Astrup Family Foundation

The Astrup Family Foundation is a relationship-driven, family-controlled private foundation rooted in the legacy of Leonard and Corrine Astrup, whose pharmaceutical empire — anchored by the Sterling Pharmacy chain founded in Austin, Minnesota in 1952 — became the source of the family's wealth and philanthropic mission. The foundation was formally established in 2014 by Corrine Astrup and her four children (Ann, Chris, Dan, and Susan Astrup Lundquist) as a vehicle to honor Leonard's memory (he passed from Alzheimer's disease in July 2014) and to perpetuate family values through strategic, values-aligned giving.

The foundation's grantmaking is fundamentally invitation-only and relationship-based. It explicitly does not accept unsolicited applications, meaning all grant recipients are identified proactively by the family board. The eight volunteer directors — all family members or close associates — operate the foundation without compensation, keeping overhead extremely low. Roughly 89–90% of annual expenditures go directly to charitable disbursements, a ratio that reflects lean administration and focused grantmaking.

The geographic center of gravity is unmistakably southern Minnesota, mirroring the footprint of Astrup Companies' Sterling Pharmacy operations. This tight geographic alignment suggests the foundation uses existing community relationships and institutional knowledge from decades of pharmacy ownership to identify worthy local nonprofits. The foundation also partners actively with Astrup Companies itself on signature giving campaigns — most notably the annual Alzheimer's Association drive run through Sterling Pharmacy stores, which has raised more than $72,000 in a single year.

The Astrup Family Foundation awarded 47 grants in 2023 totaling $658,056, and its 2024 charitable disbursements reached $818,133 across an estimated similar number of grants. This represents a meaningful increase in annual giving as assets have grown from $2.8 million in 2015 to nearly $16 million by 2024 — roughly a 5.7× asset growth over a decade — fueled primarily by investment returns (dividends, asset sales) rather than new contributions.

Grant sizes span a wide range ($1,000 to $142,000) with a median of $5,000, suggesting the foundation deploys a tiered strategy: a handful of signature, large grants to flagship causes (Best Christmas Ever, Alzheimer's Association, Ronald McDonald House) plus a broad distribution of modest $1,000–$10,000 grants to community organizations in southern Minnesota towns.

Key funding patterns: - Healthcare dominates the top of the grant ledger. Alzheimer's/dementia-related giving reflects a deeply personal motivation (Leonard Astrup died of Alzheimer's). Regions Hospital Foundation, Our Lady of Guadalupe Free Clinic, and Healthfinders Collaborative also reflect a consistent healthcare focus. - Best Christmas Ever Inc. (Cloquet, MN) receives the single largest annual grant by far ($142,000 in 2023), indicating it is a signature cause aligned with the family's Christian faith values. - Education giving is concentrated in pharmacy and liberal arts: University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy and Gustavus Adolphus College receive regular scholarship support, consistent with the family's pharmacy heritage and Lutheran faith background. - Geographic breadth is limited: roughly 44 of 47 grants (2023) went to Minnesota-based organizations, with scattered grants to Illinois, Rhode Island, Mississippi, and South Dakota reflecting either personal family connections or specific cause alignment. - All grants are classified as "unrestricted general support," meaning recipients have full operational flexibility — a donor-friendly approach rare among foundations of this size.

The Astrup Family Foundation occupies a distinct niche among small-to-mid-size faith-and-family private foundations in the upper Midwest. The table below compares it to similar foundations:

Compared to its peers, the Astrup Family Foundation is notably smaller than the Bremer or Blandin foundations but punches above its weight in community relationship depth in southern Minnesota towns like Austin, Northfield, and Worthington. Its closed, invitation-only model resembles the Hubbard Foundation more than open foundations like Mardag or Blandin. Its faith-inflected, family-values ethos also distinguishes it from secular-leaning peers. The foundation's 90%+ payout efficiency is a strength relative to foundations with larger administrative infrastructure.

The foundation has been on an active growth trajectory. Total assets increased from approximately $11.9 million (2019) to $15.9 million (2024), and charitable disbursements grew from roughly $600,000 to over $818,000 in the same period. The 2024 grant cycle represented the largest single year of giving in the foundation's history.

A notable recent activity strand is the Alzheimer's Association giving, which extends beyond foundation grants alone: Sterling Pharmacy stores conduct community fundraising campaigns that are then matched or supplemented by the Astrup Family Foundation. A 2022 campaign raised more than $72,000 for the Alzheimer's Association from pharmacy customers — a grassroots fundraising mechanism that amplifies the foundation's impact well beyond its own checkbook.

The foundation's 2023–2024 grantee portfolio shows a stable, consistent cohort: Best Christmas Ever, Ronald McDonald House, Regions Hospital Foundation, Our Lady of Guadalupe Free Clinic, Augsburg University, Healthfinders Collaborative, and Northfield Healthy Community Initiative all appear as repeat recipients, suggesting strong relationship continuity and limited openings for new grantees in the near term.

The foundation is registered in Pennington, NJ (the family's current residence) but its operational and charitable footprint remains centered on southern Minnesota, where Astrup Companies operates. The Rochester, MN address also appears in some filings, likely reflecting board member locations.

Because the Astrup Family Foundation operates on a strictly invitation-only basis, traditional grant-seeking strategies (cold applications, online portals, RFPs) are ineffective and not applicable. The path to funding requires building authentic relationships in the foundation's community ecosystem. Here are evidence-based strategies for organizations that may qualify:

1. Align with Sterling Pharmacy community initiatives. The clearest documented pathway is through Astrup Companies' retail pharmacy presence in southern Minnesota. Organizations that partner with Sterling Pharmacy stores on community health campaigns (especially Alzheimer's, breast cancer, or epilepsy awareness) are positioned to build direct visibility with the foundation's family board.

2. Operate in southern Minnesota communities. The foundation's geographic commitment to towns like Austin, Northfield, Owatonna, Worthington, Rochester, Cloquet, Marshall, and Moorhead is strong. Organizations rooted in these communities are most likely to be known to board members through existing civic relationships.

3. Focus areas that resonate most strongly: (a) Alzheimer's/dementia care and research, reflecting Leonard Astrup's personal history; (b) holiday or emergency relief programs for families (Best Christmas Ever model); (c) pharmacy education and healthcare workforce development; (d) faith-based community service organizations.

4. Seek warm introductions through Astrup Companies. Board members Chris Astrup, Dan Astrup, Susan Lundquist, and Robert Astrup are all connected to the family business network. Community leaders, hospital executives, and university administrators with existing relationships to Astrup Companies are the most effective referral sources.

5. Demonstrate values alignment explicitly. The foundation's Christian faith and family values orientation means organizations should be prepared to articulate how their work strengthens families and communities — not just deliver outcomes data. Faith-based framing resonates with this board even for secular service organizations.

6. Be patient and relationship-first. This foundation does not operate on a published grant calendar. Funding relationships develop over years of community presence, not a single application cycle.