Eagle Foundation

The Eagle Foundation operates as a tightly controlled Hanson family foundation headquartered in Chaska, Minnesota, with $26.1 million in assets and annual giving of approximately $1.1–1.4 million. The three-person board — Mark D Hanson (President/Treasurer), Nancy Hanson (Secretary), and Kari M Hanson (Vice President) — governs entirely without compensation, signaling a mission-driven, personal philanthropic orientation rather than a professionally managed institutional fund.

Despite a broad stated mission encompassing humanitarian, cultural, artistic, ecological, and peace-oriented work, the foundation's actual grant record tells a much more focused story: over 85% of documented grants are designated as "tuition reductions" paid directly to colleges and universities on behalf of individual students. The balance consists of direct donations to a select group of faith-aligned nonprofit organizations in the Upper Midwest.

The giving philosophy reveals a strong affinity for Christian higher education, particularly Lutheran and evangelical institutions in Minnesota and surrounding states. Concordia University-St Paul has received the most cumulative funding ($292,000 across three documented cycles), followed by University of Northwestern-St Paul ($233,332) — both explicitly Christian institutions. However, the foundation also funds public state universities including NDSU ($122,838), Iowa State ($67,500), and UW-Madison ($55,000), indicating the scholarship pipeline extends to students at non-faith-based schools as well.

There is no public application portal, no grant cycle calendar, and no formal RFP process. The foundation states applicants should "submit a detailed description of the individual or organization and the proposed activities and purposes" — a deliberately minimal instruction that implies relationship-driven access over competitive application.

For higher education institutions, the path to partnership almost certainly begins with direct contact with Mark D Hanson. For nonprofit organizations, the foundation historically favors faith-based groups serving youth, addiction recovery, and Christian community development — exemplified by Minnesota Teen Challenge ($150,000), 4kids ($200,000), and Cru ($40,400). FY2024 data indicates possible expansion toward broader community institutions, with Urban Ventures ($300,000) and Minneapolis Jewish Federation ($100,000) representing new categories in the grantee portfolio.

First-time applicants should expect a multi-year cultivation process. Nearly all top grantees show three consecutive grant cycles of support, suggesting that once a relationship is established, annual renewals are the norm. Approach this foundation as a long-term philanthropic partner, not a one-time funding source.

The Eagle Foundation's giving history across 10 documented fiscal years (2012–2024) reveals a consistent core of $1.0–1.3 million in annual distributions, with two notable spikes: FY2019 ($2,841,636) and FY2024 ($1,444,746, representing a 28% increase over FY2023).

Grant Size Distribution: The median grant across the cumulative grantee database is $5,000, but actual distribution is highly bifurcated. Tuition-reduction grants to most institutional partners cluster between $5,000 and $25,000 per year. Top-tier university partners receive $50,000–$230,000 annually. Direct donations to nonprofits range from $15,000 (Love Inc, Youth for Christ) to $300,000 (Urban Ventures FY2024). The documented range spans $870 (minimum) to $300,000 (maximum). Average grant size across all documented grants: $11,205.

By Grantee Type: - Tuition reductions (~85-90% of grant count): Direct payments to universities applied against student tuition. The foundation partners with 80+ institutions per filing year, including both explicitly Christian schools and major public universities. - Direct donations (~10-15% of grant count): Lump-sum charitable gifts to faith-based nonprofits, with individual donation amounts significantly higher per grant on average ($40,000–$300,000 range).

Geographic Concentration: Minnesota accounts for 121 of 268 documented grants (45%), reflecting the foundation's home-state orientation. Other states receiving grants include Florida (17), North Dakota (16), Iowa (14), Wisconsin (14), South Dakota (11), Michigan (9), and Missouri (8). The multi-state footprint largely reflects out-of-state institutions attended by Minnesota-based students rather than geographic diversification of the foundation's programmatic interests.

Asset and Revenue Trends: Net assets have ranged from $15.1 million (FY2012) to $27.4 million (FY2022 peak), currently settling at $26.1 million (FY2024). The FY2021 jump to $26.8 million from $20.0 million was driven by a single $6,809,961 contribution received — likely from a trust or estate transfer. Net investment income has averaged $700K–$1.1M annually in recent years, funding the foundation's annual grantmaking sustainably at a 4–5% asset payout rate. Officer compensation has been zero across all available filing years, keeping overhead minimal and maximizing charitable output.

