Synergy Charitable Foundation

Synergy Charitable Foundation is a private independent grantmaker established in February 2021 and headquartered at 861 Lake St N in Wayzata, Minnesota — an affluent suburb on Lake Minnetonka approximately 12 miles west of Minneapolis. With $20.2 million in assets and an all-volunteer board receiving $0 in compensation, this foundation operates as a closely held personal philanthropy vehicle rather than a staffed institutional grantmaker.

The foundation's giving philosophy is not formally articulated in any public document, but the grantee record reveals a dual-track structure. Roughly 94% of total grant dollars flow through two intermediary vehicles: the Minneapolis Foundation ($2.85M across 3 grants) and the UBS Optimus Foundation Fund ($833K across 3 grants). These pass-through grants suggest the board uses community foundation infrastructure and donor-advised vehicles to deploy the bulk of their charitable capital, likely channeling it to sub-grantees outside the 990's visibility.

The remaining 6% — approximately $250,000 across nine direct operating grantees — exposes the board's personal philanthropic values most clearly: a strong Catholic and Jesuit social-service orientation (Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Jesuit Retreat House, Ignatian Lay Volunteers), commitment to healthcare access (One World Surgery, Canvas Health), and support for Twin Cities community-service organizations (Merrick Community Services, Partners 4 Hope, Sharing & Caring, Make-A-Wish).

For prospective grantees, the critical implication is that Synergy operates exclusively on invitation and personal relationship. Public grant databases list the foundation as "preselected only" with no application instructions on record. There is no grants portal, no published RFP, and the foundation's website sub-pages return 404 errors, indicating a minimal or recently restructured online presence.

The path to a first grant runs through the five board members: Peter Pierce Jr. (President), Paul Dinzeo (President/Director across filings), Tim Baer (Treasurer), Margaret Cronin (Secretary and official contact), and Carolyn Pierce (Director). Margaret Cronin is the listed point of contact for the foundation at (952) 905-9119. Organizations already connected to the Minneapolis Foundation's grantee network or Jesuit educational and social service networks are best positioned for a warm introduction. Cold outreach directed to Cronin with a compelling, one-page letter of inquiry is the only viable alternative entry point.

Synergy Charitable Foundation's financial history is defined by a single transformational event: an $8 million external contribution received in FY2022, which boosted total revenue that year to $8.19 million and permanently elevated the foundation's annual grantmaking capacity. Before that capital infusion, the foundation disbursed $0 in FY2020 and only $150,000 in FY2021. Since then, annual giving has settled into a consistent range:

• FY2022: $1,308,334 in grants paid; $1,320,002 total giving
• FY2023: $1,166,666 in grants paid; $1,216,041 total giving
• FY2024: ~$1,001,750 in charitable disbursements (per ProPublica)

Annual giving of $1.0–1.3M on $20.2M in assets represents a 5.0–6.4% payout rate, modestly above the federally required 5% minimum for private foundations. Investment income — predominantly dividends at approximately 92% of FY2024 revenue — generates $619,000–$770,000 per year (FY2022–2023 data). The foundation distributes more than it earns annually, drawing modestly on the asset base over time.

Grant concentration is extreme. The Minneapolis Foundation alone received $2,850,000 — 72.5% of all cumulative grant dollars — across 3 grants averaging $950,000 each. Combined with UBS Optimus Foundation Fund ($833,334 across 3 grants), these two intermediary recipients account for 93.7% of all disbursements on record.

Excluding those pass-through grants, the direct operating portfolio reveals a tighter range. The foundation's database profile tracks 8 direct grants with: minimum $12,500, maximum $50,000, median $13,750, and average $18,750. In full, direct operating grantees received individual amounts from $12,500 (Jesuit Retreat House, Ignatian Lay Volunteers, Sharing & Caring, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School) to $100,000 cumulative for One World Surgery (2 × $50,000 grants) — with Make-A-Wish at $50,000, Merrick Community Services at $20,000, Canvas Health at $15,000, and Partners 4 Hope at $15,000 in between.

Geographic distribution: Minnesota receives 10 of 16 total grants by count; Pennsylvania 3; Illinois 2; Maryland 1. All 16 grants carry "GENERAL OPERATING FUND" as the sole stated purpose — no restricted, project-based, or capital grants appear anywhere in the record.

