The Minneapolis Foundation

10/09/2026

What a treat to see top-flight musicians perform “Flight of the Bumblebee” atop Orchestra Hall! The Minnesota Orchestra has now officially celebrated the new bee mural on its building.

Commissioned by Meet Minneapolis and selected through a competitive process managed by Forecast Public Art, artist Rock “CYFI” Martinez created this vibrant new piece as part of a project to welcome visitors to the Convention Center district.

We love seeing downtown Minneapolis take flight with creativity, music, and moments that bring people together.

10/08/2026

As you get ready to cast your ballot, remember that all Minnesotans have an important opportunity to vote YES for our students this fall.

Whether you vote early (you could do it today!) or on Nov. 3, you’ll be asked if the state should modernize the Minnesota Constitution to get more funding to public schools—at zero cost to taxpayers.

Since 1858, Minnesota has maintained a permanent fund dedicated to public schools—now valued at $2.3 billion. An outdated rule limits what schools can actually receive each year. Updating that rule would send additional funding to Minnesota schools every year.

With strong bipartisan support and no tax increase, this ballot question is an easy YES for our kids.

10/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Minnesota Meeting!

We are deeply moved by the testimony and stories shared today about what Minnesotans experienced during Operation Metro Surge, what our communities are still facing, and how our civic strength can shape what comes next.

From café owners and artists to neighbors who delivered groceries and gave children a safe ride to school, so many Minnesotans asked last winter and continue to ask today:

“What can I do? How can I help?”

That commitment is one of Minnesota’s greatest strengths.

So, too, are the many organizations that are part of our civic fabric, doing vital work in law, journalism, human services, community organizing, and more.

We were honored to hear from some of them today, including: The Advocates for Human Rights, Twin Cities Habeas Collective, Fe y Justicia, City of Minneapolis Government, Mortenson Foundation, Hooyo Hour, Gallup, the Star Tribune, The Somali Brief, Blue Engine Collaborative, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Mi CASA, Ayada Leads, COPAL MN, Groundwork Institute, ISAIAH, Minnesota Voice, MN8, TakeAction Minnesota, Tending the Soil, Native American Community Development Institute - NACDI, and Unidos MN.

And special thanks to the Kettering Foundation for sponsoring today’s conversation.

We hope you are all leaving with renewed energy for the challenges ahead, and a sense of what’s possible when we face them together.

We’re excited to share more from the event—stay tuned for highlights and additional content in the days ahead!

10/02/2026

What happens when corporate giving isn’t top-down, but truly powered by the team?

Protolabs shows what’s possible. This Maple Plain company has spent years building a culture of giving back, and we’re proud to partner with them to turn that commitment into action.

Their giving programs empower staff members to support the causes they care about—and their employee committee is a powerful example of the good that happens when people learn, engage, and make giving decisions together.

Kudos to the whole Protolabs team! We love working with the committee and are continually inspired by the care you bring to this work.

09/30/2026

Today marks the end of an era at the Minneapolis Foundation. Jeana Aubinger, our Accounting Manager and longest-tenured staff member, is retiring.

When she joined the Foundation in 1985, we were a team of nine working out of the Foshay Tower (on typewriters, y’all!). That year, we awarded $3 million in grants. In our 2024-2025 fiscal year, that figure had grown to $129 million.

All told, during Jeana’s time with us, the Foundation distributed more than $2 billion to strengthen communities in Minnesota and around the world. Jeana touched all of it. Her careful stewardship, problem-solving, and dedication have been an enormous part of our impact.

We’ll miss Jeana tremendously—but we know we’ve got this. For 41 years, she has helped shape the organization we are today, leaving behind strong systems and well-trained colleagues. As our CFO said today, when things get busy, “we are going to put our Jeana faces on.”

Thank you, Jeana, for 41 remarkable years of service. Congratulations on your retirement—and here’s to an exciting next chapter!

09/25/2026

When small businesses across Minnesota needed urgent support last winter, our community came together to respond.

Through the Economic Response Fund and Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund, we quickly distributed millions in flexible support to small businesses navigating an incredibly challenging time. Last week, Nasibu Sareva of the African Development Center, Stephanie March of Salt Cure, and other partners shared what it took to turn these resources into action.

The need hasn’t gone away, and neither has our commitment. We’ve been investing in economic mobility for years, and we’re continuing that work this year with $2.4 million in grants to 19 organizations helping small businesses recover, grow, and build long-term resilience.

We’re grateful to everyone who continues to show up and move this work forward. There’s more to do, and we’re in it together.

09/18/2026

A big thank you to The Minneapolis Foundation for continuing to invest in the small businesses that make Lake Street the most vibrant commercial corridor in Minneapolis! The Minneapolis Foundation is supporting the Taco Tour on Lake Street this year, and has been an important partner for our community over these challenging last few months. Thank you for all that you continue to do to build and support our community in Minneapolis!

Pictured is R.T. Rybak, President & CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation with Luis Martinez and the family behind, Marsu pizzeria+taqueria. Marsu Pizzeria + Taqueria (1509 E Lake St) is a participating business in the Taco Tour on Lake Street this Saturday, September 19th!

Learn more about the Taco Tour on Lake Street https://www.lakestreettacotour.com/

09/18/2026

09/17/2026

It was great to see so many of our fundholders and partners this week! Thanks to everyone who joined us for a morning of conversation about how we can work together to support small businesses and build a more inclusive regional economy.

The Minneapolis Foundation has a long history of investing in economic mobility, and the relationships we’ve built over the years helped us respond nimbly during Operation Metro Surge. What we learned last winter—and what our partners are telling us about the needs they’re seeing today—are shaping where we go next.

Special thanks to our speakers: Patricia Fitzgerald of Hennepin County Government, Sergio Manancero of La Doña Cervecería, Allison Sharkey of the Lake Street Mpls, Stephanie March of the Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund, and Nasibu Sareva of the African Development Center.

We’re grateful for the partnerships that make this work possible!

09/16/2026

We believe that communities thrive when everyone can participate fully in our democracy. Building on our longtime commitment to nurturing civic engagement, we recently awarded $825,000 in grants to 10 community organizations that are working to ensure all Minnesota voters have the information and support they need to cast their ballots this fall.

These grants support nonpartisan work that includes providing accurate, multilingual voter information; helping people understand their voting rights and options; strengthening election protection; and outreach to communities that have historically faced barriers to voting.

We're proud to partner with these community organizations!

Ayada Leads| COPAL MN Education Fund | Groundwork Institute | ISAIAH | Minnesota Voice | MN8 | Native American Community Development Institute - NACDI | TakeAction Minnesota | Tending the Soil | Unidos MN Education Fund