William Boss Foundation
St Paul, MN · EIN 41-6038452. Reported 307 grants totalling $2,234,000 to 91 recipients across tax years 2020-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. William Boss Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $6,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $8,500; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $60,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keystone Community Services | St Paul, MN | $100,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Compas Inc | St Paul, MN | $84,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Park Square Theatre Company | St Paul, MN | $75,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Neighborhood House | St Paul, MN | $60,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Society | St Paul, MN | $60,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Family Means | Stillwater, MN | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Opera Company | Minneapolis, MN | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| St Paul Conservatory of Music | St Paul, MN | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Textile Center of Minnesota | Minneapolis, MN | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Arts Partnership | St Paul, MN | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Ordway Center for the Performing Arts | St Paul, MN | $47,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Children's Theatre Company | Minneapolis, MN | $46,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Loft Literary Center | Minneapolis, MN | $44,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Cantus | Minneapolis, MN | $42,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The History Theatre Inc | St Paul, MN | $42,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Guthrie Theatre Foundation | Minneapolis, MN | $41,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Macphail Center for Music | Minneapolis, MN | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Twin Cities Public Television | St Paul, MN | $40,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Friends of the St Paul Public Library | St Paul, MN | $38,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies | St Paul, MN | $38,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| St David's Center for Child & Family Development | Minnetonka, MN | $37,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| The Schubert Club | St Paul, MN | $37,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Public Radio | St Paul, MN | $36,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Children's Museum | St Paul, MN | $35,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| One Voice Mixed Chorus | St Paul, MN | $35,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Orchestra | Minneapolis, MN | $32,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Foundation | Chaska, MN | $30,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Museum of American Art | St Paul, MN | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| The Cowles Center for Dance | Minneapolis, MN | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Twin Cities | St Paul, MN | $27,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Bolder Options | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Community of Saints | West St Paul, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Como Friends | St Paul, MN | $25,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| East Side Arts Council | St Paul, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Landmark Center | St Paul, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Merrick Inc | Vadnais Heights, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Midway Contemporary Art | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minneapolis Institute of Arts | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Center for Book Arts | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| People Incorporated | Eagan, MN | $25,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Playwrights Center Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Walker Art Center Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Bach Society of Minnesota | St Paul, MN | $23,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Children's Home Society of Minnesota | St Paul, MN | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ramsey County Historical Society | St Paul, MN | $22,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Dodge Nature Center | West St Paul, MN | $21,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Lakeshore Players Inc | White Bear Lake, MN | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Boys Choir | St Paul, MN | $20,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Private College Fund | St Paul, MN | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Fringe Festival | Minneapolis, MN | $19,000 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Northern Clay Center | Minneapolis, MN | $18,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Breanna's Gift | Minneapolis, MN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Circus Juventas | St Paul, MN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Midwest Special Services Inc (dba Mss) | St Paul, MN | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Chorale | Minneapolis, MN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Minnesota Historical Society | St Paul, MN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Public Art Saint Paul | St Paul, MN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| The Jungle Theater | Minneapolis, MN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Walker West Music Academy | St Paul, MN | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Hot Summer Jazz Festival | St Paul, MN | $14,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Twin Cities Jazz Festival | St Paul, MN | $14,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Center for Irish Music | St Paul, MN | $13,500 | 5 | 5 | 2024 |
| Midwest Special Services Inc | St Paul, MN | $12,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Illusion Theater and School Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Junior Achievement North | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Merrill Arts Center | Woodbury, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Merrill Community Arts Center | Woodbury, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Stages Theatre Company Inc | Hopkins, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Bakken | Minneapolis, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Bakken Museum | Minneapolis, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The Cedar Cultural Center Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Wallin Educational Partners | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Women Venture | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Womenventure | St Paul, MN | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Stepping Stone Theatre Co | St Paul, MN | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Minneapolis, MN | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Thomas Irvine Dodge Nature Center | St Paul, MN | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Ballet Co-Laboratory | St Paul, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Hope Academy Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Kfai | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Minnesota Dance Theatre | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Minnesota Zoo Foundation | Apple Valley, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Open Book | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Park Press Inc | St Paul, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Project Imprintz Ziggy's Art Bus | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Saint Paul Parks Conservancy | St Paul, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tickets for Kids Foundation | Pittsburgh, PA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus | Minneapolis, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Womens Venture | St Paul, MN | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Artreach St Croix | Stillwater, MN | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Rosetown Playhouse | Roseville, MN | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
74 of 91 (81%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 88%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Midway Contemporary Art
MIDWAY INITIATIVE GALLERY
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 227 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 60 | $451,500 | $6,000 |
| 2021 | 58 | $408,500 | $6,000 |
| 2022 | 59 | $424,000 | $6,000 |
| 2023 | 62 | $441,000 | $6,000 |
| 2024 | 68 | $509,000 | $6,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
100% of its giving went to organizations in Minnesota. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $6,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Minnesota.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from William Boss Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2020-2024). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: 5858 Centerville Road, St Paul, MN, 55127. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 41-6038452 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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