Strengthening Developing Communities

Photo: OneVillage Partners

Our Goal

We seek to increase the standard of living for youth and families living in developing communities.

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The Foundation will open its application process in 2025. As we live into our equity commitment, we seek to engage a broader base of voices for our grantmaking process. If you are interested in being involved, please sign up here:

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The Foundation only extends invitations to prospective partners to submit an application from the following Geographies: 

Central America
 (Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador)

Africa
 (Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal)

Photo: Seeds for Progress

International Community Definition: A diverse population with aligned values that are all collaborating and influencing through their shared vision, mutual learning, and the co-creation of equitable spaces for the well-being of humanity and the natural environment.  

The Foundation believes that the standard of living is about what individuals can do and become, as well as the economic terms of the Gross National Product. Individuals need both capabilities and opportunities to pursue a life of dignity and value. As we are learning to prioritize climate justice in our work, we seek integrated approaches centering on the well-being of human and natural communities most adversely impacted.

Photo: Seeds for Progress

The Foundation supports sustainable and integrated solutions that increase capability and provide opportunity. Individuals can understand what they can become and understand their needs. So, individuals within the community need to be involved in designing and delivering solutions. To address the complexity of poverty, the coordination of solutions are essential in recognition of a range of critical needs, including, but not limited to:

Economic Development:

Opportunities may vary based on rural or urban settings, and all well-defined opportunities are welcome for consideration. Because the largest population of individuals living in poverty connects to agriculture, support that includes building agricultural skills and sustainable agriculture markets is of particular interest.

Educational Attainment:

Education comes in many forms, from primary and secondary education to building the skills of adults. We are interested in options that increase capabilities, provide opportunities, and lead to improved livelihoods.

Affordable Access to Healthcare:

Family planning and reproductive health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).

Basic Needs:

Nutrition, housing, and other basic needs are critical in ensuring that opportunities can be utilized.

Control:

Individuals who have repeatedly faced barriers may need additional support to find their strength and determine their direction.

Our Beliefs

These characteristics are important in how the work is done:

Sustainability

Sustainable systems do not hand out tangible commodities that will be gone after support concludes. Instead, sustainable systems ensure that human and natural resources are nurtured, grown, and produced from within the community and continue to exist even when outside aid is no longer provided.

Gender Equity

Grant partners must have practices that ensure all women and men have equitable access to, authority over, and benefit from the programs. Partners will demonstrate their work increases the capability of women and girls to understand their rights, determine the direction of their lives, and influence decision-making in households, communities, and societies.

Photo: Fabretto

Photo: Fabretto

Economic Equity

It is important that economic growth opportunities are shared equitably across class, ethnicity, race, birthplace, and family backgrounds. Grant partners will demonstrate their work increases opportunity for all and does not leave behind any group in the community’s economic progress.

Proximate Community Engagement

It is important that grant partners learn from the community and support the community in creating their own methods to increase the standard of living. Grant partners will demonstrate that beneficiaries have had a voice in designing and managing the activities and influencing outcomes. While it may be worthwhile to engage United States skilled volunteers to increase partner capacity, U.S. volunteer engagement should not be the primary objective or significant revenue source of the grant partner.

Climate Resilience

Requires integrated approaches centering on the well-being of human and natural communities most adversely impacted.

Our Partners

We partner with organizations that:

  • Center community voice and engage proximate communities as essential decision-makers. 
  • Directly provide a comprehensive system of support to families or integrate a specific intervention into a comprehensive system of support based on the needs expressed by the community. 
  • Change, create, and/or improve systems to create pathways for communities to have equitable access to capabilities and opportunities to pursue a life of dignity and value.
  • Are attentive to the power dynamics in the community and work to prioritize the well-being and safety of the community and staff.
  • Provide consistent, sustained, and asset-based support over multiple years
  • Work toward outcomes that are accountable to communities.
  • Collaborate with other nonprofit organizations, government entities, and others who directly provide services to the community. 
  • We are most interested in partnering with innovative partners, and we are willing to take project risks with a proven organization.

