Advancing Equity Through Advocacy

That’s why the Minneapolis Foundation has a long track record of advocating at the State Capitol and other levels of government for policies and investments that strengthen the communities we serve.

In 2025, our legislative agenda focuses on critical issues such as education, economic mobility, and protecting our democracy. Notably, it calls for an important public investment in racial equity and regional prosperity through a community-wide strategy led by the GroundBreak Coalition. “By fueling the work of GroundBreak, our state has an unprecedented opportunity to leverage private and philanthropic investments that are finally aligning at the scale we need to close racial wealth divides and create a more vibrant economy for all Minnesotans,” said R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation.

Our state policy agenda builds on other initiatives we lead as a community foundation, which range from grantmaking to convenings, research, and the philanthropic services we provide to our fundholders. It also aligns with our Strategic Framework, which calls for us to listen closely and support community-led solutions to the challenges we face.

“Advocacy is an important lever of change as we work to meet our mission of realizing strong, vibrant communities,” said Patrice Relerford, the Foundation’s Vice President of Collective Impact and Giving. “Our policy agenda reflects our commitment to addressing longstanding inequities in Minnesota to improve the lives of everyone who lives here.”

Economic Mobility
Expanding access to capital for Black homeowners, entrepreneurs, and commercial real estate developers by…
Investing $50 million in the GroundBreak Capital Access and Innovation Fund.

Education
Supporting students and schools by…
1) Providing ongoing state funding to conduct the Minnesota Principals Survey.
2) Dedicating additional resources to support Minnesota teachers, schools, and other education leaders as they implement the READ Act.
3) Adopting recommendations made by the Student Attendance and Truancy Legislative Study Group.
4) Expanding the definition of instructional hours for high school students to allow for more engaging and relevant educational opportunities.

Democracy
Achieving equal rights for all Minnesotans by…
Putting the Equal Rights Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution on the ballot for voters to ratify in 2026.

Learn more about our legislative agenda by downloading this PDF.