Who We've Funded

Saint Paul, MN — This Ecosystem Grant provides general operating support for Tiwahe Foundation to help advance its charitable mission

Belcourt, ND — To promote high quality research relevant to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians that will advance the tribe's problem solving capacity and economic development, and uphold its positive images

Belcourt, ND — To be a leader and learner as a member of Community Creativity Cohort 2, a 3-year participant-led capacity building effort to support organizations led by and serving people of color and Indigenous people, rural communities, and smaller cities and towns

Minneapolis, MN — This Ecosystem Grant provides general operating support for Twin Cities Media Alliance to help advance its charitable mission

St. Paul, MN — Underwriting to support news and programming produced in 2019

Bismarck, ND — Sponsorship of United Tribes Technical College Tribal Leaders Summit

Tucson, AZ — This Ecosystem Grant provides general operating support for the University of Arizona's Native Nations Institute to help advance its charitable mission in MN, ND, SD and the 23 Native Nations that share the same geography

Minneapolis, MN — State and Local Government Innovation Awards 2018

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of Food Ag Ideas Week

Notre Dame, IN — The University of Notre Dame will support six private K-12 schools in the Bush Foundation region in support of their transformation toward individualized learning models

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of the 'Changing Landscape of Disability Services: Creative Problem-Solving Think Tank' series of arts-based trainings for disability service providers

San Francisco, CA — An impact investment to support social businesses in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share that geography

Saint Paul, MN — To create the Venn Foundation Program-Related Investment Fund (a donor advised fund) to start and grow businesses that are intentionally solving social problems in the region ($250,000) and for general operating funds for underwriting work ($75,000)

Saint Paul, MN — To advance healing among the Dakota people harmed by disconnection from their spiritual homeland at Wakan Tipi, and to increase the number of neighbors of color who use St. Paul’s Swede Hollow Park

Duluth, MN — Underwriting to support news and programming produced in 2019

Austin, MN — To be a leader and learner as a member of Community Creativity Cohort 2, a 3-year participant-led capacity building effort to support organizations led by and serving people of color and Indigenous people, rural communities, and smaller cities and towns

Callaway, MN — To be a leader and learner as a member of Community Creativity Cohort 2, a 3-year participant-led capacity building effort to support organizations led by and serving people of color and Indigenous people, rural communities, and smaller cities and towns

White Earth, MN — To be a leader and learner as a member of Community Creativity Cohort 2, a 3-year participant-led capacity building effort to support organizations led by and serving people of color and Indigenous people, rural communities, and smaller cities and towns

Minneapolis, MN — Wildflower Schools will support the continued development and buildout of its storefront K-12 Montessori schools in the Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN — Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota (YWI MN)

Saint Paul, MN — To support a strategic evaluation, in partnership with the Minnesota Women’s Foundation

Minneapolis, MN — To collaboratively design the K-12 Standards of Inclusion for Somali Parents and Youth to equip K-12 educators with the context necessary to mitigate the challenges of Somali student learning and parent participation in the school system

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of EPIP + YNPN Leadership Institute (EYLI)

Minneapolis, MN — To remove barriers that prevent low-income families from accessing the Minnesota K-12 Education Tax Credit

Mankato, MN — Sponsorship of the 2018 Women's Leadership Conference

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of the YWCA Minneapolis Racial Justice Community Events: It’s Time to Talk - Forums on Race, and the inaugural It’s Time to Act series

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of EDTalks: Not Your Typical Education Conversation

Minneapolis, MN — Recognition for leadership, time and commitment to learning and spreading best practices on individualized learning

Atlanta, GA — To partner with Community Health Centers and other community stakeholders to improve access to colorectal cancer screening in North Dakota and South Dakota

Minneapolis, MN — American Indian Cultural Leadership Day

Saint Paul, MN — To act as a “dashboard and data analysis partner” for the evaluation of the Community Innovation programs

Minneapolis, MN — In recognition of winning the 2017 Bush Prize for Community Innovation, this grant will advance the organization's charitable mission

Duluth, MN — In recognition of Arrowhead Region's Telehealth Initiative project (Local Government Innovation Award winner--County category)

Duluth, MN — Sponsorship of the Iron Range Cool and Creative Get Together 2018

Minneapolis, MN — Art Shanty Projects On-Ice Program

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of ArtsLab: Prairie States Peer Learning Retreat

Minneapolis, MN — Support production of space for cultural production and presentation

For 2017 annual membership dues

Saint Paul, MN — The METRO Green Line light rail line connects downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul. When it opened in 2014, it brought many benefits for neighborhoods along the line, as well as new challenges. Despite new construction, barriers to stable and affordable housing in the Frogtown Rondo neighborhoods remain. The Frogtown-Rondo Action Network (FRAN) will bring together residents from these neighborhoods, along with district councils and other advocates, to begin a dialogue about ways to break through barriers to accessible, affordable housing for residents. At the same time, FRAN will train and guide local leaders on ways to engage their fellow residents, share what they’re learning with key community stakeholders and create a housing action plan that can be implemented in 2018.

