Open Foundations · Minnesota

Chs Foundation

Inver Grove, Minnesota · EIN 416025858. Its Form 990-PF says giving is not restricted to organizations picked in advance, which is how a private foundation files that it accepts unsolicited requests. It paid $5.7M across 91 grants in 2025, a median of $14K each.

All Minnesota foundations · All states

$5.7M
paid in 2025
91
grants paid
$14K
median grant
22%
to first-time recipients
$65.7M
assets on file

How to apply, as filed

Straight off Part XV of the return. Where the foundation left a line blank, this says so rather than guessing.

Send requests to
CHS FOUNDATION
Address
5500 CENEX DRIVE, INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN, 55077
Phone
6513556000
Email
Not stated in the filing
Form the request should take
APPLICANTS MAY SUBMIT A REQUEST ONLINE. WRITTEN REQUESTS ARE ACCEPTED, BUT NOT ENCOURAGED.
Submission deadline
IF APPLICABLE, SUBMISSION DEADLINES ARE DISCLOSED IN THE APPLICATION
Restrictions on awards
CHS FOUNDATION SUPPORTS EDUCATION AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS THAT INVEST IN THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATIVE BUSINESS AND RURAL AMERICA. EACH APPLICATION IS REVIEWED INDIVIDUALLY. THE MAJORITY OF FUNDING AND FOCUS IS PLACED ON SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS. ALL GRANT AWARDS ARE ON A YEAR-ROUND CYCLE, WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTIONS. THE CHS FOUNDATION COOPERATIVE EDUCATION GRANTS PROGRAM, WHICH IS A COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM THAT FOCUSED ON INVESTING IN PROGRAMS THAT DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THE UNDERSTANDING OF COOPERATIVE BUSINESS THROUGH EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE. APPLICATIONS FOR THAT PROGRAM ARE ACCEPTED, ANNUALLY, FROM JANUARY TO LATE FEBRUARY, WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS IN APRIL. THE CHS UNIVERSITY PARTNER COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH SUPPORTS AGRICULTURE-FOCUSED PROJECTS AT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, ACCEPTS APPLICATIONS ANNUALLY FROM APRIL TO JUNE, WITH ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE FALL.

As filed on the Form 990-PF for tax year 2025, IRS filing object id 202621319349101887. Printed word for word, including the entries that only say to see a website or an attachment.

What it funds, in its own words

The words that come up most often across the purposes it wrote on its 2025 grants. These are the foundation's own words, not a category we assigned.

university partnerleadershipcooperativeagriculturalteachernationaleducationagriculture

Biggest grants in 2025

The 15 largest of the 91 grants paid in 2025, with the purpose the foundation wrote for each.

#RecipientStateAmountPurpose as filed
1National Ffa FoundationIN$1,430,000NATIONAL FFA PARTNERSHIP FOR THE FUTURE
2Feeding AmericaIL$1,000,000HUNGER RELIEF
3Discovery Education IncNC$275,000COOPERATIVE MINDS: CHS FOUNDATION + DISCOVERY EDUCATION
4Agriculture Future of AmericaMO$272,5002024-26 AFA PROGRAM SUPPORT AND GROWTH PARTNERSHIP
5University of Idaho Foundation IncID$262,136UNEARTHING POTENTIAL: CULTIVATING TOMORROWS AGRICULTURAL SOIL SCIENTISTS
6Lake Area Technical College FoundationSD$229,361LATC COMMODITY RISK MANAGEMENT LAB
7Progressive Agriculture FoundationAL$160,000PROGRESSIVE AGRICULTURE SAFETY DAY
8University of Nebraska FoundationNE$154,307CULTIVATE ACCESS
9Agrisafe Network IncLA$150,000BUILDING CAPACITY FOR A HEALTHIER AGRICULTURAL WORKFORCE
10National Agriculture in the ClassroomAR$105,0002026 NATIONAL AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM SUPPORT
11Montana State University FoundationMT$97,369GROW SCHOLARS - GROWTH THROUGH RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND WORK
12Missouri State University FoundationMO$89,679AG EDUCATION EXPANSION: AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATE
13North Dakota State University FoundationND$83,3332025/26 UNIVERSITY PARTNER PROGRAM
14Lake Region Community College Foundation of Devils LakeND$75,000LRSC AG +2
15Iowa State University FoundationIA$65,000GROWING THE FUTURE NURTURING DIGITAL AGRICULTURE STUDENTS

Giving by year, and who received it

Grants paid by year

Every year of this foundation's grants that Civly holds
Tax yearGrantsPaid
2020107$4.3M
202190$3.1M
2022100$5.2M
202387$4.6M
2024105$4.0M
2025 (partial year)91$5.7M

Where the money went

Share of 2025 grant dollars by recipient state
Minnesota10%
Montana9%
Illinois8%
South Dakota7%
North Dakota7%

Who decides

Officers, directors and trustees as filed, with the year of the return they appeared on.

Kevin ThroenerCHAIR · 2025
Mark FarrellVICE CHAIR/SECRETARY · 2025
Megan WolleEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR · 2025
Tony RossmanBOARD TRUSTEE · 2025
Trent ShervenBOARD TRUSTEE · 2025

Every figure on this page is that foundation's own latest filed year, which is 2022 or later. This foundation is listed because its Form 990-PF says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and it paid at least 5 grants totaling $100K or more that year. Latest-year grants and terms per foundation from IRS 990-PF e-file returns; the newest tax year is partial until the IRS finishes releasing it. Grants are de-duplicated on funder, year, recipient and amount, so identical repeat grants collapse into one and totals can run low. Full method.

Source: IRS Form 990-PF e-file releases (public domain). Analysis: Civly.

Get matched against every grant these foundations actually paid

One foundation is a start. Civly Grant Matching reads your own filings, matches your programs against millions of paid grants by purpose, geography and grant size, and hands back every funder like this one with the deadline, the restrictions and the named trustees attached.

See Grant Matching