At McKnight and in the communities we support, we have a reason to celebrate today! The new Vibrant & Equitable Communities (V&EC) program announces its strategies and grantmaking guidelines, and the Midwest Climate & Energy (MC&E) program has updated its strategies to reflect its exciting next phase of work. We invite you to visit the …
The McKnight Foundation has selected visual artist Jim Denomie to receive the 2019 Distinguished Artist Award, a $50,000 gift created to honor a Minnesota artist who has made significant contributions to the state’s cultural life. Denomie, a member of the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe, combines vivid hues and disarming humor in powerful narrative …
We all want to leave behind for our children and grandchildren a safe, healthy, and vibrant Minnesota. Whether we live in a big city or a small town, we can ensure cleaner air and water if we work together with our neighbors, business owners, and government leaders to demand a transition to an equitable clean …
The Initiative Foundation in Little Falls serves a diverse landscape in Central Minnesota. Its focus is the economy, community and philanthropy of the 14-county region with an emphasis on economic development, community collaborations, early childhood initiatives and the preservation and celebration of Central Minnesota’s assets and natural resources. Over the next 10 years, Central Minnesota’s …
Farming is in Geoffrey and Leann Johnson’s blood. Leann grew up a farm girl near Mountain Lake, in southwestern Minnesota. For 34 years, she and Geof have made their home on his family farm near Windom. They’re active in the community with things like the local theater, township board, FFA, and they give to the …
Jumping up and down with squeals of delight, a group of small children watched wide-eyed as a fire engine pulled up in front of their child care provider’s home. Fortunately, the responders were not there for an emergency but for a special outreach to meet providers in Grant County in west central Minnesota and distribute …
There are changes happening in the electric system that touch everything from what we drive to how we use, manage, and source our energy. These changes impact our daily life and have major implications for the health of our communities, economy, and environment. To keep pace with the evolving system — and to plan for …
EMERGE helps youth and young adults who are facing significant obstacles to finding work, housing, and financial stability. With a special expertise in serving ex-offenders, at-risk youth, and homeless parents and their families, EMERGE’s staff and AmeriCorps service members serve more than 3,000 low-income people every year. One example of a life that has been …
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 …
Below is Vice President of Program Neal Cuthbert’s foreword from the McKnight-commissioned Small Towns, Big Ideas: Reimagining Southeast Minnesota, an essay by Jay Walljasper that explores innovative examples of economic resilience in Southeast Minnesota that could serve as models for the entire Midwest. Jay Walljasper’s Small Towns, Big Ideas: Reimagining Southeast Minnesota was commissioned by The …