St. Paul nonprofit Give Hope agrees to dissolve

Give Hope, a St. Paul-based nonprofit co-founded by chef Brian Ingram in 2020, has agreed to dissolve. Ingram is CEO and chef at Purpose Driven Restaurants, which includes Hope Breakfast Bar, The Gnome Craft Pub and Salt & Flour.

The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office said Give Hope failed to file tax returns, didn’t keep proper financial records, failed to register with the state as a “soliciting charity,” didn’t have a treasurer, entered into transactions with the for-profit business Purpose Restaurants improperly, and its board of directors rarely met.

Brian Ingram, and his wife, Sarah Ingram, were two of the nonprofit’s three original board members. In agreeing to dissolve, the Ingrams didn’t admit wrongdoing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit “paid or reimbursed” Ingram’s for-profit restaurant group for goods or services, including “reimbursement for cost of preparing and providing meals to communities in need,” the attorney general alleges.

The Internal Revenue Service revoked Give Hope’s tax-exempt status in 2023 after it failed to file income tax returns for three consecutive years. In Minnesota, the Attorney General’s Office has civil enforcement authority over nonprofits.

“Minnesotans are a generous people, and we expect our charities to obey these rules, keep proper records, and work to help people who need it,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison in a statement. “Give Hope fell short of these obligations, leaving its assets vulnerable and preventing public and regulator transparency, so I’m ensuring they dissolve.”

Brian Ingram has not yet responded to an emailed request for comment.