Access Philanthropy

Mary Anne Welch

Funder Affinity Groups

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Funder Affinity Groups

Funder affinity groups are ongoing open-facing collaborations of grantmakers interested in a specific area of grantmaking (health, environment, K-12 education, for example). Inside Philanthropy explains Affinity Groups:

— A group or network of funders that come together around a shared interest.
— Circles where funders can interact, and often collaborate, to maximize impact.

There is a funder affinity group for about every community or issue imaginable.
Most affinity groups are hosted by a larger organization, such as the Minnesota Council of Foundations. We thought we would jump on the wagon and provide a couple links for affinity groups sponsored by the national Council of Foundations and Minnesota Council of Foundations:

— The National Council of Foundations affinity groups
— Minnesota Council of Foundations affinity groups

Implications for Grantseekers:

— As a prospecting resource, lists of affinity group foundation members are a good way to find out which funders are interested in K-12 funding or homelessness.
— Also as a prospecting tool, sometimes affinity groups will list the names of program officers who represent the foundation at the affinity group table. Good to know which program officers are serious about health issues.
— Often affinity groups will talk about upcoming conferences or webinars. It’s good to know what issues are in the forefront of climate change funders and what kind of language and terms funders are using.

Impact of Mega Grants on smaller nonprofits

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Most philanthropoids seem okay with the huge McKenzie Scott-size grants that foundations are putting out for good causes. But some foundation employees are side-barring concerns about the impact these grants are having on everyday grant programs.

Two Ford Foundation (low level) grant people point out the $420 million commitment the Foundation made for equity last month takes away $80 million/year from the grants budget.

These guys believe it won’t be the big annual grantees who will suffer from this decrease, but small, newer, less well-known groups, who will have an $80 million smaller chance to develop a relationship with Ford and other funders.

Hopefully, the mega-mega $400 million commitment will have a larger-than-life impact on equity, and this will overshadow and justify fewer grants to smaller, newer, community-led groups. It worked for health, libraries, and school lunches at the beginning of the 20th century. So, maybe.

A look at the funding shifts in Mental Health in MN

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Mental health has long been a neglected issue area among funders. The money designated for mental health usually went to hospitals. But, during the last decade, we have seen funders taking this area more seriously, and considering its issues independently of physical health issues.

Access Philanthropy took a look into the top funders and what they’re most interested in, in our new report: “Mental Health Funding Trends in Minnesota”. Link to the Report

Medica. Mount Sinai. G4GC. Bank of America. Otto Bremer. First Independence Bank

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“MEDICA FOUNDATION

A new online “flipping book”, for its Funding Opportunities Guide, is well-written, well-laid out, and has well-organized information including deadlines, contact people, and funding priority definitions. Four big areas: Behavioral Health, Early Childhood Health and Rural Health, and Strategic Initiatives. Each has its own deadline and processes.

MOUNT SINAI COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

MCSF’s mission is to improve health, enhance wellbeing, or otherwise advance medical care in the Jewish and larger communities, honoring the history and legacy of the Mount Sinai Hospital. Several giving circles and legacy funds are part of the Foundation, which operates from the Minneapolis Jewish Federation’s online grant portal. Grants of up to $10,000 in a two-tier system. LOI deadline is February 10th, and if invited, the final deadline is April 1st.

GRANTMAKERS FOR GIRLS OF COLOR

G4GC moved over $10 million to over 200 Girls of Color-led or -serving organizations across ALL 50 state, including MN. A relatively new organization, G4GC is a great example of how funders can really collaborate.

OTTO BREMER TRUST

After an end of year hiatus, the Bremer Trust case is back in court, with closing arguments scheduled for this week, but perhaps delayed until March. The Star Tribune has a recent update.

BANK OF AMERICA CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

BofA published its philanthropic strategy this week. Pretty much the same as last year, with a bit more detail. Because MSP is a larger market, grants to local groups may be in the $5,000 to $50,000 range. Check out the FAQ and Eligibility Criteria links on the RFP page:

— Economic Mobility focused on needs of inpiduals and families (workforce development & education and basic needs). Applications accepted 1/24/2022 – 2/18/2022
— Economic Mobility focused on needs of community (affordable housing, small business, neighborhood revitalization). Applications accepted: 5/30/2022 – 6/24/2022.

By the way, BofA now has more than 25 outlets across the Metro Area. While it doesn’t really help to have a local banker, connecting with a local BofA banker let’s BofA grantmakers know that you really want to be connected to the company.

FIRST INDEPENDENCE BANK

The 8th largest Black-owned bank in the US is opening a branch at 3430 University Avenue SE in Minneapolis. Based in Detroit, First Independence has received several awards and recognitions for its work with young professionals, small businesses, community development, community advisory boards, financial literacy, and CDFI work. Several Twin Cities banks, such as Wells Fargo and B of A are helping First Independence to settle in the Metro Area. Currently, the bank is stronger as a corporate sponsor than nonprofit grantmaker.

