Kopp Family Foundation

The Kopp Family Foundation operates as a relationship-first, family-governed private foundation with a 38-year history of concentrating its philanthropy entirely within Minnesota. Founded in 1986 by Lee and Barbara Kopp — now steered by family members Deborah Kopp, Barbara Kopp, and Brian Kopp alongside President Lindsey Lang — the foundation has distributed over $65 million cumulatively and holds $65.5 million in assets as of FY2023.

The foundation's giving philosophy rests on three explicit pillars: education as a transformative pathway out of hardship, emergency assistance covering food, shelter, and transportation, and community infrastructure serving youth, women, and the elderly. A close reading of the top grantee list confirms these aren't abstract priorities — the foundation has maintained 6–7 consecutive grant cycles to the same community and technical college foundations (Century College, Minneapolis Community & Technical College, Inver Hills, Normandale, Anoka Ramsey, North Hennepin, Dakota County Technical, St. Cloud Technical), signaling a deliberate strategy of sustained institutional support rather than episodic project funding.

First-time applicants must understand that the letter of inquiry (LOI) is the actual gatekeeping step. Submit a concise, focused LOI of 1–2 pages addressed directly to President Lindsey Lang before investing effort in a full Minnesota Common Grant Application package. The foundation gives explicit priority to organizations with established relationships — new entrants face heightened scrutiny and should frame their LOI as the opening of a multi-year partnership rather than a single funding request.

Two critical procedural requirements catch many new applicants off guard. First, all submissions — LOI and full proposal alike — must be delivered as hard copy only; electronic or emailed submissions are not accepted. Budget 7–10 business days for printing, assembling, and mailing to 701 Carlson Parkway, Suite 1030, Minnetonka, MN 55305. Second, only one LOI or full proposal per organization per year will be considered, making strategic timing and thorough preparation non-negotiable.

Board meetings are quarterly with decisions communicated within two weeks of each meeting. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis, but applicants should plan to submit 4–6 weeks ahead of an upcoming board meeting to optimize turnaround time. Organizations based outside Minnesota should not apply — 757 of 758 tracked grants in the grantee database went to Minnesota organizations.

The foundation's grant-making has grown substantially since FY2021, when a $43.1 million contribution quadrupled assets from $13.4 million to $66.3 million. Annual grants paid have tracked that infusion: $1.42M (2020), $1.87M (2021), $2.95M (2022), $3.78M (2023). Total giving — including grants plus management distributions — reached $4.86M in FY2023, suggesting the foundation has established a new annual baseline roughly three times higher than its pre-2021 pace.

The grantee database (758 tracked grants totaling $7.3 million, average $9,647; DB typical grant: median $2,000, range $250–$72,000) reveals four distinct giving tiers:

Anchor relationships ($100K–$625K cumulative): Second Harvest Heartland received 5 grants totaling $625,000 — the largest single-recipient relationship in the database, averaging $125,000 per grant. Project for Pride in Living ($425K, 3 grants), Agate Housing & Services ($400K, 2 grants = $200K/grant average), and CommonBond Communities ($400K, 2 grants) round out the housing and food security anchor commitments.

Sustained education portfolio ($100K–$270K cumulative): Eleven community and technical college foundations each received 6–7 grants, typically in the $15,000–$45,000 per-grant range. Century College Foundation leads at $270K across 6 grants ($45K/grant); Minneapolis Community & Technical College Foundation at $240K; Inver Hills at $230K; Normandale at $160K; Anoka Ramsey at $155K; and North Hennepin at $150K. The consistency of grant counts — most at exactly 6 — points to a structured multi-year commitment cycle.

Mid-range program grants ($20K–$202K cumulative): University foundations (Metropolitan State $140K, St. Cloud State $90K, St. Catherine University $80K, Dunwoody $65K), human services organizations (NC Little Memorial Hospice $202K over 4 grants, Sisters Rising Worldwide $40K), and faith-affiliated K-12 schools (Ave Maria Academy $142K over 6 grants, Holy Spirit Academy $45K over 6 grants).

Small and community grants (under $30K cumulative): Local organizations including PRISM ($27K), Northside Boxing Club ($30K), Can Do Canines ($20K), Open Window Theatre ($30K), Alzheimer's Association MN-ND Chapter ($23K), and various parish communities.

By program area, education (K-12 through post-secondary) accounts for an estimated 55–60% of grant dollars; housing and emergency services 20–25%; faith-connected nonprofits and human services split the remainder. Individual grant median is $2,000, but meaningful operating grants for new entrants begin at approximately $20K–$25K, with anchor relationships built incrementally over multiple grant cycles.

