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Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies

Annual Giving
$330.5M
Grant Range
$1K - $8.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $330,529,709 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed (invitation-only grantmaking)
  • Decision Time: Varies by domain and partnership
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $8,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: National and international, with emphasis on Minnesota communities and overlooked regions

Contact Details

Overview

Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) was established in 2006 following the death of Margaret Anne Cargill (1920-2006), heiress to the Cargill fortune and lifelong philanthropist. The organization comprises two foundations: the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation (private foundation with $3.53 billion in assets) and the Anne Ray Foundation (supporting organization with $4.97 billion in assets). With combined assets of approximately $8.5 billion as of 2024, MACP ranks among the top ten foundations in the United States. Since inception, MACP has distributed more than $3 billion in grants across seven strategic domains: Arts & Cultures, Disaster Relief & Recovery, Environment, Animal Welfare, Quality of Life, Teachers, and Legacy & Opportunity. The organization emphasizes long-term partnerships with capable organizations, focusing on overlooked causes and community-based programs with measurable, sustainable impact. MACP made 346 grants in 2023, with an average grant size of approximately $570,000. Under the leadership of President and CEO Heather Kukla (appointed 2023), MACP operates an invitation-only grantmaking model focused on underserved populations and low-attention areas.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Seven Strategic Domains:

  • Arts & Cultures: Supports creative youth development and cultural organizations; includes the Lewis Prize for Music with $500,000 Accelerator Awards as part of a five-year, $20 million commitment
  • Disaster Relief & Recovery: $47.4 million in 2022; focuses on Midwest disaster response in 10 states including Minnesota and the Dakotas; recent example: $575,000 to Equal Justice Works Disaster Resilience Program
  • Environment: Partners with Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund for Great Plains conservation and tropical forest restoration in Asia and South America; committed $400 million to tropical forests and climate change initiatives
  • Animal Welfare: Prioritizes domestic animal care and multigenerational human empathy; supports care of injured wild animals for rehabilitation and release
  • Quality of Life: Enhances quality of life and prevents suffering for children, families, and older adults
  • Teachers: Supports educators and educational initiatives
  • Legacy & Opportunity: Includes Local Initiatives program ($19.9 million in 2023) serving Minnesota communities

Local Initiatives Program (Minnesota-specific):

  • Focuses on Twin Cities neighborhoods with highest poverty levels (12 neighborhoods including Near North, Hawthorne, Jordan, Phillips West, Cedar-Riverside in Minneapolis; Frogtown, Payne-Phalen, North End in St. Paul)
  • Rural Minnesota communities with fewer than 5,000 people, particularly Native American communities
  • 2025 priorities: Joy and Healing (non-clinical mental health solutions), Environment and Climate Change (climate adaptation for underserved communities, rural farming focus)
  • Legacy funding: $45.5 million in 2023

Priority Areas

  • Overlooked causes and low-attention areas
  • Community-based programs developed by, for, and with historically underserved communities
  • Long-term sustainable solutions with measurable impact
  • Ground-level programs over policy initiatives
  • Organizations demonstrating capacity for outcomes
  • Asian, Black, Indigenous, Latine communities, People with Disabilities, Rural populations
  • Midwest disaster-affected communities often overlooked by national relief efforts
  • Conservation of Great Plains and tropical forests
  • Creative youth development organizations

What They Don't Fund

  • Unsolicited proposals (invitation-only grantmaking)
  • Capital campaigns (paused in 2025 for Local Initiatives)
  • Organizations outside their seven strategic domains
  • Work not aligned with highly defined interest areas and geographies
  • Generally does not prioritize endowment funding or policy-focused initiatives

Governance and Leadership

Current Leadership:

Heather Kukla, President and CEO (appointed April 2023): Previously served as vice president and general counsel, assumed presidency in November 2022 after 13 years with the organization in various legal leadership roles. Kukla succeeded Paul Busch, who retired after 15 years at the organization, including five as CEO, and remains on the Board of Directors.

Previous Leadership: Paul Busch (CEO 2017-2022) succeeded Christine (Christy) Morse, who continues serving as Board Chair of both the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and Anne Ray Foundation.

Organizational Structure: MACP operates with boards of directors for each foundation entity (Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and Anne Ray Foundation). The organization maintains a values-driven culture emphasizing partnership, strategic focus, community-centeredness, impact orientation, and continuous learning.

Founder's Philosophy: Margaret Anne Cargill (1920-2006) was a woman of warmth, modesty, and generosity who gave away more than $200 million during her lifetime, always anonymously, to organizations including the American Red Cross, Nature Conservancy, Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian, and the American Swedish Institute. She earned a degree in arts education from the University of Minnesota and was both an artist and art lover, which is reflected in MACP's continued emphasis on arts and culture.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies operates an invitation-only grantmaking model. Unsolicited proposals are not accepted.

