The Next Edison
The Next Edison is a private 501(c)(3) foundation based in Long Lake, MN that provides scholarships and grants to support post‑secondary education and other projects that foster new ideas. Its official site presents grant criteria and application instructions and lists contact information for trustees.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A Minnesota-based educational or scholarship program (including college/university scholarship funds) or a local nonprofit with clear scholarship or community-service projects aligned with the foundation’s stated priorities.
Good Fit
- • Primary program is scholarships or post-secondary educational support.
- • Organizational presence or program activity in Minnesota.
- • Ability to provide required application materials (written request and transcripts where applicable).
- • Clear, focused use of funds for student support or a discrete project in the foundation’s listed priority areas.
- • Track record or affiliation that signals credibility to trustees (institutional hosts, schools, established nonprofits).
Geography
Observed giving is heavily concentrated in Minnesota (about 98% of 2024 dollars) with only limited out-of-state grants, so the footprint is effectively local to the foundation’s state.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows eight distinct grantees and the three-year record includes multiple independent recipients, but dollar concentration is high (one recipient dominated 79% of 2024 giving), so the portfolio is moderately diverse in count but concentrated by dollar.
New Applicants
The foundation publishes application instructions and a named trustee contact and the data show multiple new recipients in recent years (five new grantees in 2024 and seven in 2023), so unfamiliar applicants appear likely to be able to enter the portfolio.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
