Open nowRolling / open intake
HickoryTech Fund
community needslocal initiatives
Who can apply: Applications accepted on a rolling basis; local initiatives serving Southern Minnesota.
Deadline: Rolling basis.
About Mankato Area Foundation
The Mankato Area Foundation is a trusted resource that connects donors with causes they care about, provides funding to enhance our region and serves as a collaborative community partner.
Focus Areas
arts & cultureagriculturegrowth & livabilityconnectivity & collaborationheritageeducation & scholarshipshealth (e.g., cancer fund)community development
Funding Style
program-specific / project supportrestricted funding (program assistance)implementation and service delivery fundingshort-term / project-based grants
About Mankato Area Foundation
Mankato Area Foundation’s recent giving shows a strong pattern of large program-assistance grants to local institutions that anchor life in Greater Mankato. In the top of its recent grant list, the foundation awarded $455,000 to Creative Foundation in North Mankato and $448,250 to Mankato Youth Place in Mankato, followed by $389,725 to the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota. Those grants point to a mix of arts, youth services, and community programming rather than a single-cause strategy. The foundation also supports higher-education and civic partners through substantial awards to Minnesota State University Mankato Foundation, Mankato Area Public Schools, and Mankato Family YMCA. Its portfolio includes churches, museums, health-related funds, and community organizations, all tied to program assistance. The presence of named funds such as the Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund and the Women’s Giving Circle Grants adds another layer to its work, linking donor participation and community impact with locally directed grantmaking. Across the recent list, the foundation appears to favor project-based support for organizations already delivering services in the region.
What Mankato Area Foundation Funds
Arts and culture is a visible part of the foundation’s work. It gave $455,000 to Creative Foundation in North Mankato for program assistance, and another $112,250 to Mankato Symphony Orchestra in Mankato. Youth-focused support is also prominent: Mankato Youth Place received $448,250 for program assistance, and the Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota received $389,725. Education shows up through institutional grants such as $102,766 to Minnesota State University Mankato Foundation for program assistance. Health and human services appear through awards like $100,000 to Feeding Our Communities Partners in North Mankato and $213,293 to Greater Mankato Area United Way in Mankato, both for program assistance.
How Mankato Area Foundation Gives
Recent grants show a typical size centered in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $10,000, median of $15,000, and p75 of $33,000. The recent list also includes much larger program-assistance awards, which suggests the foundation makes both standard community grants and higher-dollar support for selected organizations. Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local: 85% of grants go to recipients in Minnesota, and every grant in the provided recipient-country distribution is in the US. The foundation accepts unsolicited applications through several programs, including Community Impact Grants and Special Projects, Programs, and Initiatives. Scholarship funds are separately administered, but the foundation’s nonprofit grantmaking is primarily project- and program-based.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.5M
Total Assets
$36M
Total Revenue
$8.8M
Total Expenses
$5.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $33K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$33K
Geographic Reach
Local13 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Nancy Zallek
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