# Northwest Area Foundation *Minnesota philanthropic foundation* The **Northwest Area Foundation** is a [[Minnesota]] philanthropic foundation. A Minnesota foundation compilation, checked against its primary sources between June 10 and June 12, 2026, counts it among six institutions that make up the state's apex philanthropic layer. The other five are the [[McKnight Foundation]], the [[Bush Foundation]], the [[Otto Bremer Trust]], and the state's two largest community foundations.[^1] The compilation estimates the foundation's assets at about $0.55 billion. That figure comes from the source dossier's line items, not from a Form 990 or audited statement for the Northwest Area Foundation reproduced in the record. The record does not establish the foundation's founding date, governance, grantmaking or filing history.[^1] ## In the Minnesota record ### Who - The compilation lists the apex layer as McKnight, Bush, Northwest Area and Otto Bremer. It adds two [[Community foundation|community foundations]]: the [[Minneapolis Foundation]] (EIN 41-6029402, founded 1915) and the [[Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation]] (EIN 41-6031510).[^1] - McKnight and Bush are each separately recorded as apex Minnesota philanthropic funders.[^2][^3] McKnight's filings are indexed on ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer.[^4] ### How much - The compilation gives these line-item estimates on the latest filings: - McKnight, about $2.71 billion. - Bush, about $1.45 billion. - Northwest Area, about $0.55 billion. - Bremer, about $1.42 billion.[^1] - With the two community foundations added, the six-institution aggregate is $8.9–9.6 billion. The spread depends on whether assets are counted at book or fair-market value. The compilation's running text rounds the aggregate to $9 billion.[^1] - Validation confirmed the aggregate range. The record does not show the Northwest Area figure confirmed separately against a primary filing.[^1] ## Notes [^1]: *How Minnesota Got Here* (merged master, footnoted), section "The scale and the form" and note 27 (validated June 10–12, 2026). This passage establishes the apex-layer membership, the line-item asset estimates including Northwest Area at about $0.55B, and the aggregate of $8.9–9.6B on Forms 990 via ProPublica. The pack carries no URL for this passage. [^2]: McKnight Foundation, *Institutional homepage*. This source establishes McKnight's listing as an apex Minnesota philanthropic funder. https://www.mcknight.org/ [^3]: Bush Foundation, *Institutional homepage*. This source establishes Bush's listing as an apex Minnesota philanthropic funder. https://www.bushfoundation.org/ [^4]: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, *McKnight Foundation filing record*. This source is McKnight's Form 990 record. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/410754835/202103169349105155/full