News Release: McKnight hires environment program assistant

August 18, 2009 - The McKnight Foundation has hired Sarah Marquardt as program assistant for its environment grantmaking program.

The McKnight Foundation has hired Sarah Marquardt as program assistant for its environment grantmaking program. She will join the staff on August 31.
 
Marquardt was most recently employed as grants manager for St. Paul's Grotto Foundation, where she worked since 2000. Previously, she worked as office and technology manager at St. Paul's Organic Alliance, a project of Cooperative Development Services which later partnered with Land Stewardship Project to become Food Alliance Midwest. She also serves as treasurer on the board of directors of Forest Friends, an organization that promotes spirituality in nature. Marquardt has a degree in anthropology and women's studies from Macalester College, and has done coursework in library and information science at the College of St. Catherine.

McKnight's environment program funds efforts to maintain and restore a healthy environment in the Mississippi River basin, and to mitigate global climate change by supporting policies and practices that promote low-carbon prosperity. In 2008, 22% of McKnight's funding — roughly $21 million — went to environment grantmaking.

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 family foundation had assets of approximately $1.6 billion and granted about $99 million in 2008.