Mortenson Family Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Mortenson Family Foundation supports three themes: children and families work on academic, social-emotional, mental health and wellness opportunities for children and families living in poverty, environmental systems work on equitable, sustainable access to healthy land and water for Minnesotans, and developing communities work on economic development, education, healthcare access and basic needs for youth and families shaped with communities; its geographic focus is the 7 County Metro Area, Minnesota, Central America and Africa, so match your work to one of these themes and areas before applying.
- Think modest: about eight in ten of its 800 grants to organisations fall between $2,500 and $50,000, with a median of $15,000, though one much larger grant of $1,000,000 went to Nexus Community Partners, an organisation that regrants to other organisations, so a typical request should sit well below that figure.
- How to apply varies by programme — some areas use a broad community invitation for a letter of inquiry, others invite prospective partners directly to submit information — and the grantmaking cycle recurs annually across all three areas, so check which route applies to your theme and plan ahead.
- The Foundation looks relationship-led: 86% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in the two previous filings, so a first approach may be better framed as the start of an ongoing relationship rather than a one-off ask.
- For its Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families work, it does not fund research, nonecumenical organisations or programmes, direct religious activities or organisations receiving a significant source of funding from sectarian solicitations, special events or sponsorships, or support to an individual.
Overview
Mortenson Family 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
Mortenson Family Foundation builds partnerships to strengthen community-driven approaches that advance equity, opportunity and sustainable systems. It supports equitable access to academic, social-emotional, and mental health and wellness opportunities for children and families, particularly those living in poverty in the seven-county metro area. Its environmental work seeks equitable, sustainable access for Minnesotans to healthy land and water, including community-led approaches to environmental solutions and repairing harms. In developing communities, it seeks to improve living standards for youth and families through sustainable, integrated solutions shaped and delivered with communities, spanning economic development, education, healthcare access and basic needs. Its partners include nonprofit 501(c)(3) organisations and public schools, and it prioritises culturally relevant practice, racial equity, community participation and accountable, sustained support.
Themes
- Children and families
- Environmental systems
- Developing communities
Geographic Focus
7 County Metro Area; Minnesota; Central America; Africa.
What They Don't Fund
- Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families only: Research; Nonecumenical organizations or programs; direct religious activities or organizations that receive a significant source of funding from sectarian solicitations; special events or sponsorships; support to an individual
How to apply
By area, the Foundation either makes a broad community invitation for a letter of inquiry or invites prospective partners to submit information.
Deadlines: The grantmaking cycle recurs annually across all three grantmaking areas.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 86% 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 800 grants to organisations were $15,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- For children and families work, it prioritises culturally relevant practice, engagement outcomes, accountability and equity.
- It prioritises organisations whose leadership and boards reflect the community served and that centre racial equity internally and externally.
- It asks partners to engage beneficiaries in design.
- It values comprehensive environmental approaches combining two or more listed approaches.
- It expects community members to be involved in designing and delivering solutions.
- Grant partners are asked to report progress against the goals, objectives and outcomes in their funded proposals.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 4%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 3%
- The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to organisations Mortenson Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 1% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Guatemala, United Kingdom, Malawi, Democratic Republic of the Congo).
- 8% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 262 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $15,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Hawaiian Islands Land Trust · Ola mahukona$250,0002024 tax year
- Regents of the University of Colorado · Mortenson center for global engineering$200,0002024 tax year
- Allina Health Foundation · Courage kenny$100,0002024 tax year
- Schwarz Africa Fund · Unrestricted$100,0002024 tax year
- World Savvy · Information management system$100,0002024 tax year
- Northside Achievement Zone · Unrestricted$100,0002024 tax year
- Museum of Russian Art · Unrestricted$100,0002024 tax year
- Eastern Congo Initiative · Unrestricted$90,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Ambar Hanson — Executive Director
- Dana L Mortenson — Director
- Katie M Mortenson — Director
- Kate M Mortenson — Director
- Chad Foote — Treasurer
- Mathias H Mortenson — Director
- Christopher D Mortenson — Director
- Mark A Mortenson — Secretary
- David C Mortenson — Director
- Nathalie G Mortenson — Vice President
- Alice D Mortenson — President / Chair
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $10,483,020 | $8,706,000 | $151,265,069 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $10,385,024 | $6,380,000 | $162,515,083 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $11,267,587 | $6,205,000 | $172,143,698 | 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 Mortenson Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (763) 287-5770
- AMBAR.HANSON@MORTENSONFAMILY.ORG
- Minneapolis, MN
- mortensonfamily.org
Applying to Mortenson Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (763) 287-5770
- AMBAR.HANSON@MORTENSONFAMILY.ORG
- Minneapolis, MN
- mortensonfamily.org