The Robert L. and Lila A. Cotten Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on a very small set of local charities, providing the bulk of its giving to a single organization while making occasional smaller gifts to health-related causes. Grants are unrestricted/charitable in purpose (NTEE Z), indicating flexible support rather than tightly restricted program funding. Its giving appears locally focused in Minnesota and oriented toward sustaining general charity operations and children’s healthcare.
Highly concentrated giving: very few grants per year with one dominant recipient receiving multiple (and much larger) awards and occasional smaller one-off gifts to other local charities.
A single local nonprofit dominates the Robert L and Lila A Cotten Foundation’s recent giving: Guild received $105,000 in 2025, $100,000 in 2024, and $50,000 in 2023. That repeat pattern shows a foundation built around renewal support rather than a broad portfolio of many grantees. The foundation’s giving is also highly concentrated in Minnesota, with every listed grant going to recipients in the state. Beyond Guild, the foundation has made smaller gifts to children’s health and youth-serving organizations. In 2025, it gave $20,000 to Children’s Minnesota Foundation in Edina, and earlier grants included $15,000 to Childrens MN Foundation in Edina and $15,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in Minneapolis. The amounts suggest a mix of substantial operating-style support for one main charity and occasional targeted gifts to nearby community and health organizations. Grants are recorded as charitable support, indicating flexible funding rather than tightly defined program awards.
The clearest pattern in the Robert L and Lila A Cotten Foundation’s grantmaking is sustained support for general charity operations. Guild in Saint Paul received three major grants across consecutive recent years: $105,000 in 2025, $100,000 in 2024, and $50,000 in 2023. Children’s health is another recurring theme. Children’s Minnesota Foundation in Edina received $20,000 in 2025, and a separate 2023 grant of $15,000 went to Childrens MN Foundation, also in Edina. The foundation has also funded youth-serving community work. In 2023, it gave $15,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in Minneapolis. Taken together, the grants point to support for a small set of Minnesota organizations working in community services, pediatric care, and youth development.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $75,000 at the 75th percentile, reflecting a mix of modest gifts and much larger awards. The recent record is highly concentrated: one organization appears across multiple years, and the listed grants show renewal-style support rather than one-off scattershot giving. The foundation appears to function as a private family foundation rather than a donor-advised fund or operating charity, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Grants are recorded as charitable support, suggesting flexible use rather than narrowly restricted project funding.
$305K
$823K
$87K
$135K
Most grants fall between $15K and $75K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$75K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in MN.
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Notable grantees: Guild, Children's Minnesota Foundation, Other local charities (unspecified Z99 recipients)
Grantmaking is entirely local in the available record: 100% of listed grants went to recipients in Minnesota. Saint Paul appears repeatedly through Guild, while Edina shows up in the children’s health grants and Minneapolis appears in the youth-serving gift. The top state by grant count is Minnesota, matching the foundation’s local scope of giving. All recorded recipient-country data is domestic, with seven grants to U.S. organizations.
Its recent grants are concentrated in a very small group of Minnesota charities, with the largest recurring support going to Guild in Saint Paul. It also gives smaller charitable grants to Children’s Minnesota Foundation in Edina and to a youth-serving organization in Minneapolis.
Typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $75,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes larger awards of $100,000 and $105,000, showing that the foundation sometimes makes substantial repeat grants.
No. Every listed grant went to a recipient in Minnesota, and the recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based. The grant record shows a local giving pattern centered on Saint Paul, Edina, and Minneapolis.
The grants point to general operating support for a local charity, children’s healthcare support through Children’s Minnesota Foundation, and youth/community services through a grant to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in Minneapolis.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guild | St Paul, MN | $105,000 | 2025 | Charity |
| Children's Minnesota Foundation | Edina, MN | $20,000 | 2025 | Charity |
| Guild | Saint Paul, MN | $100,000 | 2024 | Charity |
| Children's MN Foundation | Edina, MN | $200 | 2024 | Charity |
| Guild | Saint Paul, MN | $50,000 | 2023 | Charity |
| Childrens MN Foundation | Edina, MN | $15,000 | 2023 | Charity |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of America | Minneapolis, MN | $15,000 | 2023 | Charity |
Guild
$105,000Charity
Children's Minnesota Foundation
$20,000Charity
Guild
$100,000Charity
Children's MN Foundation
$200Charity
Guild
$50,000Charity
Childrens MN Foundation
$15,000Charity
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
Charity