Saint Paul, MN — This grant is to acknowledge this institution's participation in building a community of practice among K-12 institutions practicing individualized learning

Rapid City, SD — Black Hills Knowledge Network/South Dakota Dashboard to provide a common foundation of data and indicators to help community members identify, understand and act on issues that affect South Dakota communities

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of Twin Cities Startup Week

Brooklyn Center, MN — Support for the first Big Picture Learning Twin Cities to maintain coaching and development support from Big Picture Learning Network

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of Muster

Minneapolis, MN — Studies show that high quality out-of-school-time programs really make a difference in the lives of young people. However, young people of color and from families with lower income access these programs at lower rates. Urban Arts Academy is creating “Agents of Change”: a highly collaborative, sustainable youth program model fueled by youth-driven engagement. The 20 organizations in the Agents of Change collaborative believe that they will better serve youth and families in the Bancroft, Bryant Central and Powderhorn neighborhoods of Minneapolis if they truly listen to youth and work together.

Indianapolis, IN — To support a scholarship program for 50 participants from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to attend the 2017 MCON Conference June 5-6, 2017, in Washington, DC

Roseville, MN — Sponsorship of FORUM 2019

Saint Paul, MN — Sponsorship of the Overcoming Racism event, Leadership Institute and community events

Eagle Butte, SD — Red Can Graffiti Jam 2018

Saint Paul, MN — By 2030 more than 1 in 5 million Minnesotans will be over the age of 65. A significant portion of them will be people without traditional family support, or “solos” – those who are aging alone. The Citizens League, Minnesota Elder Justice Center and two “solos” have joined forces to address this critical issue. Together, they will form a taskforce to explore the existing resources and policies relevant to solo health care decisions, identify core elements of a “Backup Plan” for solos to assure personal health and wellbeing, and create a recommendation plan for future work to implement solutions.

Eden Prairie, MN — In recognition of the Innovation in Water Resource Management-Vacuum Dredge Box for Sediment Removal project (Local Government Innovation Award winner - City category)

Williston, ND — Affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues in Western North Dakota. The influx of people arriving in Western North Dakota in search of jobs in the oil fields created an unprecedented demand on service providers. Williston, a community at the center of this rapid growth, experienced extraordinary burdens on services. In response, six churches in Williston, together with Community Action Partnership, Job Service ND, Veterans Administration, ND Veterans Department and the Williston Basin Resource Coalition, will collaborate on an effort to better understand and respond to this issue in their community and surrounding rural areas. Together, they will collect data about the homeless population in the area, present findings to community stakeholders, develop a plan to address the issue and test some of their ideas.

Pelican Rapids, MN — In recognition of the Cormorant Township and the Cormorant Community Center project (Local Government Innovation Award winner - Township category)

Minneapolis, MN — To provide legal counsel to immigrants and refugees in Minnesota

Bismarck, ND — Sponsorship of Women's Leadership Program Trainings

Fargo, ND — Technical Assistance funds to advance Information Technology services and sustain distribution of resources and trainings to community partners

Renner, SD — Sponsorship of RuralX 2017

Manning, ND — In recognition of winning a 2017 Bush Prize for Community Innovation, this grant will support the collaborative effort to mobilize 19 western North Dakota counties toward a resilient and prosperous quality of life for all residents

Chaska, MN — Sponsorship of Eastern Carver County Schools Personalized Learning Summit

Minneapolis, MN — Recognition for leadership, time and commitment to learning and spreading best practices on individualized learning

Minneaoplis, MN — Recognition for leadership, time and commitment to learning and spreading best practices on individualized learning

New York, NY — Sponsorship of E4E Annual Summit: I Teach Love

Fargo ND, ND — Sponsorship of TEDxFargo

Brookings, SD — Sponsorship of the Innovation Expo

Fargo, ND — In recognition of winning a 2017 Bush Prize for Community Innovation, this grant will advance the organization's charitable mission

Farmington, MN — This grant is to acknowledge this institution's participation in building a community of practice among K-12 institutions practicing individualized learning

Minneapolis, MN — This is a program-related investment with a ten-year loan period; it is intended to support the start-up activities of a social business innovation lab, currently named the FINNovation Lab, to be housed in a full-block new development in Minneapolis

Rapid City, SD — Build the capacity of Indigenous artists and culture bearers

Saint Paul, MN — To make progress on tenant and landlord energy issues through community conversations, communication strategies, collaboration, toolkit/policy implementation and sharing lessons learned

Sioux Falls, SD — Sponsorship of OTA Documentary / Potluck Society Screening Series

Edina, MN — For GiveMN.org general operating support and for additional prize grants for Give to the Max Day 2017

Portland, OR — For Grantmakers for Education arts education steering group support

Washington, DC — Support GEO as Leadership Circle member

Minneapolis, MN — Recognition for leadership, time and commitment to learning and spreading best practices on individualized learning

Rapid City, SD — General operating support for the Nation building work of Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association

Saint Paul, MN — A multi-partner collaborative project to assess the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Minneapolis-St. Paul region and identify the most critical opportunities to improve it

Minneapolis, MN — Recognition for Generation Next's leadership, time and commitment to learning and spreading best practices on individualized learning

Minneapolis, MN — Sponsorship of the Immigrant Youth Summit: Working Across Cultures

Minneapolis, MN — bushCONNECT 2018 venue, planning assistance, technical support, catering, front-of-house services and multiple programming workshops

Saint Paul, MN — Sponsorship of HACER's 30th anniversary conference, 30 Years of Latinos in Minnesota and the Midwest