Women's Foundation of Minnesota

What Women's Foundation of Minnesota does

Women's Foundation of Minnesota (WFM) is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1983 as the first statewide women's foundation in the United States. It invests, grants, and advocates for gender and racial justice across Minnesota, deploying approximately $5.3 million in FY2025 to 208 organizations across 40 counties through a portfolio of named funds (Community Response, Fund for Safety, girlsBEST, Reproductive Freedom Fund, We Thrive, AURA, MN Latine Fund, Immigrant Rapid Response Fund) and the Young Women's Initiative of Minnesota, a seven-year, $10 million public-private partnership with the Governor's Office. Revenue mechanics center on individual and corporate donations, donor advised funds (75 DAFs granting $1.43M over three years), endowment investment returns on a $28M mission-aligned portfolio (Veris Wealth Partners as investment manager), gifts of stock via UBS, and a programmatic layer of Program Related Investments (PRIs) — $1.1M deployed since 2011 generating $11.3M in downstream loans through six CDFI partners to 132+ small businesses. The organization operates a community-led go-to-market combining participatory grantmaking, cross-sector convening (Community Connect, Leadership Celebration, Feminist Future Festival), policy advocacy (paid leave, ERA, reproductive rights, maternal mental health), and a research publication series (Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota) co-produced with the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School. WFM has distributed more than $59 million since founding and is staffed by approximately 20 personnel under President & CEO Gloria Perez (since 2020), with recent additions including VP Communications & Strategic Initiatives Roxane Battle (2025).

Name

Women's Foundation of Minnesota

Legal name

Women's Foundation of Minnesota

Website

https://wfmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women's Foundation of Minnesota is a Minneapolis-based 501(c)(3) community foundation, founded 1983, that deploys grants, donor advised funds, and Program Related Investments to advance gender and racial justice across Minnesota. It serves women, girls, and gender-expansive communities through a network of 208+ grantee-partners and a public-private partnership with the Governor's Office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Grantmaking and Gender Equity Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAB

Community Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYBPAGABAF

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPADAOAB

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Donor Coordination, Grantmaking & Development Finance Programs

SECONDARYBPAGAKAN

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Gender equity grantmaking
• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Program related investments
• Policy advocacy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations, corporate contributions, and foundation grants form the primary revenue stream. The foundation receives gifts through various vehicles including online donations, stock gifts, and workplace giving programs.
2. Donor Advised Funds (DAFs): Tax-deductible charitable savings accounts where donors contribute irrevocably, funds grow through investment, and donors recommend grants to qualified nonprofits over time.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities at foundation events provide year-round high-profile statewide visibility with grantees, experts, partners, and communities.
4. Endowment Investment Returns: The foundation's endowment provides operating support through investment returns. In January 2022, the Board approved aligning 100% of invested assets with mission. By May 2024, nearly 100% of invested endowment funds are aligned with mission.
5. Program Related Investments (PRIs): Below-market interest rate loans to CDFIs that facilitate low-cost financial support to small private companies and nonprofits. PRIs generate returns while supporting women entrepreneurs and community economic development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women's Foundation of Minnesota is a statewide community foundation that drives gender and racial justice through grantmaking, research, policy advocacy, and mission-aligned investing. It distributes charitable funds to nonprofit organizations across Minnesota via themed grant programs, donor advised funds, program related investments, and youth-focused microgrants, while producing the Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota research series.

