July 30, 2012 In 2012, The McKnight Foundation’s board of directors and staff developed a strategic framework to guide our work during the upcoming three years. Rather than a traditional “strategic plan” that might detail specific activities to be pursued over a specified time frame, this framework offers a sense of how we will approach …
Transportation, in particular daily commuting, produces nearly 30 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Scoop seeks to disrupt long, solitary commutes by providing custom, flexible carpool options for workers. Investment $2.5 million direct equity investment; originated in 2019. Exited 2022 (failure due to Covid-19 impacts). Rationale The Scoop app replaces clunky …
Sharing Vibrant & Equitable Communities program efforts to build trust, learn with and from community, and be accountable to those we aim to serve.
Community Focus Areas In September 2019, the McKnight Foundation announced a new community-focused program to advance equity and inclusion in Minnesota. The goal: Build a vibrant future for all Minnesotans with shared power, prosperity, and participation. To build this vibrant future, this new program will honor and build upon what we’ve learned from the work we’ve supported …
Muneer Karcher-Ramos joined McKnight in March 2024 as Vibrant & Equitable Communities (Communities) program director. The Communities program works to advance a vibrant future for all Minnesotans with shared power, prosperity, and participation. Muneer brings more than 15 years of experience working in and with communities to create greater opportunity for many residents in our …
Instead of investing in traditional “real assets” like commercial real estate and oil wells, Vision Ridge sees opportunity in new kinds of assets such as the largest public network of electric vehicle charging stations, EVgo. Its vision is to “unleash capital markets to solve our generation’s greatest challenges.” Investment Sustainable Asset Funds II: $7.5 million; …
At the end of October 2019, the McKnight Foundation engaged Frontline as the firm launched a multifaceted and multilevel input-gathering process designed to shape and inform the Foundation’s new Vibrant & Equitable Communities program. The primary goal was to identify powerful and relevant strategies that could guide three initial exploratory focus areas: economic mobility, equitable …
Surdna Foundation’s new report on the results of their investigation of impact investing. Using their own experience as a case study and guide, the report focuses on how to organize a generative process to learn about and discuss aligning investments with mission.
A collection of case studies based on 10 years of research in Malawi, produced by the McKnight Collaborative Crop Research Program’s Southern Africa community of practice.
Beyene Gessesse joined McKnight in November 2021 as a program officer for the Global Collaboration for Resilient Food Systems. He works at the cutting edge of agroecological solutions—contributing to a global portfolio of research projects and investments that create equitable and sustainable options for smallholder farmers and food systems. Beyene brings more than 10 years …