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2025 MCF Annual Conference

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 - Thursday, February 20, 2025
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Breakouts

The breakout information listed below is subject to change.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

10:00 - 11:15 am | Breakouts I

Minnesota Community News Landscape: Emerging Forms of Local News to Support Diverse Communities and Philanthropy’s Role
Eric Ortiz, Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation, The Pivot Fund; Georgia Fort, President, BLCK Press; Yengyee Lor, Host, Uncover More Good, 3HmongTV; David Pierini, Editor, North News; Ahmed Abdi, KZYS Station Manager, Project Optimist & St. Cloud Somali Community Radio; Kenzie O’Keefe, Executive Director, ThreeSixty Journalism | Harvest Room B/C
Minnesota’s population is growing increasingly diverse, and population growth is driven by Black, Indigenous, Latino, Asian, and Pacific Islander communities. Despite this, there exists a coverage gap by traditional media to serve these communities. The Pivot Fund recently conducted a statewide assessment to understand how and where these communities are accessing news and information. During this session we will discuss findings to understand how Minnesota’s news and media landscape is adapting to the state’s changing demographics. We will be joined by a panel of  local news leaders who will share their experiences meeting community information needs. We will close with a discussion on how philanthropy can support a more equitable local media ecosystem.

Let’s Step Into Radically Open Philanthropy
Jen Ford Reedy, President, Bush Foundation and Bush Foundation colleagues | Tack Room
The Bush Foundation aims to be a "radically open" funder in all that we do. We're eager to share what this all means and what we're learning as we figure it all out. Some things you'll hear about include: 1) establishing a “contact hub” for anyone to connect with us directly to discuss a potential grant or fellowship opportunity, 2) moving all our funding opportunities to open-application processes, and 3) creating a performance scorecard to help us become more transparent in sharing the results of our work and how we hope to improve. After exploring examples, we’ll reflect and discuss steps we can take individually and across philanthropy to be more radically open. Anyone interested in learning with us about how to become more accessible and open is encouraged to join.

Overcoming Psychological Barriers to Giving
Joseph Brooks, Managing Director, Arabella Advisors; Flor Treviño Frey, President, Frey Foundation of Minnesota; Bill Graves, President, John and Denise Graves Foundation; Bill Ringham, Director of Private Wealth Strategies, RBC Wealth Management | Captain’s Room | Sponsored by Winnebago Industries
Join this conversation as we unpack timely national research on the top psychological barriers donors face in advancing their philanthropy and finding greater impact. A recent report from the National Center for Family Philanthropy, Arabella Advisors, ideas42, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation summarizes findings from over 75 interviews with donors, including leading philanthropic families and their advisors, and leverages principles from psychology and behavioral economics to both name the barriers to giving and offer effective and actionable strategies to overcome those barriers. Together we will explore highlights from the report, including such things as shifting mindsets from spending to investing, overcoming complexity to embrace urgency, and reframing fears around conflict and public scrutiny, that altogether have the potential to unlock greater dollars to address the most urgent issues facing our communities and country.

Institutional Changes Require Strategic Communications
Alfonso Wenker, Vice President of Community Impact, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation; Ewan Scotto, Director of Communications, Headwaters Foundation for Justice | Harvest Room A
As foundations navigate changes to their grantmaking processes and institutional contexts, effective communication is key to ensuring stakeholders—ranging from nonprofit partners to philanthropy peers—are informed and engaged. In this breakout session, speakers who have successfully shared their upcoming changes will discuss the strategies they employed to keep various audiences informed and aligned. We’ll explore their approaches to transparency, including the timelines and methods used to communicate with grantee partners, fellow funders, and the broader nonprofit sector.

2:45 - 4:00 pm | Breakouts II

A Thriving Latine Community for a Thriving Minnesota: Opportunities, Gaps and Challenges
Ambar Cristina Hanson, Executive Director, Mortenson Family Foundation; Sandy Vargas, Principal Consultant, Vargas Consultant & Coaching; Gloria Perez, President and CEO, Women's Foundation of Minnesota; Katya Zepeda, Director of Advocacy, Community Engagement and Equity, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation | Harvest Room B/C
This panel discussion will explore philanthropy’s critical role in advancing equity and increasing resources for Minnesota’s growing Latine communities. Panelists will share a vision for a thriving Minnesota where all communities have access to healthcare, education, and economic opportunities, while examining the current landscape of philanthropic investment. Through data-driven insights and projections, they will highlight the costs of inaction and identify transformative opportunities for greater investments in Latine communities.