The Eagle Foundation's five closest asset-matched peers — identified based on asset size ($25.9M–$26.5M) and NTEE Education classification — are all private family foundations in a similar size tier. None maintain public-facing application portals, consistent with the invited or relationship-based application model common among foundations of this scale.

Eagle Foundation distinguishes itself from asset-matched peers in two meaningful ways. First, its grantee record is unusually transparent — 268 individual grants are traceable through publicly filed 990-PFs, providing grant seekers with actionable data on funding amounts, recipient institutions, and giving trends across multiple cycles. Second, Eagle's de facto specialization in Christian higher education scholarships creates a narrower effective eligibility pool than the broad Education NTEE category implies, making it a highly targeted opportunity for faith-aligned institutions and nonprofits rather than a general-purpose education funder. Peer foundations at this asset level with no disclosed giving data are likely even more relationship-restricted.

The most detailed recent activity comes from the FY2024 IRS Form 990-PF, filed November 14, 2025. That return documents $1,444,746 in total charitable disbursements across 101 grants — up 28% from the $1,125,845 distributed in FY2023 and the highest single-year giving total since the anomalous FY2019 figure of $2,841,636.

Two FY2024 grants stand out as meaningful departures from historical patterns. Urban Ventures, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit focused on workforce development and economic mobility in underserved communities, received $300,000 — the largest single grant in all available Eagle Foundation filings and substantially higher than the foundation's prior documented maximum. Minneapolis Jewish Federation received a $100,000 donation, the first confirmed grant to a Jewish community institution, indicating possible expansion of the foundation's interfaith charitable footprint.

Core tuition-reduction partnerships remained intact in FY2024: University of Northwestern-St Paul ($228,168), Bethel University ($192,500), and Concordia University-St Paul ($100,000 per cycle) each continued multi-year allocations. North Dakota Teen Challenge again received $150,000, consistent with prior cycles.

No leadership changes, board transitions, or new program announcements have been publicly disclosed. Mark D Hanson, Nancy Hanson, and Kari M Hanson have held identical roles across all available filings from FY2012 through FY2024. The foundation maintains no social media presence, no press room, and no news feed — consistent with the low-profile operating style typical of closely held family foundations. The phone number (952) 938-4811 and address at 510 N Chestnut St Ste 206, Chaska, MN 55318 remain the only verified direct contact information.

The Eagle Foundation offers no competitive grant cycle, no online application portal, and no published deadlines — placing the entire application process in the relationship-driven category. The following tips are grounded in the foundation's documented giving history and stated application instructions:

Make direct phone contact first. Mark D Hanson is President, Treasurer, and the named organizational contact. The only publicly listed access point is (952) 938-4811. Call before submitting any written materials. Introduce your organization briefly (2-3 sentences), confirm the foundation is currently accepting inquiries, and ask whether your type of work falls within their current priorities. A family foundation of this structure responds to personal relationships, not cold applications.

For higher education institutions: Position your request as a tuition-reduction scholarship partnership, not an institutional operating grant. The foundation's core model routes funding through partner universities to individual students' tuition accounts. Identify specific student populations from Minnesota or the Upper Midwest who would benefit, and propose a defined scholarship line — for example, "10 students receiving $5,000 each in annual tuition reduction." Established partners like Concordia University-St Paul and University of Northwestern-St Paul have received three or more consecutive multi-year allocations; frame your proposal as the beginning of a similar ongoing partnership.

For nonprofit organizations: Align explicitly with faith, youth services, or community development. Documented donation recipients — Minnesota Teen Challenge, 4kids, Cru, Love Inc, Youth for Christ — share a faith-based service orientation. In FY2024, Urban Ventures ($300,000) and Minneapolis Jewish Federation ($100,000) suggest the foundation may now consider broader community institutions if they demonstrate measurable impact and community trust. Lead with outcomes, not organizational overhead.

Match the foundation's stated language. Despite its scholarship-heavy actual giving, the foundation officially describes its mission as supporting "humanitarian, cultural, artistic, scientific, ecological, and peace-oriented" projects. Frame your work within one or more of these categories — humanitarian service, community welfare, or educational access — in your submission narrative.

Submit the required document to the correct address. The stated application instruction is to provide "a detailed description of the individual or organization and the proposed activities and purposes." Mail a clean 1-3 page narrative to Mark D Hanson, 510 N Chestnut St Ste 206, Chaska, MN 55318-3316. No contact email is publicly available. Follow up by phone 2-3 weeks after mailing.