Carl and Eloise Pohlad met on a blind date at an Iowa-Minnesota football game and married soon after, in 1947. Both grew up in hard working families that played a central role in their interest in caring for the poor and serving others. 

Among his early jobs, Carl delivered the laundry his mother washed for wealthy families and swept floors at a local bank. Throughout his life he combined strong intuition, intense work ethic, and a keen understanding of people to become one of Minnesota’s most successful business owners. 

Eloise believed in hard work and helping those in need. As Carl rose through the ranks of the banking industry, Eloise became active with local charitable organizations supporting children and families in the Twin Cities. Together they taught their children, Jim, Bob and Bill, a set of shared values that would become the Pohlad family legacy: integrity, humility, empathy, respect, teamwork and involvement.

As the family’s business ventures grew, Carl and Eloise stayed true to their roots, never taking their good fortune for granted. In 1993, the Pohlads established a foundation to formalize their commitment to giving – they wanted to ensure that they supported long-standing community organizations as well as those that gave directly to families and youth in need. This nimble, responsive approach continues to this day.

The Pohlad Family Foundation remains committed to our longstanding shared values imparted by our founders. These pillars provide the bedrock for our philanthropic efforts and a compass for our decision-making – helping forge a future where opportunity and prosperity are shared by all.