Expanding Opportunities for Children and Families

Photo: Hiawatha Academies

Our Goal

We seek to assist children and families living in poverty to attain equitable access to academic and social development opportunities and systems, thereby providing the potential for an educated, informed, and empowered student, parent, and community.

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Our Beliefs

To achieve this goal, we believe:

  • Education is key to helping children, families and communities overcome poverty.
  • Academic achievement and social emotional well-being happen through a comprehensive network of quality home, school and community support.
  • Continuous, intensive and relevant support spanning consecutive years along the continuum of learning for children (ranging in age from prenatal to 18) produces effective and sustainable outcomes.
  • Knowledge, experience and perspectives of children, families and communities have significant value for delivering outcomes.
  • A strong ecosystem of education leaders, advocates and policy will produce lasting outcomes for children, families and communities.

Photo: Northside Achievement Zone

Our Partners

We are interested in partnering with nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and public schools that directly serve or strengthen systems that directly serve children and families living in poverty in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Our desire is to support:

  • 501(c)(3) organizations serving a population with at least 60 percent of people living in poverty, as defined by the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
  • We welcome unrestricted or program requests from organizations.
  • We will consider program/project support for public schools (district or charter) serving a population with at least 80 percent students receiving free and reduced lunch.
  • 501(c)(3) organizations strengthening systems that serve people living in poverty.

Photo: WE WIN Institute, Inc.

We support organizations that:

Partner with home, schools and communities

Connecting to children and families’ homes, schools and communities as demonstrated by programs aligning with or imbedding within school systems, engaging and empowering parents as partners, and engaging and empowering the community to build upon existing strengths and assets as solutions. For example, an organization that coordinates and engages all entities surrounding a child.

Provide consistent, sustained and rigorous support over multiple years

Supporting children (ranging in age from prenatal to 18) and families along the continuum of learning, either by offering direct services over multiple years or intentionally connecting and transitioning the children and families to services outside of the organization to continue receiving support as needed. For example, an organization that provides three years of programming for a child or two years of programming with an intentional connection to the next level of programming needed for growth.

Work toward outcomes

Organizations either:

  • Attain academic outcomes (by having some indicators and measurements) or
  • Contribute promise and practice on future outcomes (by having evidence-based or culturally-relevant strategies that have some evidence of effectiveness even if indicators and measurements are not yet determined) or
  • Influence systems that attain outcomes

 

Examples of outcomes and indicators may include:

Outcome:
Aspect of development that program can influence

Indicator:
Evidence that development is either taking place or has been achieved

1. Preparing children for school

1.1 Children are age-appropriate in their social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development
1.2 Children receive early interventions as appropriate

2. Helping elementary-aged children demonstrate academic growth

2.1 Children improve reading and literacy skills
2.2 Children improve oral language skills
2.3 Children maintain academic skills over the summer months.

3. Helping middle and high-school aged children demonstrate academic growth

3.1 Youth show growth on tests

4. Supporting children in learning and demonstrating social and emotional skills

4.1 Youth develop social-emotional skills (i.e. interpersonal competence, self-awareness and management)
4.2 Youth feel a sense of belonging
4.3 Youth feel empowered to contribute to positive change in their communities

5. Helping families support children’s success

5.1 Families demonstrate positive, responsive parenting techniques
5.2 Families access community services as needed
5.3 Families connect with schools and programs that support students beyond school
5.4 Families advocate for students

6. Shifting behavior and systems that precede population-level outcomes

6.1 Organizations and alliances engage in advocacy and improved policies
6.2 Alliances focus on improving systems practices

Demonstrate quality

Demonstrate strong program quality by using evidence-based strategies, evaluation and/or quality assessment processes, or external accreditation or measurement tools. For example, programs that:

  • Use evidence-based strategies or culturally-relevant strategies that have some evidence of effectiveness
  • Use data-driven practices, including assessments and evaluation
  • Are Parent Aware 3- or 4-star rated for early child care and education programs
  • Utilize quality measurement tools (examples include YPQ, YPQA)
  • Are accredited through an accrediting body (examples include NAEYC, Council on Accreditation, or MnSACA)

