News Release: McKnight approves grants totaling $9.7 million in second quarter of 2009, including $560,000 to improve Mississippi Rive

June 11, 2009 — McKnight's second-quarter 2009 approved grants.

The McKnight Foundation awarded 112 grants totaling $9,754,996 in its second-quarter 2009 grantmaking.

Of the $9.7 million total approved, $560,000 went to three organizations working to reduce water pollution and increase restorative river management of the Mississippi River. American Rivers, Inc., headquartered in Washington, D.C., received $219,000 over two years for its work fostering more effective management policies for the Mississippi River; The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana of Baton Rouge received $230,000 over two years in support of its ongoing efforts to promote the restoration of the Mississippi River’s coastal delta; and Northern Illinois University, based in Dekalb, received $110,000 over two years for its work to increase enforcement of pollution regulations for concentrated livestock operations in Illinois.

"The Mississippi River is a vitally important natural resource," says Robert J. Struyk, McKnight's board chair. "Its magnitude and complex ecology make it vulnerable to pollution caused by the decisions and actions of people. Through the efforts of these organizations and others supported by McKnight, the health and quality of the Mississippi River is being protected, preserved and restored, to continue as a rich resource for generations to come."

ABOUT THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION
The McKnight Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life for present and future generations through grantmaking, coalition-building, and encouragement of strategic policy reform. Founded in 1953 and independently endowed by William and Maude McKnight, the Minnesota-based Foundation has assets of approximately $1.6 billion and granted about $99 million in 2008.