Minneapolis Foundation

TURNING PASSION INTO ACTION… SINCE 1915

One of the first community foundations in the world, The Minneapolis Foundation brings together people, ideas, and resources to improve lives, locally and globally. It’s a 100-year-old tradition — and we have big plans for the future.

The Foundation sparks positive change in the community in three ways:

• We administer more than 1,200 charitable funds that enable individuals, families, and businesses to support causes they are passionate about.
• We invest our unrestricted grantmaking resources in programs and initiatives that are aligned with our vision — a greater Minneapolis that is vibrant, inclusive, and positioned to thrive locally and compete globally.
• We research, convene, advocate, and help shape public policy around issues critical to the current and future vitality of our community. Last year, the Foundation and our donors invested nearly $60 million in programs and services that change lives and strengthen community.

What We Do:

SUPPORT THE DREAMS OF GENEROUS MINNESOTANS

The Minneapolis Foundation helps donors turn their passion into action. We manage charitable assets using investment strategies that are tailored to our donors’ financial needs, philanthropic priorities, and passionate interests. Our expertise in philanthropic planning and in-depth knowledge of community issues and nonprofits helps make our donors’ giving go further. Each year, our donors support more than 1,000 different causes and charities in Minneapolis and beyond. Learn more about our first-class donor services.

PURSUE A VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY

We are working to build OneMinneapolis: A thriving community where racial, social, and economic equity is a reality for everyone who lives here. Each year, using funds that have been entrusted to the Foundation over the past century, we distribute $5 million to $7 million in Community Impact grants to spark transformational change in three strategic areas: education, civic engagement, and economic vitality.

We seek to reduce the need for social services by transforming systems and policies to empower more residents to be self-sufficient. By advancing proven strategies to improve public education and workforce development, we can enable families to interrupt cycles of intergenerational poverty. By eliminating barriers to voting, we can help more people speak up on issues that directly affect their lives. We believe that creating change at the systems level—rather than supporting programs that serve individuals—is a powerful way to make a lasting impact.