Join The MinneMinds Coalition

About MinneMinds

Who We Are

MinneMinds is a research-grounded consortium of supporting organizations and thought leaders from across the state with a common commitment to prioritizing Minnesota’s youngest in-need children as the most important investment for our state to make. Supporters vary greatly in specific interest, size, and geographic reach, representing the education community — from pre-K through high school — philanthropic organizations, and business and local chapters of national non-profits. We are dedicated to working with the public sector and local communities to align early learning efforts to help as many low income young children as possible.

Click here to see our most recent Membership Spotlight

MinneMinds Executive Committee

  • Frank Forsberg, Greater Twin Cities United Way, Chair
  • Ann Mulholland, The Saint Paul Foundation
  • Barbara Milon, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
  • Barb Yates, Think Small
  • Daniel Gumnit, People Serving People
  • Denise Mayotte, The Sheltering Arms Foundation
  • Ericca Maas, Parent Aware for School Readiness
  • Luz Maria Frias, The Minneapolis Foundation
  • Carolyn Smallwood, Way To Grow
  • Kelly Wolfe, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
  • Barb Fabre, White Earth Tribal Council
  • Bev Turner, Twin Cities Catholic Charities

MinneMinds Supporting Organizations

  • 360 Communities
  • A Chance to Grow
  • Adopt A Classroom
  • African American Leadership Forum
  • Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
  • Becker County Early Childhood Initiative
  • Building Connections Early Childhood Initiative
  • Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis
  • Centro, Inc.
  • Charter School Partners
  • Chicano Latino Affairs Council
  • Child Care Providers Together Local 3400–AFSCME
  • Children’s Defense Fund
  • Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
  • Children’s Theatre Company
  • Children, Youth and Family Services Program – RCTC
  • Clay County Early Childhood Initiative
  • CLUES
  • City of Saint Paul
  • Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans
  • Creative Kids Academy
  • Dodge Nature Preschool
  • East Neighborhood Services
  • Educators 4 Excellence
  • FamilyWise
  • First Children’s Finance
  • Focus on the Children Conference
  • Grant County Early Childhood Initiative
  • Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
  • Growth and Justice
  • Hallie Q. Brown Community Center
  • Health Partners
  • Hmong American Partnership
  • Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners
  • Jewish Community Action
  • Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis
  • Joyce Preschool
  • Kids At Risk Action
  • LDA Minnesota
  • Lifetrack Resources
  • Mayflower Early Childhood Center
  • Minneapolis Youth Coordinating Board
  • Minnesota Achievement Gap Committee
  • Minnesota Association for Family and Early Education
  • Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children
  • Minnesota Business for Early Learning
  • Minnesota Campaign for Achievement Now (MinnCAN)
  • Minnesota Career College Association
  • Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
  • Minnesota Child Care Association
  • Minnesota Child Care Aware
  • Minnesota Coalition for Targeted Home Visiting
  • Minnesota Community Education Association
  • Minnesota Council on Black Minnesotans
  • Minnesota Council of Churches
  • Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association
  • Minnesota Head Start Association, Inc.
  • Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association
  • Minnesota Literacy Council
  • Minnesota Montessori Network
  • Minnesota Parent Teacher Association
  • Minnesota School-Age Care Alliance
  • Minnesota State Alliance of YMCA’s
  • Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency (MVNA)
  • Minnesota Working Family Resource Center
  • Montessori Center of Minnesota
  • Mountian Lake Early Childhood Initiative
  • Northside Achievement Zone
  • Nurse-Family Partnership
  • Parents as Teachers
  • Parent Aware for School Readiness (PASR)
  • Parents United for Public Schools
  • People Serving People
  • Phyllis Wheatley Community Center
  • Pillsbury United Communities
  • Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota
  • Ramsey County Attorney’s Office
  • Rasmussen College
  • Rochester Area Foundation
  • Rochester Community and Technical College
  • Safe Passage for Children of Minnesota
  • Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood
  • ServeMinnesota
  • Southside Family Nurturing Center
  • St. David’s Center
  • Stevens County Early Childhood Initiative
  • The Family Partnership
  • The Family Place
  • Think Small
  • Way to Grow
  • White Earth Tribal Council
  • Working Family Resource Center
  • YWCA of Minneapolis

Select Research Sources

• Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
• University of Minnesota
• Wilder Research

(Updated June 17, 2015)

MinneMinds Supporting Coalitions

Start Early Funders Coalition:

• Blandin Foundation
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota and Foundation
• Delta Dental of MN Foundation
• F. R. Bigelow Foundation
• GHR Foundation
• Greater Twin Cities United Way
• Health Partners
• Initiative Foundation
• Knowledge Fund
• Mardag Foundation
• Medica Foundation
• Northland Foundation
• Northwest Minnesota Foundation
• Park Nicollet
• Sauer Children’s Renew Foundation
• Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
• Southwest Initiative Foundation
• The Minneapolis Foundation
• The Saint Paul Foundation
• The Sheltering Arms Foundation
• The Women’s Foundation of Minnesota
• United Ways of Minnesota
• West Central Initiative