DONOR
OPPORTUNITIES


Our customized giving solutions, community connections, and dedicated team make it easy to support the issues you’re passionate about. Whether you’re ready to establish a fund or give to a collective effort, we’re here to help you make an impact.

Ways to Give
Donor Advised
Funds
These flexible funds empower you to make lasting change in your community.
Signature
Funds
These funds combine the name recognition of a private foundation with the privacy and flexibility of a Donor Advised Fund.
Family
Philanthropy
Our unique resources enable you and your loved ones to give with focus, passion, and strategy.
Planned
Giving
Let your legacy live on with long-lasting support for causes you care about.
Business
Solutions
A giving program that supports your employees as well as your business and charitable goals.
Donate
Today
Give to an existing fund to drive change in Minneapolis and beyond.

Give to a Fund
What causes
drive you?
Explore our Learning Hub and learn about critical local issues like education, criminal justice reform and more.
Testimonials


Frequently Asked Questions
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Learn more about Donor Advised Funds
Donor Advised Funds are among the most popular giving vehicles in the United States. Think of them as charitable investment funds that are designed to support the causes you care about.
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Contact us to learn more
A Signature Fund is similar to a Donor Advised Fund, but is tailored specifically for funds seeking greater name recognition.
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Contact us to learn more
We maintain a variety of investment pools designed to meet a range of philanthropic goals, time horizons, and risk tolerances. This includes our InvestMPLS initiative as well as long-term growth, social impact, balanced, short horizon, and money-market strategies.
Meet the Advisor Team
Our Philanthropic Advisors are here to ensure your fund drives positive change for the issues you care about.

Bill works actively with existing and prospective donor families and their trusted advisors to articulate and carry out their charitable intent. Before joining the Foundation in 2002, Bill spent 16 years in the financial services industry with Citicorp in New York and Los Angeles, and with Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis. Bill holds a B.S. in entrepreneurship from Babson College. He currently serves on the board of Mission Animal Hospital, the first nonprofit full-service animal hospital and clinic in the nation.

Chris oversees the Philanthropic Services department, partnering with the Foundation’s donors to help them achieve their charitable goals and increase their positive impact in the community. Before joining the Foundation in 2019, he was the president of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota’s Foundation and its chief development officer. As a key member of that organization’s senior leadership team, he was responsible for building financial resources to support greater organizational impact and visibility throughout Minnesota. He was also responsible for its property department and statewide volunteer program. Chris received a B.A. in English literature from Saint Mary’s University in Minnesota. A few years later, he returned to Saint Mary’s, where he earned a master’s degree in educational leadership.

Eric is committed to providing an optimal experience for individuals, families, and organizations that partner with the Foundation. His responsibilities include overseeing donor-engagement programs and services, assisting fund advisors in achieving their charitable goals, and grant screening and selection. Before joining the Foundation in 2000, Eric held positions at Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and Augsburg University. He believes that time with family, friends, and outdoors is time well spent.

Jenny partners with families to bring clarity, focus, passion, and strategy to their charitable giving. She joined the Foundation in 2015, bringing 13 years of fundraising experience, most recently as vice president of resource development at Aeon. She serves on the board of the Minnesota Council on Foundations and on committees for Project for Pride in Living and Our Lady of Peace. A lifelong Midwesterner, she spends her free time chasing her kids outside in the summer and playing broomball with her husband in the winter.

Paul strategizes with existing and prospective donors and their professional advisors to inspire impactful philanthropy. He also leads the Minneapolis Climate Action and Racial Equity Fund and Foundation partnerships related to social finance innovation and environmental justice. Before joining the Foundation in 2018, he spent seven years as a major gifts and planned giving officer at Minnesota Public Radio/American Public Media and five years in development at Macalester College, his alma mater. Outside of work, you can find him chasing his children, playing trumpet professionally, or walking his boxer, Greta.

Russell has more than 20 years of experience in fundraising and alumni relations at major research universities. At the Foundation, he focuses on serving the charitable needs of corporate executives, their families, and the companies they lead. Russell came to the Foundation in 2016 from the University of Minnesota Foundation, where he served from 2013 to 2016 as a development officer for the university’s Department of Medicine. Prior to that, he spent a decade at the University of Wisconsin Foundation, where he served as director of development covering the Southern United States, then athletics, and eventually the Law School. He began his career as the director of diversity and assistant field representative for the Wisconsin Alumni Association. He holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Steph, who joined the Foundation in 2018, enjoys supporting her donor families in achieving the greatest possible impact with their giving. She also serves as a charitable planning resource for attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors with philanthropic clients. Prior to joining the nonprofit sector in 2010, Steph spent more than 12 years in the financial services industry, most recently as a Trust Officer with U.S. Bank’s Private Client Group. She holds a B.A. in political science with a minor in philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago and a law degree from Hamline University School of Law. She is an active volunteer in her church community and serves on the alumni board of Mitchell Hamline Law School.
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Get Started?
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