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Summer 2006
Voices in Philanthropy
Gloria Contreras Edin
Executive Director, Centro Legal, Inc., and Trustee, Initiative Foundation
and Women's Foundation of Minnesota
 I was raised in Los Angeles by Mexican immigrants; I left home at 15, had a baby at 18 and struggled to find my way as a single mother for a few years until I married a Swedish man from rural Minnesota who had just finished law school at Pepperdine. Without any hesitation, I agreed to move back with him to rural Minnesota, where he grew up. Needless to say, the transition was hard, as I felt both subtle and distinct exclusion of me and people with the same life experiences.
I knew, however, that I wanted to inspire people to do greater things for their communities, especially to develop a sense of compassion, inclusiveness and acceptance of others who were unlike themselves. Therefore, I pursued a law degree and became committed to creating new possibilities for rural communities dealing with changes in population demographics.
I am living the reality that I hoped — exactly what I think I should be doing — both in my job at Centro Legal and in my volunteer work in philanthropy. I continue to look forward into the future and want to give back in a meaningful and purposeful way. In many ways, I represent a common immigrant experience: we feel absolutely fortunate for everything that we have. My positive outlook reflects the abundance and opportunity I feel.
Joanne Green
Accounting Manager, Securian Financial Group, and Planning Chair, Women of African Descent Giving Circle
 Promoting and building women's philanthropy is one of five programmatic areas of the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, and integral to its mission to grow equality for women and girls in Minnesota. To that end, WFM trustees expressed interest last year in organizing a giving circle comprised of Black women. Trustees Duchess Harris and Sharon James-Wade spearheaded the initial “friendship gatherings” to discuss the concept. From these meetings, a planning committee formed.
This spring, we made the first official “ask” in terms of soliciting annual membership pledges. When the seed money is in place, we will begin our grantmaking training, with a goal of initiating the grantmaking process next year and making grants by May and June. Long-term, our vision is to create an endowment with a guaranteed revenue stream from the investments.
I got involved in the giving circle because I've worked with different nonprofits over the years, and the crucial issues ultimately boil down to finances. At some point, you really need to put your money where your mouth is. A goal of the giving circle is to motivate the African-American community to act and not expect someone else to do it, especially as funding dries up for social and human services.
Mala Thao
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) and
Member, Hmong Women's Giving Circle
 The Hmong Women's Giving Circle was created by a group of Hmong women who cared about issues of Hmong women and girls in the community and wanted to do something. These women saw that people of color aren't well represented in philanthropy, so they pooled their resources together and raised over $23,000 in two years to make grants in the Hmong community for social change efforts. The Hmong Women's Giving Circle started as a pilot project at the Women's Foundation of Minnesota to build a bridge between the community and the institution.
Women from the community know what works, and they get to direct where funding goes in the community. At first, many in the Hmong community saw us as a radical women's group, the “crazy girl” group. The Hmong community sees us differently today. More and more people at community or family functions say, “Good work.” Now, we have many more donors; people we don't know are sending us money.
The Hmong Women's Giving Circle is now a donor-advised fund of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy. The 13 volunteer members do everything from finding clever ways to raise money, to reading grant proposals and making grant recommendations for social change. Not only have we changed lives through our grantmaking, but also the Giving Circle women's lives — their world view, how they raise their children and how they interact at work — are changed. They are making their legacy.
John Larsen
Architect, Social Justice Advocate and Second Generation Philanthropist, John Larsen Foundation
 I first started to think about organized philanthropy 15 years ago when my family set up a legal body to give away a small amount of money. I focused in a significant way five years ago when the first large influx of $4 million or so came into the foundation. It was at that point my family tapped into MCF resources around grantmaking and strategic planning. As an architect, I am very familiar with strategic planning, but working with my sister and parents is a different dynamic.
Our decision-making is democratic, and the four of us are equals in this. That decision took some time to achieve. The younger generation felt that we were raised to have our voices heard, and the older generation had to think their way through how early to give the kids voice, money and power. I feel blessed in that our family is healthier because of the foundation. It has created greater relationships among family members because of the very real discussions around values and a focus on helping others.
I am really excited about facilitating communication and building coalitions across the divide between grantmakers and grantseekers, and I have been encouraged to see how the philanthropy community is building capacity around diversity issues. I am personally involved in advocacy work for LGBT and other social justice issues.
Laura Waterman Wittstock
Board Member, Fund of the Sacred Circle Endowment Campaign, and Education and Media Consultant
 We are currently promoting the mission of the Fund of the Sacred Circle by building the fund's endowment. I have a direct connection with the purpose of the fund in that I am a member of the Seneca Nation. Indian people, when they can, have an obligation and responsibility to give back to their communities in some meaningful way. In the last third of my life, I am very interested in helping as many people as I can for as long as I can.
I was brought into the world of philanthropy as a trustee of The Minneapolis Foundation. I wrote a book about community giving and how community foundations were changing. At the same time, my family started to make larger donations and gifts than previously.
As a consultant, I am helping Hennepin County listen and deliberate on what community development will look like in the Indian community 10 years from now. Recently, I was named Hill Fellow at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Each fellow is asked to look at a question over a year of study and interaction with faculty and students. I will study the emergence of contemporary American Indian philanthropy, as compared to traditional Indian giving as it has occurred since the dawn of time.
More
Information from the
Summer 2006 Edition of Giving Forum
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Thank you to the sponsors of this issue of Giving Forum:
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| $5,000 Sponsor |
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| $5,000 Sponsor |
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| $1,000 Supporter |
West Central Initiative |
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© Copyright 2006 Minnesota Council on
Foundations
Reproduction in any form without the written permission of the publisher
is prohibited.
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