Women's Foundation of Minnesota

At the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, we believe that women are the fulcrum of social change. Yet, full economic, political and social equality are human rights that continue to elude women and girls in Minnesota and around the globe.

Our latest research (June 2010) shows that women in Minnesota continue to be shortchanged in wages, safety, health, and leadership. By shortchanging women, we’re hurting families, communities, and the entire state .

Our work to advance safety and security -- our largest area of annual grantmaking -- informed our growing concern about the prostitution of girls in our state.

In January 2011, we launched MN Girls Are Not For Sale -- a five year, $4 million campaign to galvanize resources to end the prostitution of Minnesota girls through grantmaking, research, public education, and convening.

At the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, it is our statewide mission to eliminate the barriers of sexism, racism and poverty that continue to keep women and girls at the bottom.

One way we do this is through our girlsBEST -- girls Building Economic Success Together -- Fund. girlsBEST grantees knock down roadblocks to their future economic success, like low wages and job discrimination, sexist academic and career tracking by schools, poor body image and self-esteem, teen pregnancy, lack of leadership and athletic opportunities, and violence against girls.

The girlsBEST Fund has shown time and again that when girls define their priorities and create change in their own lives, they expect more from themselves now, and later, as adults.

Girls who participate in girlsBEST come from underserved and underrepresented communities across the state, including girls from low-income families, girls of color, and girls from Greater Minnesota.

As the very first statewide women’s fund in the nation (1983), we were a key part of the movement to establish women’s funds across the country and around the world. Today, this global consortium totals over 172 women’s funds, with collective assets of nearly half a billion dollars.

Through social-change grantmaking, research, building women's philanthropy, and advocating public policy we will achieve women's full equality in Minnesota. We invite you to partner with us!