Our Commitment to Community

Mortenson Family Foundation is guided by its mission to build partnerships to strengthen community-driven approaches that advance equity, opportunity, and sustainable systems. In this time of change and uncertainty, we’ve heard the magnitude of concerns and challenges from our grant partners, and in response, plan to hold steady in our work. This means for this […]
Reviving Nature and Community: Wakaŋ Tipi’s Phalen Creek Daylighting Project

Wakaŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi, which means “those who care for Wakaŋ Tipi” in Dakota, is a Native-led environmental stewardship nonprofit in Saint Paul. Wakaŋ Tipi is a Dakota sacred site located in what is now Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary. The organization engages people to honor and care for natural places, along with their sacred and cultural […]
Insights into Philanthropy: Mortenson Family Foundation’s Path in Community-Centered Giving

Earlier this year, the nonprofit OneVillage Partners invited Mortenson Family Foundation to write an article for the Interdisciplinary Journal of Partnership Studies (IJPS). The article was meant to share our learnings in philanthropy as we continue to focus on centering community voices in the work we do. For decades, the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors have […]
Mortenson Family Foundation Introduces New Community Relationship Officers to Enhance Local and International Impact

Minneapolis, MN [May 5, 2023]—The Mortenson Family Foundation is excited to introduce the community relationship officers who have joined its grantmaking team in the last 10 months. Their expertise supports the Foundation’s mission of building community-driven partnerships to advance equity, opportunity, and sustainable systems. Margretta Getaweh started at the Foundation on April 12, 2023, as […]