Minnesota · Nonprofit
THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER
THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER (Minnesota) receives grants from 55 organizations whose IRS filings report $6,425,416 to it, the largest being Fred C and Katherine B Andersen Foundation ($1,325,000). 37 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- Revenue FY2025
- $3.4M
- Funders on record
- 55
- Grants received
- $6.4M
- Net assets
- $35M
What Thomas Irvine Dodge Nature Center does
Mission
Dodge nature center and preschool mission is providing exceptional experiences in nature through environmental education. We envision a future where everyone inspired by dodge intentionally cares for nature.
As stated on its FY2025 Form 990.
Programs
Dodge nature preschool, established in 2000, is a nationally recognized leader in early childhood environmental education. Research consistently shows that time in nature is a vital part of early childhood development. Dodge's program served 326 children ages 3 to 5 through last school year and summer session. Our innovative nature-based curriculum fosters cognitive, social, and physical development by integrating outdoor exploration and seasonal learning, guided by students' interests and based in best practices. Emphasizing an all-outdoor education model, dodge cultivates curiosity, resilience, and environmental stewardship in young learners.(continued on scheduled o:) (continued from part iii)dodge nature preschool invested in the reconstruction of its outdoor learning area in 2024 to improve safety, accessibility, and educational value. This transformation created three new outdoor classrooms, offering enhanced spaces for children and staff to explore, learn, and connect with nature. These improvements support the preschool's goal of providing high-quality, nature-based childhood education for students and their families.dodge nature preschool is licensed by the minnesota…
$1,935,183 spentof which $33,415 as grants$828,898 earned by the program65% of program spendingDodge nature center provides more than 65,000 accessible and affordable nature experiences annually, welcoming individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Our high-quality environmental education programs include standards-based school field trips, affordable school break camps, and after-school programs for k-8 students. Additional offerings include a naturalist fellowship program, engaging family activities, adult enrichment opportunities, and free or low-cost community events. To ensure broad participation, dodge offers low-cost programs and scholarships to support schools and families in financial need.(continued on scheduled o:)(continued from part iii)dodge's shepard farm site in cottage grove experienced increased participation from southeast metro schools and community members this year. The site offers school field trips, seasonal camps, and hands-on programs for families and adults. Farm-to-table, blacksmithing, and backyard chicken and beekeeping classes distinguish dodge as a community resource for lifelong environmental learning. Local schools have also requested programs such as girls explore science to support student engagement and strengthen science achievement.in…
$1,042,021 spentof which $17,992 as grants$552,578 earned by the program35% of program spendingDodge nature center operates two working farms in west st. Paul and cottage grove to demonstrate the vital connection between agriculture, the environment, and community well-being. The farms provide hands-on educational experiences for students of all ages in food and soil science, sustainable agriculture, beekeeping, livestock care, and renewable energy. Visitors participate in guided tours, observing a variety of farm animals, including heritage breeds, and exploring barns and coops. Community members can rent garden plots and learn organic gardening techniques from dodge farmers. The farms also host popular seasonal programs such as maple syruping and spring animal births, fostering appreciation for local agriculture and building empathy and environmental stewardship.
$8,718 earned by the programVolunteers are an integral part of dodge nature center and preschool's success. During the year ended august 31, 2025, volunteers contributed approximately 4,433 hours of service, supporting programs that reached more than 60,000 school children. Volunteers served in a variety of roles, including teacher naturalists, class and camp assistants, land restorationists, grounds and office support, event helpers, preschool aides, and animal care and garden support. Their dedication enhances the quality and reach of dodge's education and conservation programs.
The 4 programs described on its FY2024 Form 990, listed largest first by expense. Program spending in total: $2,977,204.
The organization over time
Each line starts at 100 in 2017, so what you read is the shape rather than the size: 150 means half as much again as 2017, 50 means half. The number beside each label in the key is where it ended.
Balance sheet
Total assets and total liabilities at each year end, in dollars. The largest one-year move in total assets was 2019 to 2020, from $22M to $28M (+30%).
How it's funded, over time
Each bar is one year's revenue split into where it came from, and every bar is the same height — these are shares, not amounts, so a year that raised twice as much looks the same size. Hover a bar for the split.
Government-grant reliance: 2020 4% · 2021 2% · 2022 1% · 2023 1% · 2024 5% · 2025 7%. Grants only. Government contracts and fees sit inside program revenue.
