In 2025, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation made a thoughtful and strategic decision to increase its grantmaking beyond the amount indicated in its spending policy — a clear signal that the complexities facing communities in this moment require additional resources and support.

With an additional $3 million in funding, the Foundation awarded general operating support to 19 organizations doing critical work in our communities.

These unrestricted dollars were meant to give community partners the flexibility to meet rising community needs, respond to growing complexities and lead with vision.

“Our community partners are being stretched strategically, financially and operationally,” said Alfonso Wenker, Senior Vice President of Community Impact. “This wasn’t just a financial decision. It was a values decision. Our job is to be responsive stewards of community resources, and right now, that means doubling down on our mission and values by directing more resources.”

This urgency was echoed at every level of the Foundation. Through creative consideration and discussion, leadership and board members worked to align resources with rising needs, grounded in trust and shared values.

"In this time of increasing instability, we take seriously our role as a community foundation,” said President & CEO Chanda Smith Baker. “We are committed to doing what we can to support our partners as they work to maintain the consistency, dependability and continuity of the essential services they provide."