Vibrant & Equitable Communities

Program Goal: Advance a vibrant future for all Minnesotans with shared power, prosperity, and participation.

Together, we can build a Minnesota defined by equity rather than disparity. We can create a Minnesota that celebrates and honors the diversity of all communities in this state. We can repair past harms and injustices, particularly for our Indigenous and Black communities, while also creating pathways of opportunity for all communities in our increasingly diverse state, including Black, Indigenous, immigrant, Asian, Latinx, and low-income communities.

Our program seeks to build vibrant and equitable communities for all Minnesotans by working to transform existing systems and create new ones that enable every resident, regardless of race, geography, or income, to have opportunities for upward economic mobility, individual and generational wealth building, access to stable, affordable housing, and an ability to meaningfully and fairly engage in civic and democratic processes.

To achieve this equitable future and advance shared prosperity in Minnesota, we must build across shared interests, align public and political will, deploy resources, and build capacity as necessary to support high-quality work, homeownership, and other wealth-building opportunities. Our approach looks to the ingenuity and knowledge of people working together across Minnesota to craft solutions that shift policies, practices, and institutions toward a more equitable Minnesota.

McKnight developed the Vibrant & Equitable Communities program to harness equity as a powerful force multiplier to enrich the quality of life for all Minnesotans. We all benefit when we promote equitable opportunity and access for residents across Minnesota, especially those who have not fully shared in our state’s storied economic and civic success. As a core value of our Strategic Framework, we challenge ourselves to uphold equity in our internal policies and practices, and it is a value that guides the Foundation as we imagine the change we want to see in our world.