The organization states: "Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) conducts its grantmaking in highly defined interest areas and geographies. As a result, we have an invitation-based grantmaking process."

For Organizations Interested in MACP Funding:

  • Build relationships with MACP staff and past grantees
  • Ensure your organization's work aligns with one of the seven domains
  • Demonstrate capacity for measurable, sustainable outcomes
  • Focus on underserved populations and overlooked causes
  • For Minnesota Local Initiatives: Contact localinfo@macphil.org for funding inquiries (by invitation)

Application Method: By invitation only through direct contact with MACP program staff

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines vary by domain and partnership structure. MACP emphasizes long-term relationships and multi-year commitments with strategic grantees rather than rapid one-time grants. Specific timelines are not publicly disclosed and likely depend on the domain, grant size, and partnership complexity.

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. Given the invitation-only model, organizations invited to apply have already passed initial screening. MACP made 346 grants in 2023 from a pool of invited applicants, but the total number of invitations extended is not public information.

Reapplication Policy

Given the invitation-only model and emphasis on long-term partnerships, traditional reapplication policies do not apply. MACP invests in sustained relationships with key grantees, often providing multi-year support. Organizations that have completed grants successfully and wish to continue the partnership should maintain communication with their program officers.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment: Organizations invited to apply should demonstrate clear alignment with MACP's seven domains and their specific approach within each domain. According to third-party analysis, "This funder may be a legitimate possibility for established nonprofits working within MACP's clearly-defined areas of interest and geographies. Networking with staff and past grantees would be key here, along with a sober analysis of whether one's nonprofit truly fits within MACP's approach."

Organizational Characteristics MACP Values:

  • Capacity: "Capable organizations" that can deliver measurable outcomes
  • Community-centeredness: Work "in and with communities toward sustainable solutions"
  • Partnership approach: Organizations that view MACP as "partners and co-learners"
  • Values alignment: Leading with values internally and externally
  • Strategic focus: Clear connection to focused goals with measurable impact
  • Learning orientation: Willingness to evaluate work and reshape approaches

Examples of Recent Funded Projects:

  • Equal Justice Works Disaster Resilience Program: $575,000 to mobilize Attorney Fellows throughout the Midwest to address disaster-related legal needs of vulnerable communities
  • Lewis Prize for Music Accelerator Awards: $500,000 grants to creative youth development organizations for sustained progress toward community change
  • Tropical forests and climate change: $400 million commitment to conservation and restoration
  • Local Minnesota initiatives: $19.9 million supporting joy and healing, climate resilience in rural farming communities, and responsiveness to urgent community needs

Key Language and Terminology:

  • "Overlooked causes" and "low-attention areas"
  • "Measurable, sustainable impact"
  • "Community-based programs"
  • "Long-term partnerships"
  • "Capacity building"
  • "Values-driven"
  • "Strategic grantees"

Networking Strategies:

  • Connect with past grantees in your domain
  • Attend events or conferences where MACP staff present
  • Partner with organizations already receiving MACP support
  • Build relationships with Minnesota-based community foundations (Minneapolis Foundation, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation) who partner with MACP for local initiatives

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Invitation-only model means relationship building is essential: You cannot submit an unsolicited proposal. Focus on networking with MACP staff, past grantees, and partner organizations to potentially receive an invitation.

  • Demonstrate you serve overlooked populations and causes: MACP specifically prioritizes "low-attention areas" and underserved communities. Emphasize how your work addresses gaps in funding or attention that larger, mainstream funders miss.

  • Emphasize measurable outcomes and organizational capacity: MACP invests in "capable organizations" that can demonstrate concrete, sustainable impact. Be prepared to show evaluation frameworks, outcomes data, and evidence of organizational strength.

  • Think long-term partnership, not one-time grant: MACP values sustained relationships with strategic grantees. Frame your work as part of a multi-year vision rather than a single project.

  • Geographic fit matters significantly: For disaster relief, focus on Midwest states. For local initiatives, Minnesota communities (especially 12 high-poverty Twin Cities neighborhoods and rural communities under 5,000 people). Clearly articulate your geographic alignment.

  • Community-centeredness is non-negotiable: Programs must be developed "by, for, and with communities" rather than imposed from outside. Demonstrate authentic community leadership and co-creation in your approach.

  • Multi-billion dollar foundation means substantial grant potential: With average grants around $570,000 and range up to $8 million, this is a major funding opportunity for organizations that successfully build relationships and receive invitations.

References

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