Whose Voice? Centering Grantee Partner Perspectives in Evaluation
Nina Clark, Program Officer, Arts & Cultures, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; Jackie Aman, Research Scientist, Wilder Research; Emma Bohmann, Development Officer, Arts Midwest | Captain’s Room | Sponsored by Propel Nonprofits
In 2024, the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) Arts & Cultures team worked with Wilder Research and grantee partners to summarize seven years of work in an impact report. Together, Wilder and MACP created an innovative feedback and data gathering process where grantees identified the measures of impact they saw as most meaningful. In the process, MACP staff needed to deprioritize their preconceptions regarding anticipated program and report outcomes. The process resulted not only in a milestone report, but also pivotal conversations and learnings within MACP about grantees’ work, how it is communicated, and the evaluation process as a whole. Participants will learn strategies for designing impact measurement and sharing efforts that center collective grantee voice, access a tool for gathering grantee input on evaluation and learning, and take part in a creative scenario activity to prompt new practice ideas for program development, convenings, evaluation, and communications.

Getting Practical: Helping Your Board “Get” Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
Kevin Walker, President and CEO; Paul Bachleitner, Communications Director; Margie Jo Eun Joo Andreason, Justice, Equity Diversity Inclusion Director; Libby Hlavka, Board Member; Wayne Ducheneaux, Board Member; Laura Alvarez Schrag, Board Member; Northwest Area Foundation | Tack Room | Sponsored by Faegre Drinker
In this session, open to everyone but targeting board members and staff who work with them, you’ll hear directly from Northwest Area Foundation board members about the practical things they’ve done to build their understanding of JEDI since they started focusing on it in 2017. This includes the nitty-gritty details of what they’ve been doing, ranging from how they spend their board meeting time, how they worked with consultants, the development of a racial equity magnifier and other tools, and the use of shared experiences with other board members and staff. Most importantly, there will be plenty of open time for you to ask questions and to work in small groups directly with the foundation’s board members. You’ll leave the session with at least a couple of ideas you can take back to your foundation.

Government and Philanthropy: Partnering for Climate
Jean Sazevich, Philanthropy Consultant; Terri Thao, Program Director, Local Initiatives & Opportunities, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; Vanessa Roman, Employment and Training Program Coordinator, Employment & Training Programs Division, Department of Employment and Economic Development | Harvest Room A
In this session, learn how MCF members are partnering with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to support a clean economy equitable workforce development effort. MCF members provided aligned funding to grantees to complement a new state workforce program. This session will showcase this example of public-private partnership while spending time digging into lessons learned. The project is a strong example of how MCF members are working to support the state’s climate framework and supporting equity. This conversation will be particularly interesting to funders focused on climate, workforce, DEI, and public-private partnerships.

Thursday, February 20, 2025

9:30 - 10:30 am | Breakouts III

Our Collective Philanthropic Response in This Moment
Bilal Alkatout, Co-Executive Director, Headwaters Foundation for Justice; Terri Thao, Program Director, Local Initiatives & Opportunities, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies; Alfonso Wenker, Vice President of Community Impact, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation; Nonoko Sato, President and CEO, Minnesota Council of Nonprofits | Tack Room | Sponsored by CommunityGiving
Various groups of philanthropic peers have been meeting to plan and strategize for what collective responses can look like as we navigate changes implemented by the federal administration. Gather with a group of peers to learn from recent collaborative conversations, reflect on a map of pooled fund and ecosystem opportunities, and strategize and make commitments about where we can individually, organizationally and collectively respond in this moment to support impacted communities across Minnesota. 

Two MN Foundations and Their Journeys With Impact Investing: Aligning Assets to Mission and Values
Chris Romano, Chief Operating Officer, Bush Foundation; Ambar Cristina Hanson, Executive Director, Mortenson Family Foundation | Harvest A | Sponsored by Medica Foundation
The practice of impact investing is defined in different ways, at times without a whole lot of consistency or shared understanding. Bush Foundation has committed over $100 million to impact investing and Mortenson Family Foundation has invested 88% of its assets for social and environmental impact. In this session you will learn about the different approaches these two foundations have taken to build their impact investing portfolios, their opportunities and challenges related to impact investing, as well as strategies and structures to measure impact. It will be an opportunity to learn and also share ideas to begin or accelerate your journey towards aligning an investment/asset management strategy with mission and values. 

