• How Many Grantmakers Are in Minnesota?
• How Much Do Minnesota Grantmakers Give?
• To What Causes Do Minnesota Grantmakers Give?
• Where Do Minnesota's Grant Dollars Go?
• How Does Minnesota Grantmaking Compare to National Grantmaking?
• Minnesota Grantmaking at a Glance (1993-2000)

For more detailed trend and analysis information, see highlights from MCF's Giving in Minnesota report.

In 2001, there were 1,227 foundations and corporate giving programs in Minnesota, up from 1,196 in 200. This is the largest annual increase in grantmaking organizations ever recorded by the Council, both in numbers (186) and percentage growth (18%). Between 1995 and 2000, the number of grantmakers in Minnesota increased nearly 60%.

About 80% of these organizations were family or other private foundations, and the remaining 20% were corporate foundations and giving programs or community/public foundations and supporting organizations.

About 15% of these grantmakers disperse approximately 85% of all Minnesota grantmaking dollars.

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How Much Do Minnesota Grantmakers Give?

Minnesota's foundations and corporate giving programs gave grants totaling an estimated $810.1 million in 2000, a 6% increase from 1999 (3% when adjusted for inflation). By comparison, individual Minnesotans gave approximately $2.96 billion to charity in 1999, according to MCF estimates.

• Private Foundations: 50%
• Corporate Foundations/Giving Programs: 37%
• Community/Public Foundations: 13%

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To What Causes Do Minnesota Grantmakers Give?

Minnesota's 1999 grant dollars went to the following nonprofit categories:

• Education: 28%
• Human Services: 24%
• Public/Society Benefit: 22%
• Arts: 13%
• Health: 5%
• Religion: 4%
• Environment/Animals: 2%
• Unknown: 2%
• International Affairs < 1%

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Where Do Minnesota's Grant Dollars Go?

Minnesota grantmakers gave 69% of their 1999 grant dollars to organizations located in the state and 61% of their grants to organizations serving all or a part of Minnesota. Here's the geographic breakdown of Minnesota grant dollars:

• Minnesota:
  • Twin Cities Metro Area: 36%
  • Minnesota Statewide: 13%
  • Greater Minnesota: 12%
• Outside Minnesota:
  • Areas Outside Minnesota: 27%
  • National Areas: 7%
  • International Areas: 1%
  • Unknown: 4%

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How Does Minnesota Grantmaking Compare to National Grantmaking?

Here's how Minnesota grantmaking figures compare to national foundation grantmaking figures from the Foundation Center. 

Total Grant Dollars
Out of all 50 states Minnesota ranks:

• 6th in foundation giving per capita.
• 15th in total foundation giving.¹  

Two Minnesota foundations are listed in The Foundation Center's ranking of the top 100 U.S. foundations by grants paid; four are on the list of top U.S. foundations by total assets.

Grant & Asset Growth

• Minnesota's 6% growth in grants between 1999 and 2000 was well below the growth in grants nationwide (18%).
       
• The growth in Minnesota foundation assets between 1999 and 2000 (15%) was almost double the national average of 8%.

Subject Areas

• In terms of the share of total 1999 grant dollars, compared to the national average Minnesota grantmakers gave . .  .
     
  • A larger percentage of grant dollars to education (28% vs. 25%), human services (24% vs. 16%), public/society benefit (22% vs. 17%) and religion (4% vs. 2%).
       
  • A smaller percentage to the environment (2% vs. 6%), health (5% vs. 18%) and international (1% vs. 4%).

¹ Foundation Yearbook, 2002 edition, The Foundation Center, New York.

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Minnesota Grantmaking at a Glance (1993-2000)

*current dollars in millions

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