The Sauer Family Foundation invests in strengthening the well-being of children so they thrive in their families and communities in Minnesota. After the events at George Floyd Square unfolded not far from our office and home, we decided there was no better time to bring a larger influx of our resources to bear for children... Read More
Working collaboratively in philanthropy is a powerful tool for funders. Philanthropic collaboration can enhance organizational capacity, keeping lone organizations strong and sustainable over time. Moreover, in a sector where organizations often duplicate services, collaboration can streamline efforts and produce better results. Here are some ways funders are supporting nonprofit collaboration, as well as collaborating with... Read More
Over the past few years throughout the social sector, we’ve witnessed an unprecedented number of what many have termed, transformational gifts. These contributions span widely. Depending on the size of the recipient organization, they range from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars across a broad range of institutions and issues. However, their... Read More
The Outsized Impact Award honors an individual at an Exponent Philanthropy member organization whose style of philanthropy is achieving outsized (or greater than expected) impact. Read this year’s finalists’ inspiring stories. Danyelle O’HaraMortenson Family Foundation (Minneapolis, Minnesota) As the community relationship officer at the Mortenson Family Foundation, Danyelle O’Hara is centering community in the foundation’s decision-making. Danyelle and the... Read More
A little over 30 years ago, Pro Football Hall of Famer and venture capitalist investor Ronnie Lott and his wife Karen founded All Stars Helping Kids. Ronnie modeled his philanthropic efforts on the lessons he learned playing football and investing in technology starts-up. Much like how venture capitalists invest in startups, All Stars invests in... Read More
A leadership succession plan is an essential source of guidance, and a commitment to organizational stability, when foundation transitions occur. Specifically, this written document identifies a course of action for when key leaders depart, whether planned or unplanned, permanent or temporary. To illustrate, consider what happened to one of our members: “Our foundation had succession... Read More