A look at the funding shifts in Mental Health in MNSeptember 2021
Mental health has long been a neglected issue area among funders. The money designated for mental health usually went to hospitals. But, during the last decade, we have seen funders taking this area more seriously, and considering its issues independently…Read Story
New Faces at APAugust 2021
We’re very excited that Ted Olson is joining us as a Senior Advisor. You’re going to love this guy. THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF EXPERIENCE and more ideas and energy than anyone on the team. He’s great. Zachary Wronski is our newest Philanthropy Researcher. A Minnesota transplant to…Read Story
The Mackenzie DeskAugust 2021
“A Bloomberg News survey accounting of $4.3 billion in 375 grants to nonprofits reveals for the first time how the philanthropist (Mackenzie Scott) is directing her charitable might.” Mackenzie Scott, Melinda French Gates (and other funders) launched the Equality Can’t Wait Challenge, which…Read Story
New Here? (the jobs are out there)August 2021
The politically conservative Philanthropy Daily has a fundraising newsletter and has interesting advice for new Major Gifts Officers When you start making calls to donors and prospects, mention you’re new here Use your inexperience as an opportunity to re-cultivate current donors Ask your…Read Story
Foundation News and UpdatesAugust 2021
Judy Dayton, the grand dame of arts philanthropy in Minnesota, the last of the Great Generation of Daytons, the former governor’s aunt, and a genuinely nice lady died. Her obit. James Hormel, heir to the Hormel fortune, the first openly gay U.S.…Read Story
Crowdfunding and the MassesAugust 2021
Turns out maybe crowdfunding isn’t the ultimate in fundraising equity. In fact, NPQ did a story on the inequalities of crowdfunding. AP’s Laura Wilson ([email protected]) gave us a summary: “Nora Kenworthy, an associate professor at the University of Washington Bothell, analyzed 175,000 GoFundMe…Read Story
The Fundraiser’s ToolboxAugust 2021
Giving Tuesday is only three months away – November 30th. If you’re planning on doing anything for this or related giving days, maybe you should start now. Nonprofit Tech for Good is offering a free online seminar on “Why & How to Plan…Read Story
Coming Next Month: Mental Health Funding in MinnesotaAugust 2021
Next month, look for AP’s four-page report on the status of mental health funding in Minnesota, including top funders, recipients, causes; geographic breakdown, and mini-profiles of top fundersRead Story
UpdatesAugust 2021
After the murder of George Floyd, Corporate America jumped on confronting systemic racism bandwagon, Collectively, the 50 biggest corporations pledged $49.5 billion. Of that amount about $4.2 billion was awarded in grants/donations.What happened to the $4.5 billion? The Washington Postjust did…Read Story
SPONSORSHIPS – ARE THEY STILL A THING? You betcha!July 2021
Corporate sponsorships are back. Well, they never left; in Minnesota, most major corporations still have some form of sponsorship program. But, now, corporations are using sponsorships for several creative purposes with several types of organizations. Our research team of Laura…Read Story
MINNESOTA FUNDING SHORT TAKESJuly 2021
SUCH GOOD NEWS: THE SAUER FAMILY FOUNDATION It couldn’t happen to a nicer family foundation. The St Paul based Sauer Family Foundation has more than tripled its assets from $28 million to $100 million. Truly, one of the best family funds in the U.S.,…Read Story
SPEAKING OF MEGA-MEGA GRANTS …July 2021
Most philanthropoids seem okay with the huge McKenzie Scott-size grants that foundations are putting out for good causes. But some foundation employees are side-barring concerns about the impact these grants are having on everyday grant programs. Two Ford Foundation (low level) grant people…Read Story
SURVEY SAYS…July 2021
Lots of new surveys about giving and asking this month. Some of the big deals: Annie E. Casey Foundation’s annual Kids Count Data Book is out. By far, the best and most authoritative guide to child welfare data – state by state —…Read Story
6.21 Fluff Free News DigestJune 2021
June, 2021 THE CARTS ARE BACK! Restaurants, grocery stores, bodegas, discount stores, and lots of other retail stores are reopening now that most folks have been vaccinated (although vaccinations numbers in BIPOC and rural communities are dreadfully below…Read Story
The Equitable Evaluation FrameworkJune 2021
Insights for Grantseekers… when funders place equity at the center of their giving The Equitable Evaluation Initiative group recently published a paper in partnership with Grantmakers for Effective Organizations entitled The Equitable Evaluation Framework. While it’s a little on the…Read Story
THE CARTS ARE BACK!June 2021
Restaurants, grocery stores, bodegas, discount stores, and lots of other retail stores are reopening now that most folks have been vaccinated (although vaccination numbers in BIPOC and rural communities are dreadfully below those in White urban communities). In honor of…Read Story
THIS YEAR’S PHILANTHROPY CELEBRITIES: EVALUATING BMGFJune 2021
The personal changes in the Gates family have prompted a lot of analyses of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). There’s lots of speculation about changes in governance, spin-offs, and the endowment. Most of all, there’s been new scrutiny of the…Read Story
GRANTMAKER JOBSJune 2021
Please note, these are not paid job advertisements. We believe Minnesota will be better served if Minnesotans are hired by national foundations. Stuff about local funders is just interesting. Bush Foundation is looking for a Native Nations Program Officer Overdeck Family Foundation…Read Story
FIVE SILLY GRANTSEEKING MISTAKESJune 2021
Philanthropy Daily newsletter and blog are published by American Philanthropic, a conservative-leaning philanthropy research and consulting group. Lots of good content. With support from funders and fundraisers, they’ve put together their favorite Five Silly Grantmaking Mistakes: Missed deadlines Proposals lacking…Read Story
MID-LEVEL DONORSJune 2021
Guess who is also back? Mid-level donors. In fact, they never really left. We just sort of stopped asking for gifts from folks who make personal gifts between $1,000 and $5,000. But the pandemic shifted fundraising methods and targets. According…Read Story
MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION’S RETURN TO THE OLD WAYS – MICRO & SAFETY GRANTSJune 2021
In the old days (pre-Gates), community foundations were often the nonprofit incubators in their neighborhoods, supporting the most creative and sometimes riskiest new things to come along. In the Jim Shannon and Tom Beech days of the Minneapolis Foundation, the…Read Story
5.21 Fluff Free News DigestMay 2021
May, 2021 Has it been one year already?! So nice to see some of those lovely plywood window treatments begin to disappear. Hopefully, the funders’ commitments to justice and accountability won’t get stored in the garage alongside the plywood. …Read Story
Otto Bremer Trust ChangesMay 2021
May 21, 2021 Below is a message from the Otto Bremer Trust that I received today and wanted to share with you: We are pleased to announce that our new application process is now live.…Read Story
Workshop looks into fastest-growing segment of institutional philanthropyApril 2021
Our annual Small Family Foundations Workshop drew 130 nonprofit professionals to the virtual live/online event in early April. Access Philanthropy, again, partnered with MN Council of Nonprofits to talk about foundations that give less than $1M annually. AP President Steve…Read Story
3.21 Fluff Free News DigestMarch 2021
Good March to you and yours! We’ve had a couple of really warm days already so far, so we, the overly optimistic Minnesotans are ready to put away shovels and bring out lawn furniture. One of our AP team drove…Read Story