After nearly a decade, I am preparing to conclude my role leading the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. While transitions offer a natural moment for reflection, I don’t want to look back so much as look forward, and to offer one piece of enduring advice: If we want a stronger, more equitable Minnesota, we must continue to invest in solutions that are created by and with communities.

That belief has guided our work as a foundation. It’s reflected in our grantmaking process, developed through community input to be more flexible, open and responsive. It’s also at the heart of our strategic plan, which calls us to advance equity and support community-driven solutions that are shaped by those closest to the challenges we face.

Communities know what works

I deeply believe: The most effective solutions come from within communities. When we listen and learn from people doing the work on the ground – small business owners, nonprofit leaders, readers like you – we not only find better ideas, we build trust and partnerships that make those ideas stick.

Housing offers a clear example. Minnesota’s housing crisis is one of our most urgent challenges, and stable housing is key to achieving our aspiration for an equitable, just and vibrant Minnesota where all communities and people thrive.

Affordable housing solutions require strong, sustained community partnerships. Across Minnesota, organizations like Rondo Community Land Trust are turning investments into permanently affordable homes and storefronts that build stability and economic development. By aligning the resources from donors, businesses, the Foundation and other partners, our community can support resident-led solutions. When communities set the course, shared investment can accelerate progress and keep prosperity rooted where it belongs.

Philanthropy can be a spark

When we want to come together to solve systemic challenges across our region, community foundations can play a meaningful role. They can act as connectors, helping bring together people, resources and ideas across sectors and communities. They can also offer the flexibility to test new approaches and spark innovation.
Above all, strong relationships help fuel resources for community-led solutions. Partnerships between the private sector, the nonprofit sector and government at all levels create an environment where everyone can thrive.

It’s not just what we have, it’s how we’re connected

Minnesota is a cold place with a warm heart. Our state thrives not just because of our institutions, but because of our shared commitment to one another. From rural communities to the Twin Cities, from new immigrants to long-established families, our diversity is our strength.

We are home to a vibrant arts scene, a dense network of universities, the highest number of Fortune 500 companies per capita and a world-class healthcare system. But what makes Minnesota truly remarkable is how these elements connect. That interconnectedness across public, private and nonprofit sectors is what has allowed us to weather crises and imagine new futures together.

As I move on to what’s next, I do so with gratitude for the people I’ve worked alongside, the partnerships we’ve built and the community that continues to show what’s possible.

And I offer this reminder: The answers we need aren’t far away. They’re already here — in our neighborhoods, in our networks and in the wisdom of communities that have always known how to care for one another.

Let’s keep investing in them.