Product overview

Women's Foundation of Minnesota is a statewide community foundation focused on systems change for gender and racial justice. The organization operates a portfolio of grant programs including the Community Response Fund, Fund for Safety, girlsBEST, Reproductive Freedom Fund, We Thrive, and funds for immigrant communities (Immigrant Rapid Response Fund, MN Latine Fund, Matriarch Giving Circle) and reproductive health (AURA Fund, Reproductive Freedom Fund). Key initiatives include the Young Women's Initiative of Minnesota with its Young Women's Cabinet and Innovators microgrant program. The foundation conducts ongoing research through its Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota report and listening sessions. Additional offerings include Donor Advised Funds for philanthropists and Program Related Investments (PRIs) as below-market loans through CDFI partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Response Fund Rapid-response grantmaking fund that provides resources to organizations and programs ensuring women's safe and healthy lives across Minnesota.
• Fund for Safety Grant program that resources innovation to end gender-based violence including sex trafficking, domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment across Minnesota.
• girlsBEST (Building Economic Success Together) Grantmaking initiative supporting girl-led programs for ages 12-18 that increase readiness to achieve economic well-being in Minnesota.
• Reproductive Freedom Fund Grant program investing $50,000 in organizations that increase access to reproductive justice, including bodily autonomy, childbearing decisions, and parenting in safe communities.
• We Thrive Grant program funding schools and education programs that teach workforce development and entrepreneurship as pathways to wealth-building for low-income women, women of color, and gender-expansive people in greater Minnesota.
• Young Women's Initiative of Minnesota Seven-year, $10 million public-private partnership with the Governor's Office of the State of Minnesota to invest in young women and gender-expansive people's leadership and power.
• Innovators Program Microgrant program providing $3,000 grants to young women and gender-expansive people ages 16-24 in Minnesota to implement ideas advancing gender and racial justice, with cohort-based learning and professional leadership coaching.
• AURA Fund Fund supporting organizations and efforts focused on reproductive health care access across Minnesota.
• Immigrant Rapid Response Fund Emergency fund supporting organizations responding to immigration-related emergencies and community resilience across Minnesota, including basic needs, legal services, community organizing, education, and safety planning.
• Matriarch Giving Circle Giving circle dedicated to supporting Latine communities in Minnesota through pooled donor resources.
• MN Latine Fund Fund housed at WFM dedicated to supporting Latine communities and organizations across Minnesota.
• Ripley Memorial Fund Fund honoring Dr. Martha Ripley's legacy that supports programs fostering and enhancing the health and well-being of women, focusing on access to women's health education and services built on cultural and community strengths.
• Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota Research Ongoing collaborative research project with the Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs analyzing data on Minnesota women and girls in economics, safety, health, and leadership.
• Donor Advised Funds Charitable savings accounts allowing donors to make tax-deductible contributions, grow funds through investment, and recommend grants to qualified nonprofits over time. Endowed DAFs of $25,000+ are commingled with WFM endowment to fund Program Related Investments.
• Program Related Investments (PRIs) Below-market interest rate loans to CDFIs that facilitate low-cost financial support and financial trainings to small private companies and nonprofits to strengthen economic opportunities for women and girls.
• Road to Transformation Listening Series Nine listening sessions conducted in March 2021 to understand the lived experiences of Minnesota women and girls regarding impacts of COVID-19, racial injustice, economic inequities, and additional crises.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.1 million in PRI investments has generated $11.3 million in loans for 132+ small businesses
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• African Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRI partner making small business loans to African entrepreneurs from African communities. WFM's below-market rate loans enable ADC to provide favorable financing terms to entrepreneurs.
• Entrepreneur FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes entrepreneurs and businesses in 29 counties and 12 Native nations. PRI funding enables strategic planning and capacity building for women-owned businesses.
• Latino Economic Development CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides loans to Latinx small businesses owned by women or multigenerational families. Enabled expansion of Jardín Apple Valley child care franchise.
• Northwest Minnesota FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLoan funds increasing child care providers in Northwest Minnesota. Supported Fadumo Ahmed to open Gold Childcare Center in East Grand Forks.
• Propel NonprofitscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides capacity-building services and access to capital to support nonprofits. Supported Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota with Recovery Capital Loan.
• Southwest Initiative FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides small business loans for women in southwest Minnesota, creating economic mobility for the region. Supported Falls Boutique in Granite Falls.
• YWCA St. PaulcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPolicy advocacy partner in coalition for women's economic security, safety, and leadership. Receives grants through Young Women's Initiative.
• YWCA MinneapoliscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPolicy advocacy partner. Receives grant support for programming serving women and girls in the Minneapolis community.
• YWCA MankatosecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional advocacy partner serving women and girls in Greater Minnesota through programming and policy engagement.
• Citizen's League Legislative ExchangesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerPolicy advocacy coalition partner engaging in legislative exchange and public policy development.
• Maternal Mental Health CoalitionsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition partner working on perinatal mental health access and accountability legislation in Minnesota.
• Minnesotans for Equal RightssecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition partner advocating for Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) passage in Minnesota.
• Pro-Choice MinnesotasecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition partner working to protect and advance reproductive rights and access in Minnesota.
• Reproductive Health AlliancesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition partner advancing reproductive health policy and access across Minnesota.
• UnRestrict MNsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition partner working to remove barriers to reproductive health access and information.
• Paid Leave CoalitionsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition partner advocating for paid family and medical leave policies in Minnesota.
• Young Women's Statewide CabinetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed by Governor's Office, the Cabinet (ages 16-24) advances policy agenda and participates in participatory grantmaking decisions for the foundation.
• Black Visions CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with WFM to facilitate quarterly convenings for Innovators program and advance Black-led systems change work.
• Center on Women, Gender, and Public Policy (University of Minnesota)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaborative research partner at Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Conducts gender-based analysis of publicly available datasets for Status of Women & Girls in Minnesota report.
• Veris Wealth PartnerssecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInvestment manager selected in Summer 2023 for mission-aligned investing, helping align endowment with gender and racial justice values.
• Women's Funding NetworksecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerNational network of women's foundations. Receives grants and participates in collaborative funding initiatives for gender justice.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Minneapolis Foundation: Large community foundation serving the Minneapolis region, with a much broader thematic mandate than WFM. Comparable as a Minnesota-based grantmaking peer with overlapping donor-advised fund and corporate giving channels.

