Report: Foundation Funds Make a Difference in MN
By Chris Newmarker, Staff Writer
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal
September 30, 2009
Grants from foundations and other donors can make a real difference when strong partnerships with nonprofits are formed, according to a report out Wednesday from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy.
The Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group studied a sample of 15 nonprofits in Minnesota from 2004 to 2008, and concluded that every $1 in donations resulted in a $138 return in long-term benefits for Minnesotans and their communities.
Benefits included black people and immigrants gaining access to college, former prison inmates finding jobs, the mentally ill living more productive lives, better wages and working conditions for workers, and low-income residents gaining access to affordable housing and public transit.
"When nonprofit organizations and foundations partner to tackle urgent issues in the state, they can achieve tremendous success," Aaron Dorfman, executive director of NCRP, said in a news release. "It is especially effective when they use public policy advocacy and engage directly the very people affected in the problem-solving process."
Read the full article.
