Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work is in the arts, environment or human services, the foundation's stated focus fits, but arts and human-services groups must work in the urban cores of Minneapolis or Saint Paul or the East Metropolitan suburbs, while environmental groups may work anywhere in Minnesota.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 334 grants to organisations fall between $9,750 and $55,000, with a median of $30,000, so a request in that region is realistic, although its largest grant was $215,000.
- Community Grants exclude organisations with annual budgets below $300,000 and programme-support requests from organisations with budgets below $80,000, and the foundation does not fund work through fiscal agents, individuals, events or work outside the United States, so check these before applying.
- New Community Grants applicants submit a letter of inquiry through the online system, and Special Projects applicants should contact the foundation before submitting a letter of intent; because 90% of its grant dollars to organisations in the filing went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings, and it makes grants to a limited number of new organisations each year, new applicants should expect a competitive route.
Overview
Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation is a US private foundation based in ST Paul, 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 Foundation supports effective 501(c)(3) organisations in the arts, environment and human services, seeking to foster safety, opportunity and growth for individuals and families. Its human-services work assists the most vulnerable, especially women and children, through housing and services for people without safe, stable and affordable homes, chemical-addiction support, domestic and family violence services, and holistic intervention and rehabilitation for prostituted people and those at risk of sexual exploitation. It promotes responsible stewardship of Minnesota's land and water through land protection, sustainable land use and water-quality programmes, including education for young people. Its arts work nurtures young people's talents, creativity and leadership and supports neighbourhood-based arts organisations. Community grants provide general operating or programme support, while Special Projects support capital campaigns, major programme innovations and systems-change initiatives. Arts and human-services organisations must work in the urban cores of Minneapolis or Saint Paul or the East Metropolitan suburbs; environmental organisations may work anywhere in Minnesota.
Themes
- Arts
- Environment
- Human services
- Philanthropy
- Nonprofit technical assistance
Geographic Focus
Minneapolis; Saint Paul; Saint Paul's eastern suburbs; Minnesota; United States.
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations through fiscal agents
- Loans or grants or provide scholarships to individuals
- Sponsoring events
- Grants outside the United States
- Special Projects Grants only: general operating support or ongoing support for established programs; organizations without a current active grant from our Community Grants Program, the Petersham Fund, or the Regranting & Nonprofit Technical Assistance Fund
- Community Grants only: applicants with annual budgets below $300,000; programs applying for program support with annual budgets below $80,000
How to apply
Organisations apply through the online system using the route for their programme: new Community Grants applicants submit a letter of inquiry, renewing grantees use a renewal application, and Special Projects applicants use the Special Projects route. Invited Grant applicants follow the special instructions in their invitation.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 90% 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 334 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Special Projects applicants are encouraged to contact the Foundation before submitting a letter of intent to discuss their project.
- The Foundation prefers not to be the only funder of a proposed Special Projects project.
- Special Projects applications are reviewed by staff and Board members and may include one or more site visits.
- The Foundation prioritises arts organisations with budgets under $5 million.
- The Foundation is unlikely to support organisations and programmes that primarily provide access to field trips, exhibitions and performances.
- The Foundation makes grants to a limited number of new organisations each year because it emphasises ongoing relationships with grantees.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
5 other states: 2%
- The largest single recipient received 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to organisations Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 10% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 88 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $27,500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Avenues for Youth · New youth housing facility in north$150,0002024 tax year
- Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation · Alternative admission pathways progr$150,0002024 tax year
- Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota · Center for changing lives: frogtown-$120,0002024 tax year
- The Nature Conservancy MN-SD-ND CH · Restoration of peatlands in minnesot$120,0002024 tax year
- Catholic Charities Of ST Paul And · Capital improvements to the northsid$110,0002024 tax year
- Women's Foundation of Minnesota · Mn feminist giving day$100,0002024 tax year
- Trustees of Reservations · General operating support$55,0002024 tax year
- Minnesota Historical Society · General operating support$55,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Sara Rottunda — Trustee
- Temple Peterson — Trustee
- Emmett Lefevour — Trustee
- Suzanne A Lefevour — Trustee
- Kathleen Lefevour — Trustee
- Andrew Lefevour — Trustee
- Paul Butler — Trustee
- Madeline Butler — Secretary
- Bridget O'Brien — Vice Chair
- John K Butler — Chair / Treasurer
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $5,048,232 | $4,529,750 | $88,886,987 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $6,525,361 | $3,779,750 | $101,427,727 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $5,363,508 | $4,679,750 | $102,282,984 | 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 Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (651) 222-2565
- ROBERTH@BUTLERFAMILYFOUNDATION.ORG
- ST Paul, MN
- butlerfamilyfoundation.org
Applying to Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (651) 222-2565
- ROBERTH@BUTLERFAMILYFOUNDATION.ORG
- ST Paul, MN
- butlerfamilyfoundation.org