 

Although the following strategies may complement the overall Foundation goal, they fall outside of our desired focus:

  • Conferences, sponsorships, festivals, and events
  • Nonecumenical organizations or programs, direct religious activities, or organizations that receive a significant source of funding from sectarian solicitations
  • Support to an individual

Photo: The Nature Conservancy

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.

Our Committee

Chingwell Mutombu

Chingwell Mutombu

Leadership Development Coach/Philanthropic Consultant

Chingwell Mutombu is an innovative and motivated leader who is passionate about community building, leadership development, visual arts (photography) and storytelling as tools to shift narratives and build the thriving world we dream of for ourselves today and for the descendants to come. Chingwell believes in the power of collective imaginations and the power of committed groups of individuals coming together to change the circumstances of their lives. Throughout her professional career, she has spearheaded initiatives focused on economic development, land stewardship, sustainable agriculture and community engagement, with simultaneous experience leading resource gathering/fundraising campaigns. She co-founded Women Rising Legacy Project, an agricultural initiative working with women farmers in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and founded First Step Initiative, a microfinance organization supporting small business enterprises. Through Women Rising Legacy Project, Chingwell co-facilitates the purchases and protection of community land for the women in the DR Congo. This agricultural project engages elders as teachers of traditional methods, provides tools, supplies and other support for food production, and introduces new climate resilient practices (such as solar food drying and cooking). As a Coach, Chingwell works with mission-based businesses and supports community leaders. She offers coaching services in the areas of leadership and business development, financial forecasting, resource mobilization, and strategic visioning. She also serves as a thought leader for various leaders of color. She provides guidance in the area of core alignments, helping leaders maximize impact by assessing their life’s purposes, understanding their core strengths, and aligning their work with their value system. As a consultant, Chingwell facilitates meetings, provides capacity building/bridging trainings and conducts funding research. Chingwell holds a B.A. in Political Science and French from Luther College and masters degrees in Public Administration and in International Relations from Seton Hall University.

Bio

David Waithaka

David Waithaka

David Waithaka was born in the slum of Mathare Valley in Nairobi, Kenya.
He successfully completed his Certificate of Primary Education at Dr. Aggrey Primary School in Nairobi.

David’s single mother could not afford his education, so she successfully appealed to the Catholic church’s Undugu Society of Kenya to educate him through 4 years at Langata High School. David was the top student in the Kenya Certificate of Education.

Due to lack of funds, David could not advance his studies.
Upon meeting John and Babby, they educated him through his Kenya Advance Certificate of Education, where David was top of his class.

In 1986, John and Babby brought David to live with them in Edina, Minnesota where he attended the University of Minnesota.

David earned a bachelor’s degree (Magna Cum Laude) in International Relations and African Studies and master’s degrees in human resources and public Affairs at the Carlson of Management and Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

David graduated Magna Cum Laude and went on to a career as a Commodity Merchant for Cargill.
In 1996, David earned master’s degrees in human resources and public Affairs.

David returned to Kenya in 1996 and founded the Inspirations Centre, an after-school mentoring and homework program to help children in Mathare Valley.

David is a Human Resources business leader with over 25 years of management experience in enabling and advancing organizational effectiveness through human development and change management. Proven ability to successfully employ robust programs that attract and retain talent. Assist multinationals, multilateral and international NGOs to develop and execute innovative and cost-effective human capital strategies that exceed corporate objectives.

Hobbies include, playing guitar, singing, playing and watching soccer and laughing (loud).

Bio

Martha Lidia Oxi Chuy

Martha Lidia Oxi Chuy

Lidia is a Maya-Kaqchikel woman, from Iximulew /Guatemala. She is an advocate for human and Indigenous rights, quality education, gender equity and sustainable development. She is currently the national director, of World Connect Inc., in Guatemala, WC is supporting, co-investing and promoting locally-led development and prioritizing initiatives that empower women and girls, and is a former Co-Executive Director of MAIA, the only organization of its size in Guatemala designed and led by indigenous women for indigenous girls.

