Susan Bass Roberts Named President of Pohlad Family Foundation

We’re happy to announce that after nearly eight years of leadership as vice president and executive director of the Pohlad Family Foundation, Susan Bass Roberts has been named its president.

Bass Roberts succeeds current president Bill Pohlad, who will become chairman. She is the first non-family member to serve in this role since the Foundation’s founding 30 years ago.

Since she joined in 2016, Bass Roberts has effectively led the Foundation in deepening its impact at the intersection of community priorities and Pohlad family values. She has guided more than $150 million in grants that improve quality of life, fight racial disparities and advance other causes important to the Pohlad family.

“Susan has been paramount in increasing the Foundation’s impact,” says Bill Pohlad. “Under her leadership, we’ve tightened our focus and strengthened our effectiveness by listening to and sharing power with community.”

In 2020, the Pohlad family committed $25 million toward racial justice following the murder of George Floyd. Bass Roberts stewards this financial commitment and the family’s resolve to stand with others to effectively confront long-standing injustices faced by Black communities. Through this program, the Foundation prioritizes improving public safety and increasing Black homeownership in the Twin Cities.

In addition to racial justice, the Foundation’s work centers on housing stability. Each year the Foundation helps more than 8,000 local families and youth secure stable housing, while advocating for larger systems change to address injustices that drive disparities in homelessness.

“It has been an extraordinary honor to lead the Pohlad Family Foundation, working closely with the family and growing our impact with community partners,” says Bass Roberts. “As we work to improve the quality of life and opportunities for those most in need in our region, I’m especially proud of our team, who engages community members in all aspects of our work, from strategy-setting to grantmaking.”

Bass Roberts has more than 20 years of experience in philanthropy, social impact and communications. Before joining the Pohlad Family Foundation, she served as executive director of the Best Buy Foundation in her role as senior director of community relations and diversity and inclusion for Best Buy, where she led the creation of the Best Buy Teen Tech Center program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from The Ohio State University, and currently serves on the boards of the Constellation Fund and Funders Together to End Homelessness.

Read more in the Twin Cities Business article about Susan’s promotion.