebration |
| Solid Ground | White Bear Lake, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | General Operating/Every Family Needs a Home |
| White Bear Lake Rotary Foundation | White Bear Lake, MN | $8,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Minnesota Historical Society | St Paul, MN | $7,500 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Como Friends | St Paul, MN | $6,400 | 2026 | General Operating |
| City of White Bear Lake - Manitou Days | White Bear Lake, MN | $6,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Guthrie Theater | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Ordway Center for Performing Arts | St Paul, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | 2025 Garden Gala |
| St Paul Academy and Summit School | St Paul, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| White Bear Lake Fireworks Fund | White Bear Lake, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| White Bear Sailing School | Dellwood, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | New docks and instruction boats |
| Friends of the Mississippi | St Paul, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Hope Academy | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| City of White Bear Lake - Manitou Parade | White Bear Lake, MN | $2,415 | 2026 | General Operating |
| NSCDA | Washington, DC | $2,000 | 2026 | Dumbarton House Fund for the Future |
| Books for Africa | St Paul, MN | $1,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Courage Coalition | St Paul, MN | $1,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| EastChester Historical Society | Bronxville, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | General Operating |
| Animal Humane Society | Golden Valley, MN | $1,000 | 2026 | 2025 Walk for Animals |
| White Bear Lake Area Historical Society | White Bear Lake, MN | $501,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| White Bear Center for the Arts | White Bear Lake, MN | $311,000 | 2025 | General Operating/Heart 4 Art |
| Liberty Classical Academy | White Bear Lake, MN | $80,000 | 2025 | Expansion Campaign/2024 Liberty Fund |
| George Washington's Mount Vernon Ladies' Association | Mount Vernon, VA | $78,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation | White Bear Lake, MN | $60,000 | 2025 | 2024 Summer Soiree challenge |
| White Bear Area Food Shelf | White Bear Lake, MN | $60,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Belwin Conservancy | Afton, MN | $51,000 | 2025 | Outdoor Education Area/Wild Space Preservation |
| Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation | White Bear Lake, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | Foundation Builders Fund |
| Minnesota News Media Institute | Minneapolis, MN | $32,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Park Square Theatre | St Paul, MN | $30,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Solid Ground | White Bear Lake, MN | $30,000 | 2025 | General Operating/Every Family Needs a Home |
| St Catherine University | St Paul, MN | $25,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| Dodge Nature Center and Preschool | West St Paul, MN | $21,500 | 2025 | General Operating/Night for Nature |
| The Counseling Center | Bronxville, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating |
| YMCA of the North | Minneapolis, MN | $15,000 | 2025 | LIfeguard Training |
| Greater White Bear Lake Community Foundation | White Bear Lake, MN | $15,000 | 2025 | Leadership Tomorrow Fund |
Lakeshore Players Theatre
$271,000General Operating
Midwest Ski Otters
$25,000General Operating
Dodge Nature Center and Preschool
$25,000General Operating/Night for Nature
Children's Perfoming Arts
$20,000General Operating
St Catherine University
$15,000General Operating
Sarah Lawrence College
$15,000General Operating
White Bear Lake Wooden Boat Show
$15,000General Operating
St Paul Gardens Club
$10,000General Operating
Stages Theatre Company
$10,000Season of Celebration
White Bear Lake Rotary Foundation
$8,000General Operating
City of White Bear Lake - Manitou Days
$6,000General Operating
White Bear Lake Fireworks Fund
$5,000General Operating
White Bear Sailing School
$5,000New docks and instruction boats
Friends of the Mississippi
$5,000General Operating
City of White Bear Lake - Manitou Parade
$2,415General Operating
NSCDA
$2,000Dumbarton House Fund for the Future
Courage Coalition
$1,000General Operating
EastChester Historical Society
$1,000General Operating
Animal Humane Society
$1,0002025 Walk for Animals
George Washington's Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
$78,000General Operating
2024 Summer Soiree challenge
Minnesota News Media Institute
$32,000General Operating
St Catherine University
$25,000General Operating
Dodge Nature Center and Preschool
$21,500General Operating/Night for Nature
The Counseling Center
$20,000General Operating