Woodhouse Family Foundation

The Woodhouse Family Foundation is a small, relationship-driven private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 2008 and led entirely by volunteers — Kirt Woodhouse (President/Board Chair/Treasurer) and Dana Austin (Secretary/Director), each devoting approximately one hour per week to the foundation with zero compensation. The foundation's grantmaking philosophy is explicitly closed to outside applicants: it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This model is characteristic of a donor-advised or family stewardship foundation where the principals maintain long-standing personal relationships with recipient organizations across faith communities, educational institutions, and international development nonprofits. The foundation's Christian philanthropic orientation is evident from its giving patterns, with significant support to churches, faith-based nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations like Opportunity International. The foundation operates without paid staff and its website (woodhouse.org) currently returns a blank page, reflecting the closed, low-profile nature of its operations.

The Woodhouse Family Foundation distributed approximately $410,000–$415,000 in fiscal year 2024 across 83–84 grants, consistent with its historical giving of 80–90 grants per year totaling $400,000–$430,000. The grant range spans $1,000 to $28,000 with a median of approximately $3,500, indicating a broad portfolio of small to mid-size gifts rather than concentrated anchor grants. Top grantees in 2024 included Ocean Hills Covenant Church (Santa Barbara, CA, $28,000), Opportunity International (Chicago, IL, three grants totaling $75,000), Greater Twin Cities United Way ($20,000), and Hope Academy Minneapolis ($19,000). The foundation's assets stood at $6.02M in 2024, with revenues of $484,924 — a 139% increase over 2023 — and total expenses of $425,964. Historically, the foundation has maintained assets in the $6M–$7.6M range. Montana receives approximately 33 grants per year and Minnesota approximately 32 grants, together accounting for the majority of the portfolio. Secondary giving reaches California, Illinois, Washington, and other states nationally.

The Woodhouse Family Foundation is substantially smaller than Minnesota's major philanthropic institutions and operates in a fundamentally different mode — it is a purely relationship-based vehicle, not a competitive grantmaker. For nonprofits seeking funding, the foundation is effectively inaccessible through normal channels. Its peer group is other closed family foundations rather than open community foundations.

In fiscal year 2024, the Woodhouse Family Foundation made 83–84 grants totaling approximately $415,000, continuing a stable pattern of 80–90 annual awards. Notable 2024 grants included $75,000 to Opportunity International (in three separate installments), $28,000 to Ocean Hills Covenant Church, $20,000 to Greater Twin Cities United Way, and $19,000 to Hope Academy in Minneapolis. Revenue surged 139% in 2024 to $484,924, likely reflecting a significant asset contribution or investment gain, while total expenses declined 15.4%. The foundation's website (woodhouse.org) currently returns only a blank page with an "OK" response, suggesting either temporary infrastructure issues or intentional low-profile operation. The foundation has no public social media presence and no recent press coverage was identified. Annual grant counts have remained stable: 85 grants in 2023, 90 in 2022, 80 in 2021, 81 in 2020, and 84 in 2019 — indicating consistent, disciplined giving with low year-over-year variation.

1. This foundation is closed to unsolicited requests — their 990-PF explicitly states contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations. Do not submit a cold application; it will not be considered. 2. If you have a personal connection to Kirt Woodhouse or Dana Austin through faith community, business, or civic networks in Minneapolis or Montana, that relationship is the only realistic path to funding. 3. The foundation favors faith-based nonprofits with a Christian orientation, particularly those with active ministry or community service programs. Organizations with secular missions will have little traction. 4. International development and poverty alleviation organizations (like Opportunity International) appear to be a second-tier priority alongside local Minnesota and Montana community needs. 5. Typical gift sizes run $1,000–$28,000, with most in the $2,000–$5,000 range. Do not expect large multi-year grants. 6. Monitor the foundation's 990-PF filings on ProPublica or Grantmakers.io annually to track current grantees; if an organization in your space and geography receives repeat grants, that may signal a relationship worth cultivating indirectly.