 

Strive for organizational excellence

Ensure a strong organization that supports overall work. For example, organizations that:

  • Utilize focused and intentional strategy by having a well-defined set of goals, connecting strategies and activities to desired goals and making activities build upon each other
  • Exhibit strong leadership and qualified, experienced staff
  • Cultivate an inclusive and culturally responsive environment
  • Develop significant caring and trusting long-term relationships in the communities they serve
  • Support continuous organizational improvement, continuous personal growth and staff retention through professional development, reflection and learning

 

Engage beneficiaries in design

Offer programming designed with and around children’s and parents’ interests and needs. For example, programs that:

  • Build and support leaders from within
  • Utilize student and parent input to design and improve programs

 

Although the following strategies may complement our overall Foundation goal, they fall outside of our desired focus: Research, Nonecumenical organizations or programs, direct religious activities or organizations that receive a significant source of funding from sectarian solicitations, special events or sponsorships, and support to an individual.

The Mortenson Family Foundation may make multi-year grants as an additional way to support partner organizations with two- or three-year grant commitments that are capped at 33% of the following year’s projected grantmaking budget. The Foundation will use its discretion in considering an organization for a multi-year grant.

The Foundation will not be accepting Letters of Inquiry from prospective partners in 2022. Please check back in first quarter of 2023 for updated guidelines and application process.

Geography:  Minneapolis and Saint Paul

Photo: OneVillage Partners

Our Committee

James C. Burroughs II

(he/him)

James C. Burroughs II

James Burroughs is a pioneer when it comes to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. James C. Burroughs is the Senior vice president of government and community relations and chief equity and inclusion officer. He made history as the first-ever Chief Inclusion Officer for any state when Governor Mark Dayton appointed him to the position in Minnesota. He is currently Senior Vice President, Government and Community Relations, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Children’s Minnesota, one of the largest pediatric health systems in the country. He is responsible for advancing equity and inclusion across the organization as well as
leading advocacy, government affairs and community relations.

Bio

Susuga Leiataua
Dr. Robert Jon Peterson

(he/him)

Susuga Leiataua
Dr. Robert Jon Peterson

The founder and president of TE2 Consulting, LLC, which provides consulting and cultural competency training for education clients and supports BIPOC leaders in growing their businesses. His 20+ years of educational experience as a teacher and administrator inform his practice as an Indigenous leader in the public, non-profit and private sectors. Dr. Peterson is also a published author, recording artist and lecturer at numerous colleges and conferences throughout the U.S. and the Pacific region. He carries the Paramount Matai, or chiefly, title of “Leiataua” from his native homeland of Samoa.

Bio

Sheila Williams Ridge

(she/her)

Sheila Williams Ridge

Sheila is a Director at the University of Minnesota Child Development Lab School. She has a bachelor’s degree in biology, a graduate degree in education, and over twenty years of experience as an early childhood administrator and educator. Sheila is co-author of the book, Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget, published by Redleaf Press and several other publications. Sheila serves on several boards focusing on early childhood education, equity and anti-bias education, environmental education, conservation, and k-12 education.

Bio

Nathalie Mortenson

(she/her)

Nathalie Mortenson

Nathalie Mortenson joined the Mortenson Family Foundation in 2006. She serves as the Vice-Chair on the Board and is an active member of the Expanding Opportunities Committee and the Strengthening Developing Communities. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Nathalie calls Minneapolis her homebase although she currently lives in Italy with her husband Chris and two growing daughters. She is a trained Physical Therapist but in the past 10 + years has spent more time in a classroom setting, volunteering and working as a substitute teacher.

