# Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation *Minnesota community foundation, formed through the 2020 merger of the Saint Paul Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation* The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation (EIN 41-6031510) is a [[Community foundation]] in [[Minnesota]]. With the [[Minneapolis Foundation]], it is one of the state's two largest community foundations.[^1] Its predecessor, the Saint Paul Foundation, was founded in 1940. It merged with the [[Minnesota Community Foundation]] on January 1, 2020.[^1] On an EIN basis, its Forms 990 show total assets of $1.62 billion for the fiscal year ending December 2024. On a stewardship basis the figure is about $1.9 billion.[^2] By the foundation's own reporting, grants through donor-advised funds were $56 million in 2023, $145 million of $197 million in 2024, and $60 million in 2025.[^3] The foundation publishes its own account of its purpose, history, programs and leadership on its website.[^4][^5] This article sets that self-published account beside the figures in the foundation's filings and reporting, with both cited. ## History The Saint Paul Foundation was established in 1940.[^1] It combined with the Minnesota Community Foundation at the start of 2020, under the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation name.[^1] The institutional form traces to the [[Cleveland Foundation Model]]. [[Frederick Goff]] devised it at the [[Cleveland Trust Company]] on January 2, 1914.[^1] The model reached Minnesota as a product line of bank trust departments. Twelve community foundations were founded in 1915, the year the Minneapolis Foundation was established. In 1920 the [[American Bankers Association]]'s Trust Company Section created a permanent Committee on Community Trusts.[^1] The foundation's website carries its own history page[^5] and a retrospective titled *Eighty Years of Impact*.[^6] It also has a post marking forty years of its Community Sharing Fund.[^7] ## Leadership and governance The foundation's website announces Chanda Smith Baker's appointment as president and chief executive.[^8] It also carries a post on the retirement of chief executive Eric J. Jolly.[^9] The site posts board-election announcements, including those for 2021[^10] and 2026.[^11] ## Grantmaking and programs The foundation's grants page lists its grant programs for nonprofits.[^12] These include a Diversity Endowment Fund[^13] and an Our Home State grant program.[^14] The foundation also runs the Facing Race Awards[^15] and the Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund.[^16] It publishes an East Metro Pulse report.[^17] Its investment pages describe program-related investments.[^18] The site also carries a post about the foundation becoming a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment.[^19] ## In the Minnesota record ### What The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation and the Minneapolis Foundation are Minnesota's two largest community foundations. Together they hold roughly $3.1 billion on a stewardship basis and about $2.8 billion on the EIN basis of their Forms 990. They grant about $230 million a year.[^1] The difference between the two bases is assets of partner foundations held under management.[^1] For comparison, the Minneapolis Foundation reported total assets of $1,185,664,206 for the fiscal year ending March 2025.[^2] Six institutions make up the Minnesota apex layer: the two community foundations plus McKnight, Bush, Northwest Area and Otto Bremer. Their combined assets are given as about $9 billion on the latest filings. Validation placed the range at $8.9–9.6 billion, depending on whether book or fair-market value is used.[^1][^2] ### How The foundation's own reporting shows the donor-advised-fund channel as the dominant and most volatile share of its grantmaking.[^3] Under federal law, donor-advised funds are exempt from the 5% mandatory payout that binds private foundations.[^3] ### How much | Year | Donor-advised-fund grants (foundation's own reporting) | |---|---| | 2023 | $56 million | | 2024 | $145 million of $197 million | | 2025 | $60 million | All three figures are from the foundation's own reporting.[^3] Its total assets were $1.62 billion on an EIN basis for the fiscal year ending December 2024, and about $1.9 billion on a stewardship basis.[^2] The foundation also publishes a financial and legal information page.[^20] ## Notes [^1]: How Minnesota Got Here (merged master, footnoted), *The scale and the form* (validated passage) — two largest community foundations; EIN 41-6031510; Saint Paul Foundation founded 1940, merged with the Minnesota Community Foundation January 1, 2020; combined ~$3.1B stewardship / ~$2.8B EIN basis and $230 million a year; Cleveland Foundation Model origins; 1915 and 1920 dates; apex aggregate. (No URL for this source is in the pack.) [^2]: How Minnesota Got Here (merged master, footnoted), *note 27* (validated passage) — $1.62B EIN-basis FYE Dec. 2024 / ~$1.9B stewardship basis; Minneapolis Foundation $1,185,664,206 FYE Mar. 2025; apex aggregate $8.9–9.6B; Forms 990 via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer. (No URL for this source is in the pack.) [^3]: How Minnesota Got Here (merged master, footnoted), *The money mechanics* (validated passage) — donor-advised-fund grants of $56M (2023), $145M of $197M (2024) and $60M (2025) on the foundation's own reporting; DAF exemption from the 5% payout. (No URL for this source is in the pack.) [^4]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Who We Are* (self-published, undated) — the foundation's self-description. https://spmcf.org/who-we-are [^5]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *History* (self-published, undated) — the foundation's own history page. https://spmcf.org/who-we-are/history [^6]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Eighty Years of Impact* (self-published, undated) — retrospective. https://spmcf.org/blog/eighty-years-of-impact [^7]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Community Sharing Fund 40 Years* (self-published, undated) — anniversary post. https://spmcf.org/blog/community-sharing-fund-40-years [^8]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Chanda Smith Baker Named President & CEO* (self-published, undated) — appointment announcement. https://spmcf.org/blog/chanda-smith-baker-named-president-ceo-saint-paul-minnesota-foundation [^9]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *CEO Eric Jolly Retirement* (self-published, undated) — retirement announcement. https://spmcf.org/blog/ceo-eric-jolly-retirement [^10]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *New 2021 Board Members Elected* (self-published, undated) — board election. https://spmcf.org/blog/new-2021-board-members-elected [^11]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *2026 Board Members Elected* (self-published, undated) — board election. https://spmcf.org/blog/2026-board-members-elected [^12]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Grants for Nonprofits* (self-published, undated) — grant program listing. https://spmcf.org/nonprofits/grants-for-nonprofits [^13]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Diversity Endowment Fund* (self-published, undated) — program page. https://spmcf.org/nonprofits/grants-for-nonprofits/diversity-endowment-fund [^14]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Our Home State Grant Program* (self-published, undated) — program page. https://spmcf.org/nonprofits/grants-for-nonprofits/our-home-state-grant-program [^15]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Facing Race Awards* (self-published, undated) — program page. https://spmcf.org/what-we-do/facing-race-awards [^16]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Minnesota Disaster Recovery Fund* (self-published, undated) — program page. https://spmcf.org/what-we-do/community-initiatives/minnesota-disaster-recovery-fund [^17]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *East Metro Pulse Report* (self-published, undated) — report page. https://spmcf.org/what-we-do/east-metro-pulse-report [^18]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Program-Related Investments* (self-published, undated) — investment page. https://spmcf.org/what-we-do/investments/program-related-investments [^19]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *UN PRI Signatory Community Foundation* (self-published, undated) — signatory announcement. https://spmcf.org/blog/unpri-signatory-community-foundation [^20]: Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, *Financial & Legal Information* (self-published, undated) — the foundation's own financial page. https://spmcf.org/who-we-are/financial-legal-information