Ciresi Walburn Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work supports Minnesota youth and families through education, which is the foundation's stated geographic focus and core area, it is worth a look, particularly if it fits priorities such as early learning, literacy, tutoring or parent engagement.
- Its typical grant band runs from $20,000 to $125,000 with a median of $50,000, so a request near that figure is realistic, though its largest grant was about $610,000.
- In its most recent filing, 82% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in its earlier filings, so a first approach should be modest and clearly tied to its stated priorities.
- Applications go through its online grant portal, and the annual grant process begins each summer, so plan your request for that window.
- Do not apply if your request is for an individual, political or lobbying work, an endowment or capital campaign, or a project where technology costs are solely or predominantly the budget, and K-12 schools must commit to assessing all students during the grant period.
Overview
Ciresi Walburn Foundation is a US private foundation based in Minneapolis, MN.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Ciresi Walburn Foundation partners with K–12 schools, higher education institutions and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisations supporting youth and families in Minnesota; applicants must be tax-exempt or operate under a tax-exempt nonprofit’s fiscal sponsorship. Its giving centres on educational equity and improving opportunities for Minnesota’s children and youth. It supports early learning, education policy and advocacy, programmes for educators, high-performing K–12 schools and wrap-around programmes for children and families in high-needs neighbourhoods. Its priorities include expanding schools serving students of colour and low-income students, parent and family engagement, a more diverse educator workforce, science-based literacy, high-quality early childhood learning, equitable pathways to in-demand careers and scalable tutoring. It seeks to help innovative, effective ideas gain traction across the educational system.
Themes
- Education equity
- High-performing schools
- Parent and family engagement
- Educator workforce
- Literacy and early learning
- Career pathways
- Tutoring programs
Geographic Focus
Minnesota.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- Political organizations
- Political lobbying
- Endowment or capital expense (CapEx) campaigns
- Project or program budgets which are solely or predominantly related to technology expenses
How to apply
Submit grant proposals through the online grant application submission portal.
Deadlines: The annual grant process begins each year in the summer.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 85 grants to organisations were $50,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation reviews applications against its mission and five key priorities.
- It seeks strategic investments during critical phases in an organisation’s history and favours innovative, bold ideas, approaches and initiatives.
- K–12 schools must commit to assessing all students, as appropriate, during the grant period.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 18% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Ciresi Walburn Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 31 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $50,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- University of St Thomas · Education$515,0002024 tax year
- Serve Minnesota · Educational achievement, economic opportunity, enviromental protection, substance use recovery, affordable housing$150,0002024 tax year
- Way to Grow · Great by 8 early childhood education$135,0002024 tax year
- Northfield Public Schools · Education$100,0002024 tax year
- Ed Allies · General operating support$100,0002024 tax year
- Summit Academy OIC · Training the emerging workforce$100,0002024 tax year
- Global Academy · Education$75,0002024 tax year
- Dunwoody College of Technology · Education$75,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Gloria Perez — Director
- Doris Baylor — Director
- Roberta Walburn — Secretary / Treasurer
- Carolyn Smallwood — Director
- Michael J O'Connell — Director
- Louis King II — Director
- John F Eisberg — Vice Chair
- Michael V Ciresi — Chair
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $2,295,159 | $1,659,468 | $39,381,783 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,978,063 | $2,283,500 | $43,476,507 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $3,161,024 | $2,370,000 | $40,728,611 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Ciresi Walburn Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (612) 280-8310
- DSELLERS@CIRESIWALBURNFOUNDATION.ORG
- Minneapolis, MN
- ciresiwalburnfoundation.org
Applying to Ciresi Walburn Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (612) 280-8310
- DSELLERS@CIRESIWALBURNFOUNDATION.ORG
- Minneapolis, MN
- ciresiwalburnfoundation.org