The Minneapolis Climate Action and Racial Equity Fund wrapped up its first year by awarding $65,000 in grants to three local organizations that are doing innovative work to take action on climate change. The new charitable fund, a partnership between the City of Minneapolis, The Minneapolis Foundation, and the McKnight Foundation, today announced its second round of grants. …
Native Sun Community Power Development is among groups driving a new path toward Tribal sovereignty, an Indigenous-led energy revolution powering justice and jobs by deploying solar and electric vehicles across the Upper Midwest.
2020 will likely always be remembered as the year that unleashed unprecedented disruption in our home state and across the globe. In the face of a raging pandemic, a painful racial reckoning, and a contentious US election cycle, we thank all who met this moment with hope and courage. Here are some highlights from a …
It’s been two years since Mr. George Floyd was murdered. Like so many Black Americans throughout history, he came to Minnesota for opportunity. Yet instead of realizing the American Dream, what unfolded was a nightmare. What happened to Mr. Floyd is not an anomaly. His story depicts the insidious nature of racism—how it shows up …
November 1, 2016 – The McKnight Foundation names Kara Carlisle as vice president of programs.
When two-year-old Sambath “Sam” Ouk and his family escaped the killing fields of Cambodia and arrived in Rochester, Minnesota, in the early 1980s, they became part of the first large wave of Southeast Asian refugees to resettle in the state. During his early years in Minnesota, Ouk struggled to figure out where he fit in …
In September 2020, McKnight launched its new Vibrant & Equitable Communities (V&EC) program, which seeks to build a vibrant future for all Minnesotans with shared power, prosperity, and participation. The program encompasses four strategies: accelerate economic mobility, build community wealth, cultivate a fair and just housing system, and strengthen democratic participation. We developed these strategies …
At the McKnight Foundation, we envision a Minnesota where all residents have a voice in determining our shared future. As part of our goal to build a vibrant future for everyone, we are working with our partners to strengthen democratic participation statewide—building people power, engaging diverse communities, and nurturing movements that advance justice and equity. …
With our hearts full of gratitude for her service, we share the news that Kate Wolford, president of the McKnight Foundation, stepped down from McKnight in November. “We are incredibly grateful to Kate for her service to the McKnight Foundation,” said Debby Landesman, McKnight’s board chair. “We celebrate her many accomplishments and graceful leadership, and …
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report confirms what communities around the globe, including here in the Midwest, have known for decades: climate change is affecting the lives of billions of people around the world—creating dangerous disruptions that hit under-resourced communities hardest. Too often, these same communities are left out of conversations about …