The table below compares Synergy Charitable Foundation to the five closest peer foundations by asset size within the same NTEE category (T22, Private Grantmaking Foundations):

Among private foundations with approximately $20 million in assets classified under NTEE T22, Synergy Charitable Foundation is unusual in three respects. First, it is the only foundation in this peer set with an identified contact person and a public-facing website — giving prospective grantees a meaningful (if slim) point of entry. Second, its documented annual giving of $1.0–1.3M is the only verified payout figure in the peer group; none of the others disclose annual disbursements publicly. Third, its use of pass-through intermediaries (the Minneapolis Foundation, UBS Optimus) as the dominant grantmaking channel is atypical — foundations of this size generally make direct grants to operating nonprofits.

All six foundations operate with all-volunteer governance and no paid staff, reflecting the typical pattern of family or closely held foundations in the $15–25M asset tier. None discloses an open application process or published grant guidelines, confirming that invitation-only access is the norm across this entire peer class.

No press releases, news coverage, or social media activity was identified for Synergy Charitable Foundation during 2025 or 2026. Web searches returned no results specifically for the Wayzata, Minnesota foundation; results were dominated by unrelated organizations sharing the "Synergy" name (European Research Council Synergy Grants, an Australian utility's community fund). The foundation maintains minimal digital presence — its website (synergycharitable.org) is live but sub-pages return 404 errors, and no program descriptions, staff bios, or grant guidelines are accessible online.

The most recent confirmed activity comes from IRS 990 filings: for FY2024, the foundation carried $20,209,710 in total assets, generated $809,854 in revenue (92% from dividends), and disbursed approximately $1,001,750 in charitable grants. The FY2023 filing showed $20,494,451 in assets and $1,216,041 in total giving.

Leadership has remained consistent across the foundation's brief history. Peter Pierce Jr. and Paul Dinzeo have alternated in the President role across different filing periods; Margaret Cronin has served continuously as Director/Secretary and is the sole publicly identified contact person; Tim Baer holds the Director/Treasurer role; and Carolyn Pierce (likely related to Peter Pierce Jr.) serves as a Director. All positions remain uncompensated.

The most consequential event in the foundation's history — the $8 million capital contribution received in FY2022 — remains unexplained in public filings. Its scale and timing suggest either a significant personal wealth event (business sale or asset liquidity) or a major donor commitment that permanently expanded the foundation's grantmaking capacity from under $200,000 to over $1 million annually.

No formal application process, published guidelines, or open grant cycle exists for Synergy Charitable Foundation. Public grant databases mark this funder as "preselected only" with application instructions listed as none. Cold applications through traditional channels will not be received or reviewed. The following guidance is tailored specifically to navigating this relationship-driven model.

Work through existing grantee networks. The most direct path is a referral from an organization already in the portfolio. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School (Chicago), Jesuit Retreat House, Ignatian Lay Volunteers, and One World Surgery are established grantees with documented board relationships. A warm introduction through any of these organizations — particularly through the Minneapolis Foundation's grantee community — is significantly more valuable than any written proposal.

Lead with general operating support, always. Every single grant in the foundation's documented history is designated "GENERAL OPERATING FUND." Do not propose a specific project, a capital campaign, or a program expansion. Frame your ask as unrestricted operating support that strengthens core organizational capacity.

Request a modest entry amount. Direct entry-level grants consistently fall at $12,500–$15,000. Organizations that grew their relationship (One World Surgery reached $100,000 across two grants) demonstrate that increases follow trust and track record. An initial ask of $12,500–$25,000 signals realistic expectations and avoids startling a small, personally invested board.

Use alignment language drawn from Catholic social teaching and global health. Given the disproportionate representation of Jesuit-affiliated organizations and One World Surgery's position as the largest direct operating grantee ($100,000), language around human dignity, service to underserved communities, healthcare access, and faith-inspired mission will resonate more than secular impact frameworks or theory-of-change language.

Time outreach for early Q1. No official grant cycle is published, but distributions appear concentrated in the first half of the fiscal year. A letter of inquiry reaching the foundation in January–March is optimal.

Contact Margaret Cronin directly. She is listed as the foundation's official contact (% Margaret A. Cronin, 861 Lake St N, Wayzata, MN 55391) and serves as Director/Secretary. A brief, professionally written letter of inquiry — one page maximum — addressed to her is the most appropriate cold-outreach channel. Follow up by phone at (952) 905-9119 after 30–45 days with no response.