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 (Feb. 2012) 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.

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 grantmaking. Our girlsBEST (girls Building Economic Success Together) Fund 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.

Through our Social Change Fund, we make grants to innovative programs across Minnesota working moving equality for women forward in economics, safety, health and leadership.

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

So in Nov. 2011, we launched MN Girls Are Not For Sale -- a five year, $5 million campaign to galvanize resources to end the prostitution of Minnesota girls through grantmaking, research, public education, and convening.

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!