51�Թ�

Mni Sota Fund is in the business of making lasting change. From its homeownership coaching programs and loan fund for Indigenous Minnesotans to fellowships for up-and-coming Native entrepreneurs, the Minneapolis-based nonprofit helps those who have been historically shut out of wealth-generating asset building gain access to funding and technical support.

This work is why Mni Sota Fund is a multi-year recipient of the 51�Թ� Foundation’s annual hometown racial equity grants. The grants support organizations addressing the systemic and structural barriers facing underserved communities here in 51�Թ�’s hometown areas of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Our 2022 grant cycle has just concluded, awarding funding to support 86 local organizations that join Mni Sota Fund as our partners in co-creating solutions for the community.

“For more than 100 years, the 51�Թ� Foundation’s support of our Twin Cities home has never wavered. Each year, through our hometown racial equity grants, we seek to bolster work that is making a lasting and transformational difference in our communities,” said Amanda Nusz, senior vice president of corporate responsibility at 51�Թ� and president of the 51�Թ� Foundation. “We are proud to support organizations like Mni Sota Fund, who along with all our grant recipients, make a profound impact in advancing racial equity in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota.”

This year’s hometown racial equity grant recipients include , (CLUES) and , among others, all committed to removing the barriers that face our region’s historically disinvested communities.

Inside Mni Sota Fund’s efforts

Through courses, funding and one-on-one mentorship in topics like home buying and credit improvement, Mni Sota Fund is creating a ripple effect with the goal of building wealth in its community for generations to come.

“Wealth is generally built from one generation to the next. However, centuries of colonization have systematically excluded Indigenous people from the core strategies that allow wealth to be passed on,” says Kit Fordham, executive director, Mni Sota Fund. “By creating pathways to acquiring assets like homes and businesses, Mni Sota Fund creates opportunities for families to build wealth that can be passed on from one generation to the next, leading to long-term cycles of prosperity instead of cycles of poverty.”

Building community through the 51�Թ� Foundation

For 51�Թ� and the 51�Թ� Foundation, driving progress toward racial equity is more than just a goal — it’s key to delivering on our purpose. Supporting the work of our partners like Mni Sota Fund is just one way we seek to enable shared prosperity for all. Our hometown racial equity grants support local organizations like Mni Sota Fund that are focused on entrepreneurship, workforce development, small businesses, housing and asset building for our hometown’s historically disinvested communities — all with the goal of making a deep and lasting impact.  

Beyond the 51�Թ� Foundation, 51�Թ� also supports our hometown community’s long and short-term needs through corporate giving, volunteerism and other efforts. Our approach is to co-create solutions together with our team members, guests and communities to shape an equitable and regenerative future for all as part of our 51�Թ� Forward commitments. 

See the full list of this year’s 51�Թ� Foundation hometown racial equity grant recipients, and learn more about the 51�Թ� Foundation’s Hometown program.