Back

Learn why supporting nonprofits now is more crucial than ever.

Nonprofit institutions are vital to our country.

These organizations often provide services, goods and resources to the communities they serve, enriching the lives of the people around them. But in recent years, public trust in the sector has been on the decline.

Some of this decline may be attributed to the high-profile scandal at Feeding Our Future, where several people are currently on trial for misuse of funds. Stories like this unfortunately hurt all of us because when we see a decline in support of nonprofits, our communities do not receive vital services provided by the sector as support with housing, food, childcare and economic development – just to name a few areas.

“While donor caution is understandable,” said Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Services Jeremy Wells, “there are many ways to safeguard one’s giving while providing ongoing and necessary support to the nonprofit sector.”

Giving With Confidence

“We are in this work every single day,” said Jeremy. “Not only do we leverage our expertise to help people make the biggest impact possible with the causes they care about, but working with the Foundation also greatly reduces the chance of someone giving to fraudulent actors who might take advantage of someone’s generosity.”

Partnering with a community foundation like the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation allows donors to take the guess work out of giving. The Foundation offers our fundholders the following:

Deep knowledge about the nonprofit ecosystem: Through our grantmaking programs and other partnerships, such as providing nonprofit endowment funds, the Foundation has deep, long-standing relationships with organizations working across many issues.
Established due diligence processes: All grant applications are thoughtfully reviewed, and the Foundation has a standard due diligence process to validate the eligibility of any organization recommended for a grant.
Access to a philanthropic advisor: Fundholders have access to a dedicated philanthropic advisor, with whom they can explore any questions they have about a particular organization or issue.
Access to guidance about how to best research an organization: For those who prefer to do their own research on an organization, the Foundation can also support that effort. Here are some tips to look for when researching nonprofit organizations.

“ There are many ways to safeguard one’s giving while providing ongoing and necessary support to the nonprofit sector.”

Jeremy Wells, Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Services

If you are a current fundholder, your philanthropic advisor can make recommendations on how to align your giving with your goals. If you want to learn more about how a community foundation like the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation can support your giving, view our Donor Services.