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Minnesota · Public charity

Essentia Health Foundation

We are called to make a healthy difference in people's lives.

$1.3M
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
12
Itemized grants FY2025
16
Organizations funded FY2024
19%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Itemized, FY2025
$932k
The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2025
$18,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$263,188
Organizations funded a year
14 to 22
FY2018 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
3
Total assets, FY2025
$26M

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 19% of the organizations Essentia Health Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 0% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 100% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $23k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24
HealthHuman ServicesCommunity ImprovementPhilanthropyHousing & ShelterFood & NutritionOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving12$932k17%
FY202416$18M19%
FY202322$1.6M50%
FY202216$903k25%
FY202114$1.8M29%
FY202018$2.6M39%
FY201914$3.1M21%
FY201818$1.4M33%
100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Health$32MHuman Services$110kYouth Development$76kFood & Nutrition$65kCrime & Legal$56kRecreation & Sports$54kPublic Safety & Disaster$36kCommunity Improvement$25kOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2017 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Smdc Medical Center$17,495,49292%
St Mary's Medical Center$4,248,27090%
St Joseph's Medical Center$2,638,97390%
St Mary's Regional Health Center$2,251,68190%
Innovis Health LLC$2,235,78690%
Essentia Institute of Rural Health$1,543,56494%
Graceville Health Center$483,24683%
Essentia Health$143,65870%
Clearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics Inc$125,00011%
St Mary's Hospital of Superior$119,08460%
Show all 60 grantees
All grantees of Essentia Health Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Smdc Medical Center$17,495,49292%
St Mary's Medical Center$4,248,27090%
St Joseph's Medical Center$2,638,97390%
St Mary's Regional Health Center$2,251,68190%
Innovis Health LLC$2,235,78690%
Essentia Institute of Rural Health$1,543,56494%
Graceville Health Center$483,24683%
Essentia Health$143,65870%
Clearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics Inc$125,00011%
St Mary's Hospital of Superior$119,08460%
St Mary's Hospital Inc$100,00010%
Bridges Medical Center$76,96070%
St Mary's Innovis Health$70,26320%
The Duluth Clinic Ltd$59,51920%
Moose Lake Township$58,9242n/a
Essentia Health Moose Lake$41,19430%
Horizon Health Inc$36,36840%
True North Ministries Inc$30,258417%
Mounted Eagles Inc$29,905224%
Lakes Area Restorative Justice Project$27,50035%
Young Men's Christian Association of Brainerd$21,25711%
Second Harvest North Central Food Bank$20,00020%
Sexual Assault Services Inc$20,00017%
Lakes Area Food Shelf$20,00022%
Crow Wing County Victim Services$19,50027%
Ely Community Health Center$18,000113%
Ada Scholarship Foundation Inc$16,139112%
Community Action Council of Crow Wing County$15,00016%
St Mary's EMS$14,18420%
Sprout Mn$10,00012%
Kinship Partners Inc$10,00014%
American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches$10,00010%
Crow Wing County First Responders Zone 2$10,0001n/a
Lakes Area Interfaith Caregivers$10,00016%
Crosslake Evangelical Free Church$10,0001n/a
Bridges of Hope$10,00011%
Mid-Minnesota Women's Center Inc$10,00011%
Cuyuna Lakes Pickleball Association$10,0001n/a
Lakes Area Habitat for Humanity$10,00011%
Crow Wing County$10,0001n/a
Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes$10,00014%
Crisis Line and Referral Service$10,00017%
City of Brainerd$9,5001n/a
Ostara Initiative$9,00013%
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota$8,40010%
Northern Pines Medical Center$8,07210%
Community Care N Share Cafe$8,0001n/a
Pine Medical Center$7,65010%
Camp Odayin$7,50011%
Polinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center$7,30010%
University of Minnesota Foundation$7,00010%
Junior Achievement North$7,00010%
Brainerd Lakes BMX Association Inc$6,95019%
St Francis Catholic Church$6,8002n/a
City of Pine River$6,1401n/a
Pine EMS Inc$6,000110%
Adalyn Rose Foundation$6,0001n/a
Lets Go Fishing$5,68016%
Lakes Area Alano Association$5,5821n/a
Sharing Bread Soup Kitchen$5,30713%

