Sarah Berger (formerly Sarah Lovan) joined McKnight in 2005 and has been a program officer since 2012 for the Foundation’s Arts & Culture program, which works to catalyze the creativity, power, and leadership of Minnesota’s working artists and culture bearers. As of 2022, she will spend her time with both the Arts & Culture program and the McKnight Family.
During her tenure, Sarah has worked with the 11 Regional Arts Councils across the state, shepherded the Distinguished Artist Award panel process, and participated in field-building initiatives throughout Minnesota as well as nationally. She is dedicated to equitable grantmaking practices and is deeply interested in decreasing barriers to funding.
Sarah believes in the power of local communities to guide the way we understand and interact with the world. She is a member of the Racial Equity Funders Collaborative in Minnesota and serves as a local and national advocate for increasing equity and justice in philanthropy. Since 2019 she has served on the Propel Nonprofits fiscal sponsorship and loan committee. Additionally, she has been a class instructor at the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. The Center for Effective Philanthropy featured Sarah in its grantee perception report as a highly rated program officer in the space of effective communication and respect for grantees.
Prior to McKnight, Sarah worked in development at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She received a BA in cultural studies and comparative literature with an emphasis in music from the University of Minnesota and is a graduate of the Mini MBA program at the University of St. Thomas.
