Even as the high human, economic, environmental, and planetary costs of climate change come into sharper focus, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, tightening the timeframe for a transition to a low-carbon future. Climate change exacerbates growing pressures on life-sustaining resources, including freshwater, soil, and biodiversity. We all have a stake in efforts to …
Elizabeth McGeveran says $1 of every $3 McKnight invests goes to advancing its social goals. Photo credit: Molly Miles The following article was originally published by The Chronicle of Philanthropy on January 8, 2019 as part of a special series of stories on impact investing. It is reprinted here with full permission. Of the biggest foundations …
"There is not in the wide world a river as grand As the one whose bright waves lave my own native land" —Kate Harrington, “The Mississippi River” The Mississippi River is woven throughout the economic and social fabric of Minnesota and the Midwest. Nearly half the country depends on this vast river and its tributaries. …
Minnesota is at an inflection point: We know communities thrive when they have clean drinking water and swimmable, fishable lakes and rivers, but agricultural production, a bedrock part of Minnesota’s economy, continues to contaminate water with high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment. Cities and small towns across the state are grappling with a combination …
What Happened During the In-Between Time in our DEI Work The neutral zone, as defined by William Bridges, is an in-between time. Bridges, a leading authority on change management, explains that transitions require letting go of what was, navigating a time of uncertainty in between, and accepting a new beginning. Think of a trapeze artist. …
Over 500 middle and high school students from 29 school districts across Minnesota are engaging directly in community efforts to conserve energy and apply science. As they learn by doing through the Youth Energy Summit (YES!) program, they are designing and building solar powered greenhouses; producing and selling local foods; building vehicles that get hundreds …
Recent events have generated difficult conversations about the issues of racial justice and police-community relations. Cities are grappling with an increasingly important question: How can we keep youth, particularly youth of color, safe? The Community Ambassadors Initiative, a grassroots movement in St. Paul — backed by the St. Paul Police Department and the city and …
There are changes happening in the electric system that touch everything from what we drive to how we use, manage, and source our energy. These changes impact our daily life and have major implications for the health of our communities, economy, and environment. To keep pace with the evolving system — and to plan for …
After a plot of land he sold lost nearly 90% of its trees in a hail storm, Caleb Tommila saw firsthand the effect global climate change was having on his community. “My grandmother has lived in the area her whole life. She’s eighty-some years old, never seen anything like it. She doesn’t have a tree …
The Dayton’s Bluff Community Council is dedicated to fostering citizen participation and promoting neighborhood assets for all. Formed in 1971, the organization’s mission is to be a valuable community resource for organizing and supporting collaborative action by its stakeholders to improve the quality of life in the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. They do this by hosting …