Lidia is the first Maya indigenous woman to teach the Chinese language at public and elite institutions in Guatemala; she has worked for  “Asociación of Becarios Amigos de Taiwán” funded by the Embassy of Taiwan in Guatemala and has worked for the Rural University of Guatemala. 2005 she received her associate’s degree in Natural Resources Management from Fox Valley Technical College, Wisconsin, USA. 2014, she graduated from National Chengchi University in Taiwan with a bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Lidia has a postgrad degree in Corporate Social responsibility and is pursuing her Master’s in Public and Private Strategies of Development at the University of Galileo, Guatemala.

Lidia has designed and implemented culturally attuned, high-impact projects focusing on the education and support of girls, fundraising and developing strategic partnerships. She is a member of the OYW Indigenous Council, Global Council of Community Centric Fundraising (CCF), and the Board of Directors of the Maya Economic Development Corporation in Nebraska, USA, Women's Justice Initiative in Guatemala and president of the board of Directors of Mujeres Liderando Guatemala. She is a fellow of the Vital Voices Engage Program, Gratitude Network, and Global Governance Forum.

Lidia’s advocacy efforts have been highlighted by the Honnold Foundation and Guatemala.com. Lidia’s national and international experience and fluency in four languages allow her to build strategic partnerships to reduce inequality and proactively advocate for Maya communities.

Bio

Maritza Trejo

Maritza Trejo

Maritza Trejo is the Regional Education Director for Glasswing International, an innovative non-profit based in El Salvador that works to address the root causes of violence, poverty and irregular migration in Central America. Maritza has over ten years of experience designing and implementing education and positive youth development programs in Central America and the US. Ms. Trejo has a BA in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master’s in Educational Policy and Evaluation from the University Jose Simeon Cañas (UCA) in El Salvador.

Bio

Mark Mortenson

Mark Mortenson

In 2002, the M. A. Mortenson Company's board of directors appointed Mark Mortenson to the position of corporate secretary. In 2005, Mark led the Company in restructuring its investment program and in 2007, became president of Lansing Group, LLC, which manages the investment programs for the parent company and its subsidiaries. Lansing Group also manages investment programs for the Mortenson Family Foundation and private entities and has become a full-service family office. Mark is chair of the Foundation’s International Committee and serves on its Environmental Committee.

Bio

Nathalie Mortenson

Nathalie Mortenson

Nathalie Mortenson joined the Mortenson Family Foundation in 2006. She serves as the Vice-Chair oon 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

Sheku Mohamed Gassimu Jr.

Sheku Mohamed Gassimu Jr.

Partnership and Program Director, OneVillage Partners, Sierra Leone

Sheku Mohamed Gassimu Jr. is the Partnership and Program Director at OneVillage Partners, which puts rural communities in Sierra Leone at the forefront of improving their personal and collective well-being. Sheku has over 8 years of experience and wisdom guiding grounded grassroots Community-Led Development wellbeing programs designed and implemented by communities for communities.
Sheku participated in a 23-day Seminar organized by Tostan International on ‘’Promoting Community Wellbeing’’ and Building a Better Response training on the ‘’International Humanitarian Coordination System’’ by Concern Worldwide International. He is a member of the Global Assembly of the Movement for Community-Led Development and Tostan LAFIA’s Advisory Group. Sheku is adaptable, friendly, resilient, and celebrates cultural diversity. He holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Sociology and a Masters in Community Development from Njala University, Sierra Leone.

Bio

Waly Faye

Waly Faye

Waly Faye is an international development expert with over 15 years of experience leading transformative initiatives across Africa. His expertise spans gender analysis, youth development, and community empowerment, with significant experience implementing evidence-based programs in diverse cultural contexts.

Currently serving as Research and Innovations Director at Radio Workshop, Waly leads youth participatory research, and youth and community development programs across multiple African countries. His recent work includes pioneering studies on gender equality in Senegal's mining sector and designing education programs in crisis-affected regions for UNICEF.

Fluent in four languages and holding a Master's in Public Administration and a Master’s in Project Management, along with advanced training in program evaluation, Waly brings both academic rigor and practical experience to his work. His commitment to participatory approaches and community-led development has consistently delivered impactful results across diverse development contexts.

Bio

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

Photo: Seeds for Progress

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