Responding to Community

Recently, Rainbow Health, the largest provider of HIV+ care and other critical services to the LGBTQIA+ community in Minnesota, abruptly closed.

To ensure a smooth transition of care for the patients impacted, we allocated $170,000 to local agencies and organizations to continue providing them with support and HIV+ care.

Impact Across the State

In 2023 the Foundation was named one of three community foundations in partnership with the Taylor Family Farms Foundation responsible for distribution of revenue produced from $172 million worth of farmland donated by Glen Taylor to support organizations in southern Minnesota.

One of the first grants directed by the Foundation is to Winona Health to support the Winona Community HUB, which offers support to all experiencing food insecurity, housing insecurity, mental health challenges and more. With this grant, the HUB plans to hire a new community health worker to better support their growing senior population.

Fulfilling a Legacy

For years donors have entrusted the Foundation with their legacies. Thanks to the generosity of Steve Nordberg and Betsy McDonald we were able to make over $360,000 in grants to organizations in Minnesota dedicated to animal welfare.

These donations were made possible by the couple’s planned gift. In their will, they decided to donate part of their estate to the Foundation to establish the Nordberg McDonald Fund.

Addressing Community Needs Through Grantmaking

We know that a healthy democracy depends on engaged residents during both an election year and beyond. That is why the Foundation has awarded $500,000 through our various grantmaking programs to 14 nonpartisan organizations dedicated to democracy and civic engagement.

While these recent grants demonstrate our commitment to addressing immediate community needs, we are also looking toward the future. This includes making changes to our grantmaking process to ensure we support our community.

This year we are collaborating with a Community Council composed of community members, our board and the boards of Mardag Foundation and F. R. Bigelow Foundation. This redesign work will continue into 2025.

Honoring Anti-Racism Advocates

Lastly, we are excited to announce 2024 Facing Race Award recipients: Ma Elena Gutierrez, Tish Jones, Jametta Raspberry and Larry Tucker. These four individuals are working tirelessly in their dedicated fields combat racism in Minnesota. Be it by providing services to immigrants, education through the art of Hip-Hop, entrepreneurship and food or culturally focused counseling, they are doing the work to impact change.