RELATED:

If you’ve followed APs on bank philanthropy, you know banks which want to expand their consumer outlets (branches and ATMs) also need to expand their local grantmaking visibility. So we should expect more social investments and grants from these banks:

— JPMorgan Chase (which just awarded $25M to MSP Center for Economic Inclusion) will be opening 25 new branches/outlets in 2022
— BMO Harris (aka Bank of Montreal) will also be adding 20 new branches and outlets
— Pittsburgh-based PNC bank has plans to open two bank branches in the Twin Cities – in Rosedale and Edina.
— Midwest One also has plans, but we haven’t heard concrete info.
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Small Rural Grantmakers

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“SMALL RURAL GRANTMAKERS

Philanthropy Daily recently published a piece about rural grantmakers with the punchline, “Quite frequently, it’s the rural funders with modest financial means that make the biggest on-the-ground impact.”

They identify five non-financial assets that small rural funders provide. They:

— Put issues on the table – giving voice to big issues and to those without voices
— Build local infrastructure – provide or purchased tech assistance for local NPOs
— Educate the community – supporting public education campaigns on big issues
— Leverage fundraising capacity – support preparation necessary for bigger grants
— Grow local voices – train and mentor residents to speak out.

We agree. Small rural funders are often the best examples of community-funder partnerships. Some of our favorites include Greater Mankato United Way, K.A.H.R Foundation, George Nielsen Foundation, Northfield Area Foundation, Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation, Red Wing Shoe Foundation, Jones Family Foundation, and of course, regional Initiative Funds, to mention a few.”

Gates Foundation. Minneapolis Foundation. Patrick and Aimee Butler. National Opportunities

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“Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation issued its first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Progress Report. Will such reports become a standard annual thing for major foundations? We hope so.

Minneapolis Foundation – has three news items on grants made or grants to come:

— Micro Grants Support Community Efforts to Promote Healing, Connection.
— $4.2 Million Awarded in Racial and Economic Justice Grants.
— Main Street Grants Will Support Small Business Recovery In Minneapolis.

Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation – another tried and true Metro area family foundation, the Butler Family Foundation continues to grow in financials and in wisdom. Although we aren’t crazy about the closed Invited Grants program, we understand this is a generations old family fund with its own family traditions. See the latest round of grants.

A Few Other National Opportunities:

— Levitt Foundation AMP Your City awards for live music in mid-sized towns.
— Ben & Jerry’s national Grassroots Organizing grant program– bigger than Vermont!
— Clif Family Foundation (Clif Bar) Operational Support grants for smaller groups – health, food, environment (no in-kind donations!)

US Agency for International Development recently announced plans to invest $50 million in global childcare infrastructure. USAID will invest $50 million in the World Bank’s Childcare Incentive Fund to expand global access to quality childcare and early learning programs.

People on the Move:
We welcome CEDRICK BAKER, the McKnight Foundation’s new Chief of Staff, who recently served as Chief of Staff for Saint Paul Public Schools. NA ENG, previously Communications Director at the McKnight Foundation, has been named new Chief Communications Officer at People for the American Way (PFAW).”

Otto Bremer. James R. Thorpe. Outdoor Heritage Council. Black Girl Freedom Fund.

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“Our Favorite Dysfunctional Financial Corporation – Our friends at Otto Bremer Trust are getting things together with the help of Ramsey County District Judge Robert Awsumb. Two big things:

— The judge removed trustee Brian Lipschultz from the OBT board of trustees. Read the Star Trib article here.
— The judge said the trustees could still move forward with the proposed sale of Bremer Bank, one of the things that started the relationship meltdown between the trustees and the bank official.

Lots of questions about the remaining trustees’ ongoing interest in selling the bank. But there’s no question that someone would be willing to pay big bucks for it, its presence in four states and its great relations with local (rural and urban) communities.

One of the top current bidders is Huntington Bank (the new TCF). Would Huntington keep up OBT’s community grants and outreach programs? They don’t have a history in their own banking practices, but maybe.

Meantime, the trust’s grantmaking operation remains remarkable, one of the best, if not the best, in Minnesota. April announcement of $7.3 million to 96 organizations.

James R. Thorpe Foundation, one of our favorite local funders, offers funding twice a year, once for youth and once for seniors. Youth requests are due June 15. Most grants are in the $6,000 to $12,000 range.

Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council  — This is the voter-approved State of Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Fund, one of four funds created by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. Deadline May 27, 2022.

G4GC’s Black Girl Freedom Fund (BGFF) is part of the Grantmakers for Girls of Color network. In only its second round of grants, BGFF awarded $4 million to 68 groups nationwide

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Private Virtues, Public Vices: Philanthropy and Democratic Equality.

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Philanthropy, Plutocracy, and Democracy
In his classic The Prince and other works, Niccolò Machiavelli frequently wrote that philanthropy had no real community value, especially in fostering democracy and empowerment. Five centuries later, it’s still a hot topic, one that Emma Saunders-Hastings revisits in her new book — Private Virtues, Public Vices: Philanthropy and Democratic Equality.
In a review for Candid, Kyoko Uchida writes that the book focuses on two objections to philanthropy with regard to democracy: “philanthropy can be an exercise of plutocratic power, and it can be objectionably paternalistic. Despite calls for reform, elite philanthropy continues to enjoy both social deference, which limits comparative evaluations of philanthropic donations, and institutional and legal deference, in the form of tax benefits, facilitation of foundation creation, weak oversight, and protection of donor intent.”