Fundholder Resources
Give Advised. Spend that fund.
We can help.
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By opening a fund at the Minneapolis Foundation, you joined a vibrant community of donors working to fuel lasting change. Imagine what’s possible if we all come together to meet the moment and move even more resources into the community. So get logged in, connect to causes, and let’s turn your intentions into impact.
Giving in Action
Because of the generosity of fundholders like you, we were able to give more than ever before during our last fiscal year. Take a look at some of the ways our fundholders are showing up for their communities.
The Latest
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Giving with a Learning Mindset
For some fundholders at the Minneapolis Foundation, grantmaking is a simple matter of clicking a button in our online portal to support causes they care about. For others, it’s a much more hands-on experience.
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A Legacy Comes to Life, with Help from a Friend
In the last years of his life, Bob Jones thought deeply about how he could create a legacy that would help other families. That dream is now becoming reality with help from the Minneapolis Foundation and an old friend.
Read Storystory
It’s Time to Give Advised
The Minneapolis Foundation can help you use your Donor Advised Fund to meet the urgency of the moment. With a little advisement, you can donate it to causes you connect with deeply.
Read StoryTake the Next Step
We offer unique ways for our fundholders to learn, build community, and spark real change. Let’s work together to bring your philanthropic vision to life.
Advocacy
Understand how policy decisions affect the community issues you’re passionate about. Consider reaching out to your elected officials or making grants to organizations engaged in advocacy.
Research
Deepen your understanding by engaging your Philanthropic Advisor as a researcher, reviewing community reports funded by the Foundation, or diving into a topic on your own.
Strategic Partnerships
We are part of a large ecosystem of cross-sector civic leaders who collaborate on a variety of initiatives. Tap into the knowledge and volunteer opportunities of our partners.
Giving Goals
Not sure where to start? Our Philanthropic Advisors can help you choose from a variety of giving tools, identify opportunities, and take advantage of resources we offer to support you on your giving journey. Take this 5-minute quiz to tell us a little about your goals and interests, and we’ll follow up to offer support.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes—and kudos to you for thinking ahead! For transactions made near the end of the year, follow these guidelines to ensure that your goals are accomplished.
November 28. Initiate gifts of mutual funds. Mutual funds require extra handling time. Allow at least three weeks for processing of contributions from mutual funds.
December 12. Initiate gifts of cash. Gifts of cash include checks, electronic fund transfers, credit card payments, and payroll deductions. With a credit card, you can make a convenient online gift. Checks must be made payable to the Minneapolis Foundation. If the gift is for a particular fund, please note that on the memo line.
December 15. Make grant recommendations. To ensure deliver of grant checks by Dec. 31, recommendations must be made by Dec. 15. Grant recommendations received after Dec. 15 will be processed as soon as possible, but due to the volume of grants we process in December (typically 2,500 grant distributions in one month!) payment before Dec. 31 cannot be guaranteed.
December 15. Initiate gifts of stock and other securities. To ensure correct fund accounting, it is important that you notify the Foundation of your gift. If you are gifting stock that you have held for more than a year, you may be able to take a charitable deduction and eliminate your capital gains liability. This can also be a good strategy to offset other capital gains taxes you’ve incurred. If you have stock with long-term capital losses, you may want to sell the stock first, donate the cash proceeds, and take deductions for both the capital loss and the charitable donation.
December 22. Complete fund additions. Fund additions must be completed by Dec. 22 to ensure tax credit for 2025.
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Head to our donor portal to log in and check your fund balance, grantmaking history, investment performance, and more.
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Yes, absolutely. Many of our fundholders have ties to communities outside Minnesota, and they support a wide array of organizations nationwide. Search for the organizations you care about in your donor portal. If you are interested in supporting the work of an organization outside the U.S., we can help with that, too. Reach out to your Philanthropic Advisor to learn how.
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View our accepted asset types
We accept a wide variety of assets, allowing you to establish and grow your fund in the most tax-advantageous ways.
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That’s wonderful! We partner with many people and businesses who became fundholders at the Foundation for a variety of reasons, whether they were seeking personalized resources to increase the impact of their giving or looking to reduce the administrative burdens of running a family foundation. We’d love to discuss how we can support your giving. Reach out to psadmin@mplsfoundation.org to get started.
Connect with Your Advisor
Our Philanthropic Advisors are here to help you take the next step in your philanthropic journey.
Amy Pfarr Walker
Philanthropic Advisor
Meet Amy +
Amy Pfarr Walker
Philanthropic Advisor
Amy partners with the Foundation’s fundholders to bring their values to life through philanthropy. She joined the Foundation in 2022, bringing nearly 25 years of experience in nonprofit development and communications. Amy has worked with nonprofits focusing on human services, affordable housing, and mental health. Most recently, she served as Chief Advancement Officer at Washburn Center for Children. She loves connecting donors with meaningful opportunities to address challenges facing our community.
