Civic Leadership
The Latest
Advancing Equity Through Advocacy
In 2025, our legislative agenda focuses on critical issues such as education, economic mobility, and protecting our democracy. Read this story to learn more.
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The State of Minnesota Nonprofits
Watch this video to learn about new insights into Minnesota's nonprofit landscape.
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A Message from Our CEO
We can’t know what we will face over the next century, or even the next few years. What we do know is that none of us can, or should, shoulder the challenges alone, which means we need to continue to grow our generous community.
Communities are stronger when everyone participates in public discussion and decision-making about issues that affect their lives and our society as a whole. Explore how we partner with others to foster civic engagement, discourse, and advocacy.

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“Abundant Cities” Series Brings Together Community Changemakers
The Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Foundation are joining forces to elevate the ongoing community dialogue about what’s next in the revitalization of downtown and our city as a whole. Learn more about the series in this article in the Sahan Journal.
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Is downtown MPLS on the rebound?
Minneapolis Foundation President and CEO, R.T. Rybak, appeared on WCCO Radio to discuss why he's hopeful about the future of downtown.
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Big Ideas for Downtown
Best known for his celebrated tenure at the Star Tribune, retired restaurant critic Rick Nelson is also a longtime student of urban design and one of his home city's most vocal fans. Watch this video to hear some of his ideas on how we can bring energy and new ideas to downtown Minneapolis.
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Abundant Cities: Evolving Downtowns
Our first Abundant Cities event brought together local leaders with deep knowledge of our community’s history, diverse perspectives on the importance of art and economic equity as drivers of regional prosperity, and visionary ideas about what downtown could look like in the future.
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Five Cities with New Ideas
An author, professor, and director of the Minnesota Design Center, Thomas Fisher specializes in urban design, systems design, and ethics. In this video, Tom discusses how cities around the world are thinking creatively about how they use space.
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An evolving downtown
Abundant Cities was featured in MinnPost following the first of three talks put on by the Minneapolis Foundation and Walker Art Center.
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The Future of Downtown
Abundant Cities, a series of conversations cosponsored by the Minneapolis Foundation and Walker Art Center, was profiled in the Star Tribune.
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Here is MPLS nominations open
With nominations now open for those seeking to celebrate Minneapolis, the Here is MPLS story movement, powered by the Minneapolis Foundation and Pollen, was recently featured on Fox 9.
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Introducing Abundant Cities
Abundant Cities is a series of three talks that looks to generate meaningful discussions on how we can pour resources, energy, and community voices into our civic life.
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Abundant Cities brings together innovators working in Minneapolis and around the country to define new visions for urban areas. Join a cohort of changemakers who will help the best new ideas become reality here in Minneapolis.
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