Others

• Propel Nonprofits: Minnesota-based nonprofit that supports other nonprofits with access to capital and capacity-building, including through WFM's PRI program. Directly relevant as a CDFI / capacity-building counterparty in WFM's PRI lending ecosystem.
• Women's Funding Network: Membership network of more than 100 women's foundations globally, including WFM. Functions as a peer network, capacity-building resource, and shared advocacy platform — directly comparable as a sister organization in the same ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• NoVo Foundation: Major private foundation funding girls, women, and social justice initiatives globally. Overlapping thematic focus on gender equity and racial justice, but operates as a large endowment-funded foundation rather than a statewide community foundation.
• Ms. Foundation for Women: One of the oldest and largest U.S. women's foundations, funding grassroots women's organizations nationally. Broader geographic and program footprint than WFM but overlapping gender/racial justice grantmaking model.
• Global Fund for Women: International women's fund that supports gender justice organizations worldwide through grants and advocacy. Operates with a similar grantmaking + advocacy model to WFM but at a much larger, international scale.

Direct peers

• Iowa Women's Foundation: Smaller statewide women's foundation focused on the economic self-sufficiency of Iowa women and girls. Directly comparable as a peer statewide women's fund with similar advocacy and grantmaking approach.
• Texas Women's Foundation: One of the largest statewide women's foundations in the U.S., serving Texas women and girls through research, advocacy, and grantmaking. Same statewide women's fund structure and gender/racial equity framing as WFM.
• Women's Foundation California: California statewide women's foundation advancing gender, racial, and economic justice through grantmaking and policy advocacy. Closely parallel operating model and mission to WFM at larger scale.
• Women's Foundation of Colorado: Statewide women's foundation in Colorado with a near-identical mission, structure, and operating model to WFM. Directly comparable as a peer statewide women's fund focused on gender and racial equity through grantmaking, policy, and research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WomensFoundationMN
• Facebookfacebook.com/WomensFndnMN
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womensfndnmn
• Instagraminstagram.com/womensfndnmn
• Xx.com/womensfndnmn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women's Foundation of Minnesota