Amy holds a bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College and completed a Masters of Business Communications Certificate at the University of St. Thomas. She currently serves on the advisory council of A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. Outside work and chauffeuring her daughter, she enjoys time outdoors, hiking in the mountains, and planning her next travel adventure.
Andrea Cummings
Vice President, Philanthropic Services
Meet Andrea +
Andrea Cummings
Vice President, Philanthropic Services
Andrea Cummings is the Vice President of Philanthropic Services at the Minneapolis Foundation. She started at the Foundation in 2020 and works collaboratively to cultivate a community of generosity–partnering with nonprofits and providing services to donors and fundholders seeking to make a difference in their communities. Andrea has been working for nonprofits for over 20 years, starting her career as a Social Worker and transitioning 15 years ago to philanthropy and fundraising. She’s worked and volunteered at organizations in the fields of human services, education, community and economic development, and healthcare. Andrea is passionate about designing systems and tools to help create both operational efficiency and greater proximity to our communities. Andrea received her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and her Master’s degree from Arizona State University.
Ashley Gotreau
Philanthropic Advisor
Meet Ashley +
Ashley Gotreau
Philanthropic Advisor
Ashley Gotreau works with fundholders to help them realize their giving goals in the community. She leads with empathy to build positive and lasting relationships. Ashley has more than 15 years of experience fundraising for nonprofits. Before joining the Foundation in 2024, she worked for Groves Learning Organization and the Center for Victims of Torture. Ashley currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Hopkins Education Foundation. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, sitting in the sun near water, and spending time with her family and friends.
Bill Sternberg
Director, Business Development & Philanthropic Advisor
Meet Bill +
Bill Sternberg
Director, Business Development & Philanthropic Advisor
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 Beach
Senior Vice President, Philanthropic Services
Meet Chris +
Chris Beach
Senior Vice President, Philanthropic Services
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.
Christine Barrett
Manager of Engagement, Philanthropic Services
Meet Christine +
Christine Barrett
Manager of Engagement, Philanthropic Services
Christine’s role of managing the Family Philanthropy Resource Center (FPRC) allows her to take her understanding of family systems and align it with FPRC tools to engage individuals of all generations in building strong vibrant communities. Before joining the Foundation in 2021, Christine served as the Development Officer of Northeast Minnesota for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota working closely with their robust programming around ending youth homelessness.
Christine received a B.A. in Social Work with a minor in Early Childhood Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth and continued her passion for community-based work to earn a Master of Social Work, Macro Practice degree from Augsburg University. In her free time, Christine enjoys spending time at her family cabin, cooking new recipes, and taking long walks with her goldendoodle Evie.
Kevin Rockwell
Philanthropic Advisor
Meet Kevin +
Kevin Rockwell
Philanthropic Advisor
Kevin works with individuals, couples, and multi-generational families to achieve their charitable goals. He also partners with professional advisors to help fundholders determine which assets to give and when, which giving vehicles are most appropriate for their goals, and how best to integrate philanthropy into broader financial and estate plans. Before joining the Foundation, Kevin practiced law for six years in the estate planning group at Maslon LLP and, most recently, worked as a trust advisor at Northern Trust. He earned his B.S.B.A. from Creighton University and his J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law. He lives in Greenwood with his wife and loves to golf, ski, and spend time on the water.
Maggie McCracken
Senior Director of Engagement
Meet Maggie +
Maggie McCracken
Senior Director of Engagement
Maggie McCracken brings more than 20 years of experience in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She spent over a decade in marketing and strategic planning roles at Target Corporation. Most recently, she served as the CEO of The BrandLab, a nonprofit working to support talent of color by removing barriers to marketing and advertising careers in the Midwest. Maggie is passionate about connecting resources to propel missions. She’s a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University. Maggie and her husband have two teenage daughters. Outside of work, Maggie loves being with family and friends, time outdoors, and quiet mornings with coffee.
Russell Betts
Philanthropic Advisor
Meet Russell +
Russell Betts
Philanthropic Advisor
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.
Paul Odegaard
Philanthropic Advisor
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Paul Odegaard
Philanthropic Advisor
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, Sonny.
Teresa Skaar
Executive Assistant to the VP of Philanthropic Services
Meet Teresa +
Teresa Skaar
Executive Assistant to the VP of Philanthropic Services
Teresa provides the Senior Vice President of Philanthropic Services and his team with project management, operations, and logistical support. She serves as a liaison between internal and external stakeholders, fundholders, and Trustees of the Minneapolis Foundation. Before joining the Foundation, she served as Operations Program Manager at the Healthy Building Network, and before that was Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Housing Development at Aeon. Teresa has over 20 years of experience in administration, information technology, and marketing in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors and is a certified Scrum Master. She considers herself a lifelong learner and is an avid knitter, dog enthusiast, and lover of the outdoors.