by Joel Luedtke, Senior Program Officer Reports.  Articles.  Briefs.  White Papers.  These and their ilk accumulate in the email in-boxes and on the desks of Foundation staff.  When we find…

By Joel Luedtke, Senior Program Officer Some of you know that the Foundation is in the process of substantially shifting its funding priorities.  On one level, this is not particularly…

by Elizabeth Coco and Patrick Troska Months ago we engaged a local consulting group to lead us in a Human Centered Design process.  This required us to commit to listen…

by Daniel Gerdes, Program Associate, The Pohlad Family Foundation To be quite frank, I had no idea what I was in for when I accepted my VISTA position with the…

This blog is next in a series of blogs that aim to share with its readers a bit about our journey as the Foundation engages in a human-centered design process…

by E. Coco, VISTA Program Manager In 2011, the Foundation embarked on a new and exciting journey in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).  We launched…

By Patrick Troska, Executive Director Strategic planning is often not a linear process. You believe you’re headed down one path, and then new information or a line of inquiry unexpectedly…

Setting the Scene The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota recently awarded a grant to the Northside Funders Group (NFG), chiefly to support its new North@Work Initiative. Joel…

BY REVEREND JERAD MOREY, THE MINNESOTA COUNCIL OF CHURCHES The Foundation began funding Respectful Conversations at The Minnesota Council of Churches in 2012 as a way to engage congregations of…

By Patrick Troska, Executive Director When people ask me how my 3-month sabbatical was, the answer is more complicated than the one I usually give. Time doesn’t generally allow for…