Listening, Learning & Connecting

Dear MCF Community, 

Fifty years ago this month, MCF hired Judith Healey, the organization’s first executive. Judith polled members on their needs and recruited representatives from foundations large and small to serve on committees that would plan and carry out MCF activities. As MCF’s new president, I am proud to continue this important legacy of listening to the needs of MCF members and working with the whole team to coordinate both resources and opportunities for connection that help to strengthen and mobilize the philanthropic community here in Minnesota and beyond.

In my first few weeks as president, I’ve had the chance to meet many of you virtually or in-person at committee meetings, peer gatherings, or MCF events like the recent Northland Tour of Ojibwe Places around the Fond du Lac Reservation. Some of the themes I’m hearing most from members are concerns about how to address changing government policies that may affect their ability to give or for their grantee-partners to provide essential services in their communities, the importance of bridging across difference in our very diverse state, and the continued need for training on new technology or resources that help our teams to work more efficiently and in a sustainable way that avoids burnout. I’m excited to draw upon my cross-sector experience and join the MCF team and community in developing resources to assist each other in these areas. We look forward to continuing our collaborations with many of you to provide these types of support, especially at the upcoming 2026 MCF Annual Conference on February 11! 

For those of you who I have not had the chance to meet yet, I would love the opportunity to connect with you as we begin making plans for next year. Please feel free to find time for us to meet using this link. In the coming months, I also plan to travel around the state and work from various locations to connect in person with many of you outside the metro area, so stay tuned for a schedule around that and let me know if you might be interested in meeting up or allowing me to work out of your space. Thank you all for your warm welcome to me as the new MCF president, and I look forward to connecting and collaborating with even more of you in the future!  

Much Appreciation,

Michelle Tran Maryns
President, Minnesota Council on Foundations