The foundation's database peer list was empty; the following comparison draws on publicly available 990 data and annual reports. All figures are approximate.

Kopp Family Foundation occupies a distinctive niche among Minnesota funders: mid-size assets deployed with a concentrated, relationship-driven approach and an unusually deep commitment to community and technical college education — a funding category largely underserved by the larger MN foundations. Unlike McKnight and Bremer, which operate with large professional program staffs and competitive open cycles, Kopp runs lean with a single President and family governance, creating an intimate application experience where relationship history carries significant weight. Kopp also stands apart for its consistent support of faith-affiliated K-12 institutions, a characteristic uncommon among comparably sized foundations, reflecting the Kopp family's Catholic philanthropic tradition. Organizations best positioned for Kopp funding are well-established Minnesota nonprofits with multi-year operating track records in workforce education, food and housing security, or direct services to vulnerable populations — rather than advocacy-focused groups, new startups, or those with national or international scope.

No major public announcements, new program launches, or leadership changes were identified for the Kopp Family Foundation in 2025–2026. The foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile consistent with its private, family-governed character — it does not issue press releases, publish annual reports, or maintain active social media channels.

The most consequential recent development was the FY2021 asset recapitalization: a $43.1 million contribution received that year quadrupled the endowment from $13.4 million to $66.3 million. This structural shift enabled the substantially higher grantmaking pace now in place — $2.95M (2022), $3.78M (2023), and an estimated $2.97M across approximately 211–347 grants in FY2024. Investment income in FY2024 totaled $984,793 against $65.6M in assets, with the portfolio generating returns primarily from asset sales (71% of 2024 revenue) and dividends (21%).

Leadership remains stable: Lindsey Lang continues as President (zero compensation), with Deborah Kopp, Barbara Kopp, and Brian Kopp serving as directors (all zero compensation). The Kopp Family Office LLC, a separate management services company, received $1.19 million in fees in FY2021 and handles investment management and administrative services for the foundation.

In April 2026, Kopp Family Office LLC filed an SEC disclosure showing it reduced a position in Viridian Therapeutics by 117,878 shares (valued at approximately $3.5 million), reflecting active investment management by the family office arm — a distinct entity from but part of the same family wealth ecosystem as the charitable foundation.

Kopp Family Foundation gives to organizations it knows and trusts over time. Understanding this relationship-first dynamic is the most important frame for any applicant strategy.

Lead with the LOI, not the deliverable. The letter of inquiry is the actual evaluation gate. A compelling LOI addressed to Lindsey Lang (1–2 pages maximum) should clearly state: who your organization serves, the specific gap your program addresses, how it aligns with the Kopp pillars (education access, emergency assistance, or community quality of life), and your dollar request. Lead with the ask within the first paragraph — don't bury it under organizational history.

Hard copy is non-negotiable. This is the most operationally unusual requirement and the one most frequently overlooked. No emailed PDFs, no online portals. Physical submission only to: Kopp Family Foundation, 701 Carlson Parkway, Suite 1030, Minnetonka, MN 55305. Budget print-and-mail time into your calendar; missing this step means burning your one annual submission opportunity.

One submission per year — choose your moment. Since the foundation accepts only one LOI or proposal per organization per calendar year, don't submit until your LOI is in final form. Coordinate internally to prevent multiple departments from submitting independently. If you're renewing a prior grant, that full proposal counts as your single annual submission.

Align with the Minnesota Common Grant Application. The full proposal must follow this standard format exactly. The 5-page narrative limit is strict. Lead with outcomes and population served; tie every budget line to direct program services and show the percentage of organizational budget directed to program delivery.

Document volunteer engagement prominently. Prior-year volunteer hours are required in the full proposal package. More than administrative compliance, this is a substantive signal — the foundation values organizations embedded in their communities, not just professionalized service providers. If your volunteer program is strong, feature it explicitly.

Start smaller than your ultimate ask. Top anchor grantees (Second Harvest Heartland: $125K/grant average; Agate Housing: $200K/grant average) built those relationships incrementally across multiple cycles. A first-time applicant requesting $15,000–$35,000 for a clearly aligned program has significantly higher odds of success than one opening with a $150,000 capital campaign request. Establish the relationship first; scale the ask in subsequent cycles.

Call ahead to learn the board calendar. Phone (952) 841-0430 or email foundation@koppfam.com to ask about the next quarterly board meeting date before submitting. Submitting 4–6 weeks ahead of a meeting minimizes your wait time and avoids a 3-month queue.