Our Focus Areas
The Pohlad family, beginning with Carl and Eloise, has a long history of investing in the Twin Cities area. Today, that tradition of family philanthropy continues with the second and third generations.
In 2018, the Foundation shifted its giving areas to a specific strategic focus – Housing Stability. The goal was to prevent and end homelessness for Twin Cities families and youth.
Our Housing Stability focus continues today, as we continuously adapt our programs to meet the evolving needs of the community. Learn more about our Housing Stability focus area and programs.
In 2020, the Pohlad family committed $25 million to advance racial justice solutions in the Twin Cities area. Their commitment was in direct response to the murder of George Floyd and ensuing uprising in May 2020, and a strong desire to address the deeply ingrained, systemic racism in our country.
The family’s commitment enabled us to quickly establish a new focus area for grantmaking, dedicated specifically to racial justice. Learn more about our Racial Justice focus area and programs.
How We Approach Focus Area and Program Development
Any time we develop a focus area or create a new program, we begin by listening and learning from community. We approach strategy and program development as a collaborative practice, bringing our own experience to the table and complementing it with other forms of expertise. Specifically, we center voices of individuals who directly experience and are affected by the issues at hand and the proposed solutions.
We also make every effort to lean into difference – difference in experience, background and points of view. We do that by building on existing relationships and seeking out new ones. We spend time listening and learning from a range of individuals and perspectives. This includes people with direct experience, community advocates and activists, as well as state, county and city leaders, and various nonprofit and organizational leaders.
