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Propel Nonprofits

EIN 41-1916337 · Minneapolis, MN

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

THE MISSION OF PROPEL NONPROFITS IS TO FUEL THE IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF NONPROFITS WITH GUIDANCE, EXPERTISE, AND CAPITAL. PROPEL NONPROFITS PROVIDES LOANS TO NONPROFITS FOR FACILITIES AND WORKING CAPITAL. WE TRAIN NONPROFIT STAFF AND BOARDS TO UNDERSTAND AND BUILD FINANCIAL HEALTH, CLEAR STRATEGY, AND STRONG GOVERNANCE PRACTICES. WE PROVIDE EXPERT KNOWLEDGE, GUIDANCE, AND INSIGHT FOR NONPROFITS ABOUT GOVERNANCE, PLANNING, FINANCIAL STRATEGY, AND SUSTAINABILITY. WE CONSULT AND GUIDE ON STRATEGY, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND FINANCIAL PLANS, STRATEGIC ALLIANCES, AND GOVERNANCE. WE OFFER NONPROFIT ACCOUNTING SERVICES AND FINANCIAL SYSTEMS REVIEW. WE PROVIDE FISCAL SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT FOR EMERGING ORGANIZATIONS AND COLLABORATIONS.

Income
$23.0 million
Spending
$12.6 million
Spent on programs
86%
Reserves
21.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 60%
Employees
39
Volunteers
28
Highest pay
$267,186, president and ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    35 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 21.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    5 of 20

    It owes 56% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 45% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 166% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    86% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 2 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (philanthropy, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    16 of 16 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (5)
  1. $3.9 million spent. LENDING:AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION (CDFI) CERTIFIED BY THE U.S. TREASURY, PROPEL NONPROFITS MAKES LOANS TO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TO EXPAND PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, BRIDGE CASH FLOW GAPS, CONSOLIDATE DEBT, AND MAKE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. WE BELIEVE THAT ACCESS TO CAPITAL IS ESSENTIAL TO THE GROWTH AND STABILITY OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. PROPEL NONPROFITS MAKES LOANS TO NONPROFITS OF ALL SIZES AND STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, MANY OF WHICH HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY UNDER-SERVED BY TRADITIONAL MARKETS. LOANS ARE AS LARGE AS $1.2 MILLION AND AS SMALL AS $5,000. OVERALL, WE MADE 73 NEW LOANS IN FY2025 TOTALING $17,120,090. OUR LENDING IMPACTED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN HEALTH CARE, HUMAN SERVICES, ARTS AND HUMANITIES, CHARTER SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND MORE. BY PARTNERING WITH OTHER CAPITAL PROVIDERS, WE ALSO LEVERAGED ADDITIONAL FUNDS OF $5.1 MILLION INTO THE COMMUNITY.
  2. $3.0 million spent. CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES:PROPEL NONPROFITS INTERMEDIARY CAPACITY BUILDING INITIATIVES AIM TO PROVIDE FUNDING AND RELEVANT INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT MINNESOTA NONPROFITS. IN FY25, THERE WERE FOUR ACTIVE INITIATIVES: SEEDING CULTURAL TREASURES, NONPROFIT INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM (NIGP), CBI TARGET, AND ROOTED TO LAST.IN FY25, PROPEL AWARDED $2.2 MILLION TO 55 CULTURALLY LED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING THROUGH NIGP. THE 2023 - 2025 ROUND OF NIGP FUNDING IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A $4 MILLION APPROPRIATION COMING THROUGH THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (DEED)ALSO IN FY25, PROPEL CONTINUED WORK ON THE SEEDING CULTURAL TREASURES INITIATIVE DESIGNED TO NOURISH AND CULTIVATE THE LANDSCAPE OF EMERGING ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS RUN BY AND FOR BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR.
  3. $2.4 million spent. FISCAL SPONSORSHIP:PROPEL NONPROFITS FISCAL SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM SUPPORTS EMERGING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND PROJECTS THAT ADVANCE CHARITABLE CAUSES AND UPLIFT THEIR COMMUNITIES. WE PROVIDE RESOURCES, CONSULTING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND THE ABILITY TO ACCEPT DONATIONS TO OUR FISCALLY SPONSORED PARTNERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM HISTORICALLY EXCLUDED GROUPS.-60 FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECTS IN FY25-$5,111,256 RAISED BY/FOR CLIENTS IN FY25-63% BIPOC-LED-10% GREATER MINNESOTA
  4. $1.0 million spent. STRATEGIC SERVICES AND ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE SERVICES:PROPEL NONPROFITS' STRATEGY CONSULTANTS ARE EXPERIENCED AT PROVIDING STRATEGIC PLANNING, SUCCESSION PLANNING, BOARD DEVELOPMENT, STRATEGIC FINANCIAL PLANNING AND OTHER STRATEGIC SERVICES TO ORGANIZATIONS OF ALL BUDGET SIZES, STAFF SIZES, AND MORE. IN FY25, PROPEL PROVIDED STRATEGIC CONSULTING TO 116 ORGANIZATIONS, OF WHICH 69% WERE BIPOC-LED, 8% WERE IN GREATER MINNESOTA, AND 63% WERE FIRST-TIME CLIENTS OF STRATEGIC SERVICES.PROPEL NONPROFITS ACCOUNTING & FINANCE SERVICES: PROPEL NONPROFITS ACCOUNTING & FINANCE PROGRAM OFFERS ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES ALONG WITH CUSTOMIZED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WHICH HELPS ORGANIZATIONS UNDERSTAND THEIR FINANCIAL SITUATION, IDENTIFY PRIORITIES, AND DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION FOR THE NEAR AND LONG-TERM FUTURE.
  5. $467,840 spent. TRAINING, GUIDANCE, AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING:PROPEL NONPROFITS PROVIDES ONGOING TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE ON TOPICS RANGING FROM FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTING, GOVERNANCE, NONPROFIT BUSINESS MODELS, AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRATEGY.IN FY25 PROPEL PRESENTED A TOTAL OF 102 TRAININGS TO 3,544 PARTICIPANTS:-45 GOVERNANCE TRAININGS-46 FINANCES TRAININGS-10 COMBINED TRAININGS AND AND FINANCE TRAININGS -1 CUSTOM TRAINING EVENTIN FY25 THERE WERE 90 LEADERS CIRCLES PARTICIPANTS; 30 BOARD CONNECTOR LISTINGS AND 42 BOARD MEMBER CONNECTIONS MADE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since September 2017.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.