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Minnesota Grantmaker News
and Notes
June 2008
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The Bush Foundation honored the
first three winners of its new Enduring Vision Awards program,
which recognizes artists with at least 25 years of experience and is
designed to encourage their continued influence on present and
future generations of artists, audiences and their field of work.
Painter
Frank
Big Bear, wood carver
Janel
Jacobson and painter
Walter Piehl
Jr. will receive $100,000 apiece, the largest such award in the
country. The Enduring Vision Awards program was launched last year
to complement the foundation’s annual Artist Fellowship program; the
15 winners for 2008 were also announced and will each receive
$50,000. |
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R. James Addington received the second annual
Facing Race
Ambassador Award from The Saint Paul Foundation. As the founding
director — and now training and organizational development
consultant — of the Minnesota Collaborative Anti-Racism Initiative (MCARI), Addington has been involved in the struggle for racial
justice for more than 40 years. A nonprofit organization or public
entity of Addington's choice will receive a cash award of $10,000 to
further work in creating an anti-racist East Metro community. |
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Students Today Leaders Forever is the winner of the 2008 Social
Entrepreneur's Cup, which was announced at Social Venture Partners'
Engaged Philanthropy Conference. In 2004, SLTF's leaders, who were
then U of M college students, decided to turn the traditional spring
break trip into a community service road trip. The concept has since
spread to 15 campuses and even more high schools. |
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The McKnight Foundation named Minnesota author Bill Holm as
the
2008 McKnight Distinguished Artist in recognition of artistic
excellence spanning more than three decades. The annual honor, now
in its 11th year, includes a $50,000 cash award and recognizes
individual Minnesota artists who have made significant contributions
to the quality of the state's cultural life. |
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Headwaters Foundation for Justice announced its
2008 Social Justice Award recipients:
- Minnesota ACORN for outstanding work in
educating constituents on predatory lending abuse targeting poor
families and fighting the current foreclosure crisis
- Somali Action Alliance for ensuring civic
participation through a policy of "no decision about us without
us"
- Philanthropists Catharine Reid and Barbra
Wiener for being transparent about their philanthropy and
inspiring so many to follow their lead in aligning dreams and
giving for the good of the planet
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PFund's Power of One award was given
to Anne Phibbs, the system-wide director of the University of
Minnesota GLBT Programs Office. Under her leadership, the office last year created a
transgender commission whose mission is to improve the experiences
of transgender students, staff, faculty and alumni through education
and institutional change. In 2006, she helped launch the Minnesota GLBTA Campus Alliance, an organization of statewide GLBT campus
groups. |
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The McKnight Foundation,
traditionally Minnesota’s largest supporter of the
Environment/Animals grantmaking category, will support several
regional projects that develop uniform policies
and solutions to climate challenges:
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$2 million to RE-AMP to reduce
electricity sector global warming pollutants 80 percent by 2030
- $1 million to implement the MGA
Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Platform and Greenhouse
Gas Reduction Accord
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$800,000 to the Nature Conservancy
for its efforts to conserve and restore the Mississippi River
from its headwaters in Minnesota to its mouth in Louisiana
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The Center for Rural Policy and
Development awarded $1 million to Southwest Initiative Foundation to
manage and implement the Rural Energy Development Initiative. The
Minnesota State Legislature appropriated funds to the Center to be
awarded to a nonprofit organization with experience in energy and
community wind issues. SWIF was selected based its comprehensive
proposed program model: providing assistance to at least 12 entities
to develop wind projects to sell the energy to an electric utility,
as well as raising awareness of the local economic, community and
environmental benefits of renewable energy development, energy
conservation and efficiency. |
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Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation selected two
biobusiness ventures as recipients of their newly created Bio Seed
Fund: Easy Energy Systems and Clean Plus Inc. Each company will
receive $25,000 in seed capital to develop new products and
processes related to bio-agriculture. SMIF's Bio Seed Fund supports
start up and expanding bio-medical, bio-agriculture and renewable
energy businesses that need capital, business expertise and
networking opportunities. |
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