Bio

Samantha N. Diaz

(she/her)

Samantha N. Diaz

As Director of the Office of Public Charter Schools (OPCS), Samantha Diaz provides oversight and evaluation for all charter schools authorized by Pillsbury United Communities—supporting the operations, compliance, and efficacy of existing and prospective charters within the Pillsbury United portfolio. Samantha previously served as Associate Authorizer Liaison for the OPCS and most recently served as the Education Legislation & Policy Director at the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs. Prior to Samantha’s work in Minnesota, she served as Legislative Director for the Chairman of the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizen Committee in the New Jersey State Legislature. She received her Master’s in Public Administration at Baruch College – Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, and a Bachelor’s degree in History at Kean University. Samantha is also an alumni of the National Urban Fellows leadership development program.

Bio

Rinal Ray

(she/her)

Rinal Ray

Rinal Ray is the CEO at People Serving People. She leads a dynamic team in responding to the crisis of family homelessness and works to change systems to prevent the experience of family homelessness in Hennepin County. Rinal is a former deputy public policy director for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits where she advanced the organization’s policy agenda at a state and local level, trained leaders on nonprofit advocacy, and led special legal projects for the statewide association. Rinal currently serves as a co-chair for the Voices & Choices Coalition for Children and is on the Board of College Possible Minnesota. She teaches Nonprofit Advocacy in the Masters in Advocacy and Political Leadership (MAPL) program at Metropolitan State University.

Bio

Dana Mortenson

(she/her)

Dana Mortenson

Dana Mortenson is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of World Savvy, a national education nonprofit working to educate and engage youth as responsible global citizens. For 20 years, she has been influencing and changing the conversation about education with educators, administrators, parents and community members. Since 2002, Mortenson has led World Savvy through a significant national expansion, reaching more than 808,000 middle and high school youth and 7,000 educators across 45 US states and 32 countries, from offices in Minneapolis, San Francisco and New York. World Savvy supports change agents in K-12 education to create more inclusive, adaptive schools that ensure all young people can develop the skills and dispositions needed to thrive in a more diverse, interconnected world. Her organization's work has been featured on PBS, The New York Times, Edutopia, and a range of local and national media outlets covering education and innovation. Mortenson is an Ashoka Fellow, a Nation Swell Council Member, named one of The New Leaders Council's 40 under 40 Progressive American Leaders, and winner of the Tides Foundation's Jane Bagley Lehman Award for Excellence in Public Advocacy. She is a frequent global education and social entrepreneurship speaker at high-profile convenings. Mortenson is an advisor and board member to a range of nonprofits working at the intersection of education, global citizenship, and innovation. She earned an undergraduate degree in international relations from Connecticut College and a master's degree in International Affairs with a concentration in economic and political development from Columbia University.

Bio

David Mortenson

(he/him)

David Mortenson

David Mortenson is the CEO of the parent company, M. A. Mortenson Companies, Inc., and Chairman of Mortenson, a privately-held U.S. based, top-20 developer, builder and engineering services provider serving the commercial, institutional and energy sectors headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Mortenson has more than 5,000 team members in 13 North American offices.

Some of the company’s most notable accomplishments include:

  • North America’s largest design builder of wind and solar energy
  • The largest sports builder in America
  • Awarded “Best Place to Work” over 40 times in multiple location over the past ten years
  • Among Forbes’ 500 Largest Private Companies (#93)
  • Dedicated to giving back 5% of the company’s net pre-tax profits to local charities every year

 

David joined the family business after serving in the Navy. He worked his way up through the project management ranks to eventually lead the company’s west coast business before returning to company headquarters to ultimately lead the family business.

Bio

Katie Mortenson

(she/her)

Katie Mortenson

Katie is a parent, volunteer, and advocate for the needs of the underserved in her community and in the developing world. She has been shaped and inspired by her work, involvement and travel with several international humanitarian organizations including Children’s HeartLink, Alight and Common Hope, and by her many years teaching English as a Second Language in the Twin Cities and abroad. She spends much of her time working with and supporting refugees, hosting international college students, enjoying the outdoors, and being active in her neighborhood school and community.

Bio

“There’s no limit to what we can accomplish when we work together.”

Photo: Northside Achievement Zone

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