Building a Culture of Innovation, Responsible Experimentation, and Continuous Learning with AI
Jacques Hebert, Communications Director, McKnight Foundation; Tony Lusiba, Director of Information Technology, McKnight Foundation; Apurva Chanda, Modern Work Lead, Microsoft Tech for Social Impact; Aysha Kaushik, Modern Work SMB Lead, Microsoft Tech for Social Impact | Harvest Room B/C
Join us for an engaging session where we explore one organization's ongoing journey with AI. Discover how they worked to build a culture of innovation, responsible experimentation, and continuous learning among their employees. This session will delve into the challenges and opportunities of operationalizing rapidly evolving AI technology across your organization. You'll hear about successful use cases, gain access to valuable resources from across the field, and have the chance to share your own tips and perspectives. Whether you're just starting with AI or looking to enhance your current strategies, this session offers insights and practical advice to help you leverage AI to accelerate your mission and support your teams. Don't miss this opportunity to learn, share, and innovate together.  

Relational Philanthropy: Trusting "Trust-based Philanthropy"
DeSeandra Sheppheard, Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, The Graves Foundation | Captain’s Room | Sponsored by akoyaGO
This session focuses on philanthropic procedures in community that align with 'trust-based' philanthropy, providing insight around the elements of trust-based philanthropy and detailing how these techniques lead to an increase in trust between philanthropy and various communities. Learners will be able to identify techniques to change, improve or add to their current practices and learn more about what "trust-based" philanthropy means and how it is impacting philanthropic practices locally and nation-wide.

11:00 am - 12:00 pm | Breakouts IV

Getting Creative: Supporting Nonprofits in Turbulent Times
Allison Johnson Heist, Senior Consultant, MN LEAD; Ellie O’Brien, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Propel Nonprofits | Tack Room
Nonprofits are navigating a challenging landscape shaped by systemic and political forces, economic pressures, evolving community needs, and widening racial inequalities. This interactive session, co-facilitated by Propel Nonprofits and MN LEAD (Legal Education, Advocacy, and Defense of Racial Justice), will explore how foundations can effectively support nonprofits as they adapt to the many difficult scenarios they face in 2025 and beyond. Participants will engage in conversations to think creatively and boldly about how to provide nonprofits and their leaders with solutions that address short-term relief and foster long-term sustainability. Through facilitated discussions and shared learning, we aim to equip attendees with actionable strategies to support organizations in transition and deepen their commitments to equity. Together, we will consider how philanthropy can drive meaningful change while strengthening resilience across today’s nonprofit sector.

Using Future Frames to Shift Individuals and Organizations From Perfection to Growth
Ananya Matewos, Research Manager; Heather Britt, Executive Director, Wilder Research, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation | Harvest Room A
This session will explore one organization’s multi-level shift from a culture of perfection to one oriented toward learning and growth. Future framing for organizational messaging and practices will consider how to holistically shift the self (as individuals and leaders) and the organization (internally and externally) to examine systems and processes around achieving stated goals.  This work is in response to community calls for a more equitable nonprofit and philanthropic ecosystem where the collective of organizations can be spaces for people to engage as life-long learners, not just producers. The session will offer attendees opportunities to reflect and identify their personal and organizational priorities for measuring success and consider new expansive metrics of growth and well-being for grantees as part of charting impacts.

Amplify Impact Through Skills-Based Volunteering
Kelsey Midthun, Director, Corporate Responsibility, Thrivent; Katie Knutson, Manager, Corporate Responsibility, Thrivent; Joy Altmann, Managing Director, Pro Bono Advisory Program, HandsOn Twin Cities | Captain’s Room | Sponsored by Thrivent
Skills-based volunteerism has the potential to create transformative impacts, supporting nonprofits that seek to enhance their capacity while enabling employees/staff to make meaningful contributions to their communities. If you are looking for innovative ways to provide your partner nonprofits with "support beyond the check," we invite you to join this engaging session. You’ll discover how skills-based, or pro-bono, volunteerism effectively utilizes your employees' professional expertise to tackle nonprofit challenges. It has the unique capability to be executed in multiple formats, in-person, hybrid, or all virtually. Leaders from Thrivent and HandsOn Twin Cities will share their experiences in coordinating opportunities for Thrivent employees to serve as “subject matter experts.” These volunteers have helped nonprofits in areas such as marketing, social media strategy, security planning, and data management, among others. This session is open to anyone who has the capability to leverage a team of professionals who could volunteer at a nonprofit; the session will be particularly valuable for corporate community affairs leaders.

Deep Dive into Using Civic Language for Bridging
Siri Erickson, Program Support Lead, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement; Nancy Fasching, Vice President of Community Impact, Southwest Initiative Foundation | Harvest Room B/C
You’ve likely heard about the Civic Language Project from PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement). Now, join a deep dive discussion among a group of Minnesota funders who are interested in bridging rural and urban issues. During this conversation, we’ll explore how funders are putting civic language into practice, what they are learning along the way, what is working, and what is challenging. This session is geared toward funders that are interested in putting into action clear learnings that relate to rural-urban bridging, democracy, civic engagement, and narrative change.

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