Surplus & reserves
Operating surplus or deficit each year, and months of liquidity in hand. 3 of the last 9 reported years ran a deficit.
reserve
Leadership and staff
The officers, directors, trustees and key employees listed on each return. Joined and no longer listed compare each filing with the year before, matching people by surname and first initial; a year after a gap, or a roster under three people, has no comparison.
Who funds it, year by year
2017 → 2023: the base broadened from 8 funders to 29 funders, grant income rose $101k → $1.3M.
14 of 55 of your funders are donor-advised or pass-through sponsors (tagged DAF) — 23% of grant dollars received. That money is really individual donors directing a sponsor; the institutions to cultivate are the non-DAF funders.
From the IRS filings of THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER’s funders (the co-funder graph). Top 30 of 55 funders by total. Association, not causation. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How concentrated its funding is
THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER has a broad base — no single funder exceeds 21% of grant income, and it takes 5 funders to reach half.
the vertical line marks half of all grant income — 5 funders to its left
30% of the income these shares are computed over arrives through pass-through sponsors or from payers whose filings do not say what kind of payment it is. Concentration is still measured over all of it, because the money is real; what it does not support is a claim about how many institutions have chosen to fund THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER.
Largest funder’s share by year: 2017 63% · 2018 59% · 2019 43% · 2020 40% · 2021 20% · 2022 34% · 2023 30% — diversifying over time.
“Effective funders” = inverse Herfindahl index (1 / Σ shareᵢ²) — the number of equal-sized funders that would give the same concentration. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
How long its funders stay
68% of THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER's funders are still giving 3 years after their first grant; 67% give in more than one year at all.
Share of funders still giving k years after their first recorded grant, pooled across every acquisition cohort. A funder counts as retained in a year only if it made a grant that year. Measured to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving — a funder cannot be counted as lapsed in a year most filers have not reached.
Where its funders are
76% of THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER's grant income comes from Minnesota funders.
In-state vs out-of-state, by year
Funder states come from each funder’s own filing. $1.5M arriving through sponsors registered in 10 states is excluded from the map and the split above: a sponsor holds money on a donor’s behalf, so its registered address would place those dollars somewhere no donor need ever have been. Trends are read to FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving. FY2024–FY2026 are still being filed and are shown unshaded; they do not move any figure on this page.
Organizations like THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER
Organizations whose mission and program text most resemble this one, by semantic similarity over every organization in the US filings — the closest peers, and often the clearest route to shared or prospective funders.
In Minnesota
Nationally
Read directly from this organization’s own Form 990, as neutral context.
Where the money goes
76% of spending goes to programs.
Governance
Public support
44%
Share of support from the public (Schedule A) — the basis for its public-charity status.
Footprint & structure
Files a return copy in 1 state
Screen this organization
A dated, signed PDF of the compliance screen for THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER: IRS status (Business Master File, Publication 78, auto-revocation), the OFAC sanctions lists, the Internal Revenue Bulletin, and California registration, with the Rev. Proc. 2018-32 §8.01 reliance elements stated element by element. Generated from the current files at the moment you download it.
Screens are triage, not determinations; a source that cannot be read reports not screened, never clear. Screen this nonprofit · How the screen works · on the API as GET /api/screening/{ein}?format=pdf
Questions and answers
- Who funds THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER?
- THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER (Minnesota) receives grants from 55 organizations whose IRS filings report $6,425,416 to it, the largest being Fred C and Katherine B Andersen Foundation ($1,325,000). 37 of them have funded it in more than one year.
- How many funders does THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER have?
- IRS filings report 55 organizations giving $6,425,416 in grants to THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER, 37 of which have funded it in more than one year.
- Who is the largest funder of THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER?
- Fred C and Katherine B Andersen Foundation is the largest funder on record, with $1,325,000 in grants. The full list of funders is on this page.
- How can an organization like THOMAS IRVINE DODGE NATURE CENTER find more funders?
- Start with the funders already giving here, then look at the foundations that back similar organizations in Minnesota. The funding by cause and by state pages list the largest funders for a given area and how to approach them.
Play a game about who funds Thomas Irvine Dodge Nature Center →
These figures are read directly from IRS Form 990 / 990-PF e-file XML: this organization’s own return for FY2025 (financials across 2017–2025), and the filings of 55 funders that report grants to it. “On record” means captured in the filings we have parsed — a funder that does not e-file, or whose grant detail is not itemized, will not appear. Filings run roughly 12–24 months behind. Trends on this page end at FY2023, the last fiscal year that has finished arriving; later years are shown and marked, and move no figure. Data on this page was exported October 22, 2026. What this page cannot tell you · view filing