Grant funders / Minnesota / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in Minnesota
1017 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to Minnesota nonprofits in recent years, together directing $2.2B to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 1017 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
1017
Higher education funders
$2.2B
Given to Minnesota nonprofits
16,064
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in Minnesota
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Minnesota giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Minnesota Foundation | Minnesota | $1.4B | 31 | 2024 |
| 2 | Think Small | Minnesota | $83.1M | 1019 | 2024 |
| 3 | C K Blandin Residuary Trust | Nevada | $79.4M | 4 | 2024 |
| 4 | St Cloud State University | Minnesota | $25.1M | 8 | 2025 |
| 5 | Northstar Education Finance Inc | Minnesota | $24.8M | 30 | 2024 |
| 6 | Catholic Community Foundation | Minnesota | $24.3M | 162 | 2025 |
| 7 | Minnesota State University Mankato | Minnesota | $22.7M | 14 | 2025 |
| 8 | Burger King Mclamore Foundation | Florida | $18.2M | 5 | 2024 |
| 9 | Pepsico Foundation Inc | New York | $15.6M | 5 | 2024 |
| 10 | American Brain Foundation | Minnesota | $14.4M | 6 | 2024 |
| 11 | The Minneapolis Foundation | Minnesota | $13.1M | 79 | 2020 |
| 12 | Minnesota State University | Minnesota | $12.9M | 7 | 2025 |
| 13 | The Bush Foundation | Minnesota | $12.4M | 14 | 2024 |
| 14 | Winona State University Foundation | Minnesota | $10.2M | 9 | 2025 |
| 15 | The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley | New York | $10.0M | 3 | 2025 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in Minnesota — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 1017 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in Minnesota
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded Minnesota nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to Minnesota recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.