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Non-profit

Pohlad Family Foundation (PFF)

Location:

Minneapolis, MN
Tax ID:

41-1768558
Budget (2023):

Revenue: $4,344,928
Expenses: $15,035,636
Assets: $89,941,706
Website:

www.pohladfoundation.org 
Type:

Family Foundation
President:

Susan Bass Roberts

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The Pohlad Family Foundation (PFF) was created in 1993 by Carl and Eloise Pohlad. The Foundation supports “housing stability” and “racial justice” 1 and it has supported left-of-center organizations such as the Equal Justice Initiative, United Way, United Renters for Justice, National League of Cities, and the Tides Foundation. 2 PFF focuses grants on the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.  3

Pohlad became a billionaire through his leadership of Marquette Bank (later sold to Wells Fargo), Pepsi bottling franchises later sold to PepsiCo, real estate, and ownership of the Minnesota Twins baseball team franchise. 3

About

The Pohlad Family Foundation was founded in 1993 by Carl and Eloise Pohlad. The Foundation was initially created to support “long-standing community organizations” as well as “families and youth in need.” 4 Over time, the Foundation’s support narrowed to “housing stability” and “racial justice” in the Twin Cities. 1

PFF housing stability activities are based on the foundation’s positions that everyone deserves a safe home and that homelessness results from discriminatory practices and policies. Pohlad partners with organizations that attempt to end housing disparities by supporting social, financial, and legal services. The organization works with grantees to expand their capacity, build infrastructure, aid community, and influence policy. 5

The Pohlad Family Foundation’s racial justice initiative began after the death of George Floyd in 2020. The organization committed $25 million over five years to address what it calls “underlying systemic racism.” Grants under this initiative are based on decisions shared with community members through a Racial Justice Grants Committee. Grants are made to advance homeownership equal outcomes and the reimagination of public safety in partnership with Minneapolis, St. Paul, the Brooklyn Center, and Golden Valley, Minnesota. 6

The Foundation has also partnered with the City of Minneapolis to create the “Minneapolis Safe and Thriving Communities Initiative” as well as a city plan. 7 The report was developed for the City of Minneapolis through grants from the Pohlad Family Foundation and other left-of-center foundations such as the McKnight Foundation and the Minneapolis Foundation. 8

Grants

In 2024, PFF made racial equal outcome grants of $5 million to the GroundBreak Coalition, a group financing racial equal outcomes and carbon neutrality; $2.1 million to the Culture Wellness Center, an organization that works to solve problems created by individualism, loss of culture, and community; $250,000 to the Minnesota Black Collective Foundation, which promotes Black-led change; $500,000 to Alliance; $200,000 to Roots Wellness; and $100,000 to Ubuntu Care Services. 9  10  11  12

PFF made a $400,000 grant in 2023 to the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation, a donor-advised fund spun off from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Amalgamated Bank of New York, a financial institution with extensive ties to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), that funds campaigns targeting groups identified as “hate groups” by the Southern Poverty Law Center. 13  14  15

PFF granted $100,000 to Propel Nonprofits, a federally certified community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides services to nonprofits in 2023. 16

In 2023, Pohlad granted $550,000 to Project for Pride In Living, an organization that provides housing and career training to individuals they claim are victims of systemic inequities, and a grant of $175,000 to Ujamaa Place, an organization that seeks racially equal outcomes. 17  18  19

The Foundation provided grants to various left-of-center causes including $250,000 to the American Indian Family Center, just over $1 million to the Cultural Wellness Center in Minneapolis, $300,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative, over $400,000 to the Greater Minnesota Housing Fund, $250,000 to the Greater Cities chapter of United Way, $160,000 to United Renters for Justice, $125,000 to the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, $137,500 to the National League of Cities, and $20,000 to the Tides Foundation. 2

Financials

In 2023, the Pohlad Family Foundation reported total revenue of just over $4 million, expenses of about $15 million, and total assets of more than $100 million. 2

People

The Foundation was created by Carl and Eloise Pohlad who met on a blind date at an Iowa-Minnesota football game and were married shortly after in 1947. 20 Their sons Jim, Bob, and Bill all serve as board members of the Foundation. 21 Carl worked in banking early in his career 20 but the Pohlad family has amassed its wealth from a variety of business ventures, including the purchase of the Minnesota Twins Major League Baseball franchise in 1984; Pohlad Investment Management, the family’s private asset management office; River Road Entertainment, an independent film company founded by Bill Pohlad; and commercial real estate companies United Properties and Northmarq. 22

The Pohlad Family Foundation’s president is Susan Bass Roberts, the former executive director of the Best Buy Foundation and vice president of communications and community relations for the Atlanta Falcons NFL team. Bass is a board member of the left-of-center Bush Foundation and The Constellation Fund. 23  24

Brian Paulson is vice president of PFF where he directs grantmaking strategies. He is also a board member of Funders Together to End Homelessness (FTEH), which as of July 2025 rebranded as Funders Together For Housing Justice; past chair of the Heading Home Minnesota Funders Collaborative; past chair of Workforce Matters; a board member of the Corporation for a Skilled Workforce; and an adviser to Minnesota’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. 25  26  27  28

