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Minnesota · Private foundation

Lerner Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$97k
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
17
Grants FY2025
30
Organizations funded FY2024
10%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$2,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$50,000
Organizations funded a year
29 to 45
FY2019 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
4
Total assets, FY2025
$2.0M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 10% of the organizations Lerner Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 10% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 90% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $10k went to new ones.

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

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

’20’21’22’23’24
InternationalArts & CultureEducationReligionHealthFood & 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 arriving17$97k29%
FY202430$106k10%
FY202342$122k21%
FY202242$119k21%
FY202145$55k36%
FY202029$42k48%
FY201944$49kn/a
94% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2019 to 2024.

Education$259kPhilanthropy$108kHuman Services$58kReligion$57kInternational$40kArts & Culture$25kHealth$13kCivil Rights$8kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

WA
MN
IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
PA
NJ
CA
MO
NC
DC
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2019 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Show all 66 grantees
All grantees of Lerner Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
University of Minnesota Foundation$211,00060%
Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis$67,05050%
Harold and Mickey Smith Jewish Academy$33,35060%
Books for Africa Inc$28,50070%
Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas$23,50050%
Temple Israel$13,8346n/a
Wishes & More$13,55070%
Highlights Foundation Inc$11,74970%
Trustees of the Hamline University of Minnesota$11,50040%
The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library$10,25050%
Hennepin County Library$10,0001n/a
Milkweed Editions Inc$7,90040%
American Jewish Committee$7,00050%
Page Education Foundation$6,00040%
American Friends of Alyn Hospitalinc$5,50020%
Shanti Bhavan Children's Project Inc$5,00010%
American Friends of Magen David Adom$5,00010%
Macalester College$4,00020%
Minnesota Center for Book Arts$2,70040%
Ballet Works Inc$2,55040%
American Friends of Hebrew University Inc$2,10030%
Second Harvest Heartland$2,00010%
Central Conference of American Rabbis$1,8001n/a
Anderson Center Inc$1,55060%
The Association of Jewish Libraries Inc$1,50011%
Herzl Camp Foundation$1,20040%
Hillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life$1,04020%
Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Canc$1,0051n/a
Washburn Center for Children$1,00010%
Twin Cities Public Television Inc$1,00060%
Propel Nonprofits$1,00010%
Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation$1,00010%
Len Ragozin Foundation Inc$1,00010%
Friends of the Hennepin County Library$1,00010%
Minnesota Orchestral Association$70050%
Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc$70030%
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Inc$65030%
The Center for Victims of Torture$65040%
American Library Association$60010%
Asian Counseling and Referral Service$50030%
The North Carolina Writers' Network Inc$50010%
The Bakken$50010%
Mission Hospice & Home Care Inc$50010%
St Paul Urban Tennis Program$45020%
Chapel Hills United Church of Christ$4001n/a
International Campaign for Tibet$40040%
Minnesota Public Radio American Public Media$40050%
MinnPost$40040%
Society for Humanistic Judaism$35030%
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence$30030%
Hartley Nature Center$25010%
University of Minnesota Alumni Association$25050%
Guthrie Theater Foundation$25010%
Multiple Sclerosis Foundation Inc$23520%
Science Museum of Minnesota$20020%
St Marys Greek Orthodox Church$2001n/a
Darts$20020%
Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church$1001n/a
Children's Home Society of Minnesota$10010%
The Inter-Cooperative Council at the University of Michigan$10010%
Birthright Israel Foundation$10010%
Leonardo's Basement$10010%
The Talmud Torah of St Paul$10010%
Fresh Air Fund$10010%
Salvation Army$501n/a
National Council of Jewish Women Minnesota (Mn) Section$2510%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 34 recipients with no EIN on record ($82k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

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

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetUniversity of Minnesota Foundation: $211,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetJewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis: $67,050 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetHarold and Mickey Smith Jewish Academy: $33,350 over 6y, 0.2% of budgetBooks for Africa Inc: $28,500 over 7y, 0.0% of budgetJewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas: $23,500 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetWishes & More: $13,550 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetHighlights Foundation Inc: $11,749 over 7y, 0.2% of budgetTrustees of the Hamline University of Minnesota: $11,500 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetThe Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library: $10,250 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetMilkweed Editions Inc: $7,900 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetAmerican Jewish Committee: $7,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetPage Education Foundation: $6,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetAmerican Friends of Alyn Hospitalinc: $5,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetShanti Bhavan Children's Project Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetAmerican Friends of Magen David Adom: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMacalester College: $4,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMinnesota Center for Book Arts: $2,700 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetBallet Works Inc: $2,550 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetAmerican Friends of Hebrew University Inc: $2,100 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetSecond Harvest Heartland: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAnderson Center Inc: $1,550 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetThe Association of Jewish Libraries Inc: $1,500 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetHerzl Camp Foundation: $1,200 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetHillel the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life: $1,040 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetWashburn Center for Children: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTwin Cities Public Television Inc: $1,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetPropel Nonprofits: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMinneapolis Heart Institute Foundation: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLen Ragozin Foundation Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetFriends of the Hennepin County Library: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMinnesota Orchestral Association: $700 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetMedecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc: $700 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetThe Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Inc: $650 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetThe Center for Victims of Torture: $650 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican Library Association: $600 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAsian Counseling and Referral Service: $500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetThe North Carolina Writers' Network Inc: $500 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetThe Bakken: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMission Hospice & Home Care Inc: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSt Paul Urban Tennis Program: $450 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetInternational Campaign for Tibet: $400 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMinnesota Public Radio American Public Media: $400 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetMinnPost: $400 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetSociety for Humanistic Judaism: $350 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetBrady Center to Prevent Gun Violence: $300 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetHartley Nature Center: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetUniversity of Minnesota Alumni Association: $250 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetGuthrie Theater Foundation: $250 over 1y, 0.0% 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 58.

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.

The Minneapolis FoundationMN39.1× affinity21 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Minneapolis Foundation · Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation · Mightycause Charitable Foundation · Otto Bremer Trust · Xcel Energy Foundation · Pohlad Family Foundation · The McKnight Foundation · The Richard M Schulze Family Foundation · The K Foundation · Minnesota Community Foundation · Ch Robinson Worldwide Foundation · United Way Worldwide

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 Lerner Foundation with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Lerner Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Lerner Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Lerner Foundation

How much does Lerner Foundation give?
Lerner Foundation reported 17 grants totaling $97,245 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 29 and 45 organizations a year over FY2019 to FY2024.
What does Lerner Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2019 to FY2025, its largest causes are Education (45%), Philanthropy (19%), Human Services (10%).
Who are Lerner Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2019 to FY2025: University of Minnesota Foundation ($211k), Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis ($67k), Harold and Mickey Smith Jewish Academy ($33k).
Does Lerner Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 10% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Lerner Foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as Lerner Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The Minneapolis Foundation, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, Mightycause Charitable Foundation.
Where is Lerner Foundation based?
Lerner 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 102 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-PF 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

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