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget Essentia Health Foundation supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetSmdc Medical Center: $17,495,492 over 9y, 2.0% of budgetSt Mary's Medical Center: $4,248,270 over 9y, 0.3% of budgetSt Joseph's Medical Center: $2,638,973 over 9y, 0.4% of budgetSt Mary's Regional Health Center: $2,251,681 over 9y, 0.3% of budgetInnovis Health LLC: $2,235,786 over 9y, 0.2% of budgetEssentia Institute of Rural Health: $1,543,564 over 9y, 3.8% of budgetGraceville Health Center: $483,246 over 8y, 3.2% of budgetEssentia Health: $143,658 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetClearwater Valley Hospital and Clinics Inc: $125,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetSt Mary's Hospital of Superior: $119,084 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetSt Mary's Hospital Inc: $100,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetBridges Medical Center: $76,960 over 7y, 0.2% of budgetSt Mary's Innovis Health: $70,263 over 2y, 0.4% of budgetThe Duluth Clinic Ltd: $59,519 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetEssentia Health Moose Lake: $41,194 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetHorizon Health Inc: $36,368 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetTrue North Ministries Inc: $30,258 over 4y, 17% of budgetMounted Eagles Inc: $29,905 over 2y, 24% of budgetLakes Area Restorative Justice Project: $27,500 over 3y, 5.5% of budgetYoung Men's Christian Association of Brainerd: $21,257 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetSecond Harvest North Central Food Bank: $20,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetSexual Assault Services Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 7.3% of budgetLakes Area Food Shelf: $20,000 over 2y, 2.0% of budgetCrow Wing County Victim Services: $19,500 over 2y, 6.6% of budgetEly Community Health Center: $18,000 over 1y, 13% of budgetAda Scholarship Foundation Inc: $16,139 over 1y, 12% of budgetCommunity Action Council of Crow Wing County: $15,000 over 1y, 6.4% of budgetSt Mary's EMS: $14,184 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetSprout Mn: $10,000 over 1y, 2.4% of budgetKinship Partners Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 4.3% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLakes Area Interfaith Caregivers: $10,000 over 1y, 6.0% of budgetBridges of Hope: $10,000 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetMid-Minnesota Women's Center Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetLakes Area Habitat for Humanity: $10,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetOutreach Program of Brainerd Lakes: $10,000 over 1y, 4.2% of budgetCrisis Line and Referral Service: $10,000 over 1y, 6.6% of budgetOstara Initiative: $9,000 over 1y, 2.6% of budgetLutheran Social Service of Minnesota: $8,400 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetNorthern Pines Medical Center: $8,072 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPine Medical Center: $7,650 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCamp Odayin: $7,500 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetPolinsky Medical Rehabilitation Center: $7,300 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetUniversity of Minnesota Foundation: $7,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetJunior Achievement North: $7,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetBrainerd Lakes BMX Association Inc: $6,950 over 1y, 8.8% of budgetPine EMS Inc: $6,000 over 1y, 10% of budgetLets Go Fishing: $5,680 over 1y, 6.2% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 49.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

CommunitygivingOtto Bremer TrustInitiative FoundationE W Hallett Charitabl…Crow Wing Power Commu…The Anderson Family L…Minnesota Power Found…Mardag FoundationUcare FoundationSmdc Medical CenterMedica FoundationC K Blandin Foundation
CommunitygivingMN39× affinity18 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Communitygiving · Otto Bremer Trust · Initiative Foundation · E W Hallett Charitable Tr Ua · Crow Wing Power Community Trust · The Anderson Family Legacy Foundation · Minnesota Power Foundation · Mardag Foundation · Ucare Foundation · Smdc Medical Center · Medica Foundation · C K Blandin Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Essentia Health Foundation with peer funders

About Essentia Health Foundation

How much does Essentia Health Foundation give?
Essentia Health Foundation reported 12 itemized grants totaling $932,166, out of $1,313,702 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 14 and 22 organizations a year over FY2018 to FY2024.
What does Essentia Health Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2017 to FY2025, its largest causes are Health (99%), Human Services (0%), Youth Development (0%).
Who are Essentia Health Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2017 to FY2025: Smdc Medical Center ($17M), St Mary's Medical Center ($4.2M), St Joseph's Medical Center ($2.6M).
Does Essentia Health Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 19% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Which funders back the same organizations as Essentia Health Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Communitygiving, Otto Bremer Trust, Initiative Foundation.
Where is Essentia Health Foundation based?
Essentia Health Foundation is based in MN.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 61 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990 e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Essentia Health’s filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home