Four Reasons Why Minnesota Nonprofits Should Know the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation

Editor's note: This article was revised and updated on 9/21/2021.

Minnesota is a huge hub for philanthropy in the Upper Midwest and Plains states, with lots of family donors, corporate funders, and community foundations keeping an eye on what local nonprofits need. However, one locally focused giver that nonprofits may be less familiar with is the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation. The foundation does not have a website and rarely makes the news, but there are still plenty of reasons why the Andersen family should be on your radar as a potential funding source.

1. It Funds a Wide Variety of Groups

The founders made their money in the window and door manufacturing industry through the Anderson Corporation. But during their lifetimes—and through their legacy foundation still today—the Andersen Foundation has maintained numerous local interests, including higher education, the elderly, health, and youth. A sampling of recent local grantees includes the Children’s Home Society of Minnesota, Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge, and the Minnesota AIDS Project.

2. It Provides Many Types of Support

This is also a good funder to know because it does not stick purely to program and project support. In fact, the Andersen Foundation offers its grantees everything from general operating support to capital funding, partnerships, and disaster relief. The typical range for an Andersen Foundation grant is $5,000 to $200,000.

3. It Prioritizes Minnesota

It’s also worth noting that the majority of Andersen Foundation grants stay within the state of Minnesota. The foundation is based in Bayport, Minnesota, and many grants are focused on the Minneapolis and St. Paul area of the state. Minnesota grantees are also based in White Bear Lake, Stillwater, Forest Lake, and Eden Prairie.

The foundation has also recently awarded grants in the states of Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi, Nebraska, California, Tennessee, Virginia, and Ohio, however, this broader reach is mainly related to education funding for specific colleges and universities. Medical, youth causes, and human services grants have a much stronger focus on Minnesota and sometimes parts of Wisconsin too.

4. It Accepts Unsolicited Grant Applications

Some nonprofits make the mistake of assuming that foundations that do not have a strong web presence are not open to unsolicited requests, but this is simply untrue. The Andersen Foundation is a good example of a low-key funder that has an established grantmaking process despite its low public profile.

Andersen accepts unsolicited grant requests from nonprofits three times per year, typically in March, July, and October. Nonprofits should submit requests to the foundation by letter and mail it to the attention of Mary Gillstrom, with a detailed project description, amount requested, most recent annual report, and copy of their IRS determination letter.

To learn more about the Andersen Foundation and how to get in touch with the staff, read Inside Philanthropy’s full profile of the Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation.