What Growth & Justice does

Growth & Justice is a Minnesota-based nonprofit research and advocacy organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Saint Paul. Its mission is to develop and advocate for public policy that makes Minnesota's economy more prosperous and equitable, with a stated focus on economic and racial equity, smart public investments, urban-rural bridging, and statewide prosperity. It does not sell commercial products; instead it serves Minnesota state legislators, government agencies, community leaders, civic advocates, and engaged citizens through independent research, policy recommendations, and civic engagement.

The organization's core offerings are policy publications and programs rather than software. Flagship outputs include the Minnesota Equity Blueprint (a comprehensive report on challenges and solutions for the state's economy), the Minnesota Solution proposal (framing the $287 billion racial economic gap and targeted interventions), the Rural Communities Equity Action Guide (co-developed with R5DC), and the MN Equity Map (an interactive storytelling platform for community-submitted equity stories). Supporting programs include Thriving By Design, the ALANA Community Brain Trust, the Facts & Fixes resource platform, and a recurring ENEWS electronic newsletter covering topics such as taxes, education, healthcare, transportation, workforce development, and democracy.

Growth & Justice operates as an independent 501(c)-style nonprofit funded through grants, donations, and foundation and individual contributions; revenue is not publicly disclosed. It is governed by a 16-member board that intentionally spans Democrats, Republicans, and independents drawn from Minnesota's business, labor, government, and nonprofit communities, with David Fisher as Chair, Tane Danger as Vice Chair, Fawn Bernhardt-Norvell as Treasurer, and Jane Leonard serving as President. The organization reaches its audience through its website, email newsletters, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and direct engagement in legislative and community events.

Name

Growth & Justice

Legal name

Growth & Justice

Website

https://growthandjustice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Growth & Justice is a Saint Paul, Minnesota-based nonprofit research and advocacy organization founded in 2001. It develops independent policy proposals on economic and racial equity for Minnesota state legislators, community leaders, and engaged citizens, funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (81331), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN), Education Equity, Access & Inclusion Policy Research (EDADADAF), Public Health Strategy, Policy & Legislation (HLAJAMAA)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Economic policy advocacy
• Nonprofit think tank
• Equity research
• Minnesota policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Growth & Justice is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that develops independent public policy proposals aimed at advancing economic equity in Minnesota. It conducts research, publishes reports and data tools, and engages in advocacy to influence state-level economic and social policy.

Product overview

Growth & Justice is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization that offers a portfolio of policy-focused products and programs rather than a unified software platform. The core offerings include the Minnesota Equity Blueprint (a flagship publication), the MN Equity Map (an interactive storytelling platform), and the Rural Communities Equity Action Guide (a strategic roadmap). Supporting these are partnering projects like Thriving By Design and the ALANA Community Brain Trust, alongside regular ENEWS newsletters and the Facts & Fixes resource platform covering policy areas such as economic development, education, healthcare, taxes, transportation, and workforce development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Minnesota Equity Blueprint: A comprehensive report revealing challenges and opportunities along with practical solutions for Minnesota's economic equity.
• Minnesota Equity Map
• Thriving By Design
• ALANA Community Brain Trust
• Rural Communities Equity Action Guide

Products and services

• Minnesota Equity Blueprint A research-based policy framework developed by Growth & Justice to address economic inequity in Minnesota through structural policy reforms. Intended for policymakers, advocates, and community stakeholders.
• MN Equity Map An interactive data tool that maps economic and equity indicators across Minnesota to support research, advocacy, and policymaking. Aimed at researchers, advocates, and public officials.
• Rural Communities Equity Action Guide A published guide that provides rural Minnesota communities with policy and advocacy recommendations to advance equity. Targeted at rural community leaders, advocates, and local officials.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Minnesota Solution proposes closing the $287 Billion Racial Economic Gap in Minnesota

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• R5DC (Regional Equity Development Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerR5DC staff and project team members supported the creation of the Rural Communities Equity Action Guide, working alongside Growth & Justice's team of community champions to develop a road map for creating equitable economic ecosystems in rural Minnesota.
• Community Champions NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of community champions from Growth & Justice who work together on equity initiatives including the ALANA Community Brain Trust and Thriving By Design projects.
• House Select Committee on Racial JusticenotableOthersGrowth & Justice contributed to and supported the dissemination of the House Select Committee on Racial Justice Report to the Legislature.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Minnesota Council of Nonprofits: Statewide membership association supporting Minnesota nonprofit organizations. Comparable ecosystem participant that Growth & Justice would engage with as part of the state's nonprofit advocacy infrastructure.
• The McKnight Foundation: Major Minnesota-based philanthropic foundation funding economic and racial equity initiatives. Relevant as a likely funder and ecosystem counterpart to Growth & Justice's policy work.
• Bush Foundation: Minnesota and regional foundation investing in community equity, leadership, and policy. Relevant as a potential grantmaker and ecosystem peer operating in the same Minnesota equity space.

Direct peers

• Center of the American Experiment: Minnesota-based public policy organization producing research and commentary on state economic and social policy. Comparable as a Minnesota-focused think tank, though ideologically distinct.
• Citizens League: Minnesota-based, nonpartisan civic policy organization that convenes citizens and produces research on state economic and governance issues. Highly comparable in mission, geographic scope, and cross-partisan approach.
• Minnesota Budget Project: State-level research and advocacy organization focused on Minnesota fiscal policy, taxes, and economic equity. Directly comparable in policy focus, geographic scope, and nonprofit advocacy model.
• Center for Rural Policy and Development: Minnesota-based nonprofit research organization focused on rural and greater-Minnesota economic and community issues. Directly comparable given Growth & Justice's explicit rural equity work via the Rural Communities Equity Action Guide.
• TakeAction Minnesota: Minnesota-based advocacy organization working on economic and racial equity policy. Comparable as a state-level equity advocacy nonprofit, though with a more organizing-driven rather than research-driven model.

Broad incumbents

• Economic Policy Institute: National nonprofit think tank producing research on economic inequality, wages, and policy. Comparable in its research-driven equity advocacy model but at a national scale rather than state-focused.
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: National policy research organization focused on economic equity, taxes, and low-income programs. Comparable in research-and-advocacy approach but operates at a national scale with substantially larger resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/growthandjust
• Facebookfacebook.com/GrowthandJustice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Growth & Justice