The Cargill Foundation is the private foundation of the major agriculture conglomerate Cargill. It makes grants to nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, that offer education, food, and nutrition services to low-income children. ^{1 2}

Cargill Foundation reports that 80 percent, or $10 million annually, of its grants serve low-income, ethnic minority children. ² Several of its grantees that it lists as partner organizations provide programs and services exclusively for non-whites. ^{3 4}

Background

Cargill Foundation is the private foundation of Cargill, an agriculture business that is listed by Forbes as the largest private company in America and that reported $177 billion in revenue in 2023. ⁵ The Foundation was founded in 1954 and makes grants to charitable nonprofit organizations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, area. ¹

Cargill Foundation requires grantees to provide education or nutrition services to what it considers low-income youth in K-12 schools. It also requires grantees to align with Cargill’s left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. ¹

Grantmaking

Education

Cargill Foundation’s education grants support programs for K-12 schools and school districts in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. It funds STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and college- and career-readiness programs. ⁶

Cargill Foundation states that its grants for STEM programs target low-income individuals and communities and seek to increase access to STEM programs. It funds professional development for STEM teachers, nonprofit STEM education programs, and programs that encourage individuals to take STEM courses and pursue STEM careers. ⁶

Cargill Foundation’s college- and career-readiness grants also fund programs targeting low-income individuals and communities. It lists Black Men Teach as an education partner organization, which works with public schools in Minnesota to encourage African-American boys to pursue a career in education. ³ It also lists Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio (CLUES) as a partner organization, which is a nonprofit organization that provides social services seeking to improve the economic status of Latinos living in Minnesota. ^{6 4}

Food Programs

Cargill Foundation’s nutrition grant program funds nonprofit organizations that provide what it considers nutritious food to low-income children between the ages of two and twelve. It also funds nutrition education programs and community-garden initiatives. ⁷

Financials

In 2022, Cargill Foundation reported $2.6 million in net losses after receiving no contributions and $6.5 million losses from the sale of assets. ⁸ It also reported $13.3 million in total expenses, including $11.9 million in grants paid. ⁹

People

Colleen May has been the president of Cargill Foundation and Cargill since 2018. She has worked for Cargill since 1989, beginning in merchandising and working as manager and executive of various departments of the agricultural conglomerate. ¹⁰

1. “Cargill Foundation.” Cargill. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://www.cargill.com/about/community/cargill-foundation-headquarters.
2. “Addressing the Opportunity Gap in Our Hometown Headquarters Community.” Cargill. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://www.cargill.com/about/community/addressing-the-opportunity-gap-in-our-hometown-hdqt-community.
3. “What We Do.” Black Men Teach. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://www.blackmenteach.org/what-we-do.
4. “About Clues.” Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, May 3, 2024. https://clues.org/about/.
5. Murphy, Andrea. “America’s Largest Private Companies 2023: Cargill Stays on Top, Spacex Debuts.” Forbes, November 15, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/andreamurphy/2023/11/14/americas-largest-private-companies-2023-cargill-stays-on-top-spacex-debuts/?sh=6670d0b149cf.
6. “Education.” Cargill. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://www.cargill.com/about/community/education.
7. “Childhood Nutrition.” Cargill. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://www.cargill.com/about/community/childhood-nutrition.
8. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Cargill Foundation. 2022. Part I, Lines 1-12.
9. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990-PF). Cargill Foundation. 2022. Part I, Lines 25-26.
10. “Colleen May.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 2, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-may-6a254a.