References

  1. “Home.” Pohlad Foundation, July 31, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/.
  2. Pohlad Family Foundation, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2023
  3. Pohlad Foundation, July 31, 2025. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/.
  4. “Our Founders.” Pohlad foundation, December 6, 2022. https://pohladfoundation.org/about-us/.
  5. “Housing Stability.” pohlad foundation, April 15, 2025. Accessed August 19, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/housing-stability/.
  6. “Racial Justice.” pohlad foundation, July 31, 2025. Accessed August 19, 2025 https://pohladfoundation.org/racial-justice/.
  7. “Mayor Announces the Minneapolis Safe and Thriving Communities Plan.” Pohlad Foundation, August 21, 2023. https://pohladfoundation.org/general-information/mayor-announces-the-minneapolis-safe-and-thriving-communities-plan/.
  8. Rep. Minneapolis Safe and Thriving Communities Report. City of Minneapolis, 2023. https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download/RCAV2/31955/Minneapolis-Safe-and-Thriving-Communities-Report-and-Plan.pdf.
  9. “Past Program Grants.” pohlad foundation, April 8, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/past-grants/.
  10. “Home.” GroundBreak Coalition, May 29, 2025. Accessed August 19, 2025. https://groundbreakcoalition.org/#goal.
  11. “Welcome.” Cultural Wellness Center –  Our Mission: “To unleash the power of citizens to heal themselves and to build community.” Hours for Minneapolis M-F:  8 – 5 PMWeekends by Appointment Minneapolis:      . Accessed August 19, 2025. https://ppcwc.org/home.
  12. “About the MN Black Collective Foundation.” Minnesota Black Collective Foundation. Accessed August 19, 2025. https://www.minnesotablackcollectivefoundation.org/about.
  13. “Pohlad Family Foundation”. Return of Private Foundation. Form 990-PF, 2023.Supplementary Information Part 3.
  14. Hate is not charitable | amalgamated foundation. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://www.amalgamatedfoundation.org/insights-and-initiatives/hate-is-not-charitable.
  15. “Labor of Love.” Labor of Love | Amalgamated Bank. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://www.amalgamatedbank.com/news/labor-of-love.
  16. Bizjournals.com. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2024/06/10/henry-jimenez-propel-nonprofit-ceo.html.
  17. “Past Program Grants.” pohlad foundation, April 8, 2025. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/past-grants/.
  18. “Mission & Impact.” Project for Pride in Living. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://www.ppl-inc.org/mission-impact.
  19. “Pohlad Family Foundation”. Return of Private Foundation. Form 990-PF. 2023. Supplementary Information Part 3.
  20. “Our Founders.” Pohlad Foundation, December 6, 2022. https://pohladfoundation.org/about-us/.
  21. “Who We Are.” Pohlad Foundation, July 31, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/our-team/.
  22. Bornhoft, William. “From MLB to Hollywood: Where the Pohlad Family Makes Their Money.” Minneapolis, MN Patch, August 14, 2025. https://patch.com/minnesota/minneapolis/mlb-hollywood-where-pohlads-make-their-money.
  23. “Susan Bass Roberts.” pohlad foundation, March 17, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/susan-bass-roberts/.
  24. Susan Bass Roberts – Foundation president ✦ Board member ✦ strategic philanthropy ✦ social impact ✦ collaborative leadership | linkedin. Accessed August 19, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-bass-roberts/.
  25. “Who We Are.” pohlad foundation, July 31, 2025. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/our-team/.
  26. “Brian Paulson.” pohlad foundation, March 28, 2025. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://pohladfoundation.org/brian-paulson/.
  27. Brian Paulson – Program director – pohlad family foundation | linkedin. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-paulson-722b034/.
  28. “D04: Laying the Groundwork for Shared Measures.” MtgSked.com. Accessed August 18, 2025. https://mtgsked.com/p/8600/s?locale=es.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: June 1, 1994

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2023 Dec Form PF $4,344,928 $15,035,636 $89,941,706 $1 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2022 Dec Form PF $14,132,029 $15,488,559 $100,632,579 $165 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2021 Dec Form PF $18,381,775 $13,761,425 $102,001,164 $12,220 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2020 Dec Form PF $11,386,198 $16,227,000 $97,393,034 $24,440 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2019 Dec Form PF $19,298,280 $12,808,364 $88,284,946 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form PF $8,570,398 $14,559,288 $90,155,369 $876 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2014 Dec Form PF $10,011,994 $13,536,310 $96,146,837 $3,454 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2013 Dec Form PF $15,306,358 $12,286,393 $99,671,414 $3,715 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2012 Dec Form PF $11,809,295 $11,077,099 $96,651,220 $3,486 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2011 Dec Form PF $11,164,139 $9,212,510 $95,917,513 $1,975 $0 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Pohlad Family Foundation (PFF)

    250 NICOLLET MALL STE 600
    Minneapolis, MN 55401-7547