MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – A proud community partner for 60 years, the Minnesota Twins today announced a new giving charter outlining the organization’s commitment to advance social equity by investing in the full potential of our children, specifically focused on eliminating racial and socioeconomic opportunity gaps prevalent in K-12 education and overall youth development. The Twins’ giving charter, developed in collaboration with nonprofit partners, fans, the Pohlad Family Foundation and other community leaders, and supported initially through $380,000 in club and/or Minnesota Twins Community Fund gifts, is summarized as:
“The Minnesota Twins will advance social equity by leveraging our resources to ensure every child has the same opportunity for success. We believe equity in access to educational and developmental opportunities is essential in eliminating socioeconomic disparities. Building upon our longstanding community foundations, we will work to remove the barriers to access traditionally faced by underserved children, especially Black, Indigenous and People of Color, along with other wrongfully-marginalized individuals or groups. We are committed to shaping a society for children in which racism or inequality has no place. Our work, along with our partners’, will focus on creating meaningful and inclusive changes that empower every child to reach their full potential.”
The new charter has its roots in the Twins’ 2019 Diversity Celebration, which welcomed representatives from over 250 nonprofits and businesses to Target Field under the theme of “I Will Change the World.” The Twins’ chosen avenue to effect change is partly in response to Minnesota’s academic achievement gaps by race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, which remain among the largest in the nation per an October 2019 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. The organization’s efforts and dollars align with the Pohlad Family Foundation and its $25 million commitment to racial justice.
“Our organization is proud to be Minnesota’s baseball team, a responsibility that we do not take lightly,” said Twins President & CEO Dave St. Peter. “We are committed to supporting the equitable world we want to see for everyone, a change which must begin by leveling the playing field for our youth. The Twins and our partners do not view our state and region as having ‘achievement’ gaps, as each and every one of our kids is truly capable of anything; rather, we have pronounced ‘opportunity’ discrepancies. While we at the Twins cannot pretend to have all the solutions ourselves, we will continue listening to, learning from and supporting the efforts of our community partners, who are tirelessly working to facilitate equal access to opportunities for all youth.
“By creating equity for our children now, we are creating future equity for all.”
Within the charter’s framework, and building upon the foundation of continued legacy programs supported by both the Twins and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund, the organization’s charitable efforts will be directed toward partners that are focused on:
· Eliminating racial and socioeconomic opportunity gaps in childhood education (specifically, literacy and STEM education for K-12 students); and,
· Enhancing overall youth development and well-being (specifically, physical activity and teamwork via youth baseball and softball, along with addressing whole-person development and out-of-school time activities).
To initially support this charter, and in immediate response to issues exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Twins and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund have distributed and/or allocated $380,000 in funds for an extensive regional network of 26 nonprofit partners (a full list follows on page 2). Ongoing support will be provided through additional cash contributions, in-kind resources and employee engagement.
About Pohlad Family Foundation
The Pohlad Family Foundation's mission is to improve the quality of life and opportunities for those most in need in the Twin Cities region. Established in 1994, the Foundation draws upon the expertise and needs of community to inform its programs. Today, its work centers on two strategic focus areas: housing stability and racial justice. Both efforts aim to reduce disparities for families and youth in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. To learn more about the Foundation's history and focus, visit pohladfoundation.org.
About Minnesota Twins Community Fund
Established in 1991, the Twins Community Fund’s mission is to enrich local and regional communities by providing resources for the healthy development of children and families through an association with baseball, softball and the Minnesota Twins. The Twins Community Fund is governed by a board of directors consisting of members from across Twins Territory. For more information about the Twins Community Fund grants and programs, visit twinscommunityfund.org.
In initial support of the organization’s new giving charter, the Minnesota Twins and the Minnesota Twins Community Fund have distributed and/or allocated $380,000 in funds for the following 26 regional nonprofit partners:
· ACES (Athletes Committed to Educating Students): Helping to reduce the academic achievement gap in the Twin Cities and improve the likelihood of success for underserved students.
· Achieve Minneapolis: The strategic nonprofit partner of Minneapolis Public Schools, working to inspire and equip Minneapolis students for careers, college, and life.
· BestPrep: Preparing students with business, career, and financial literacy skills through hands-on experiences that inspire success in work and life.
· Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities: Enabling all young people, especially those who need them most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
· Channel One Regional Food Bank: A member of Feeding America that serves people experiencing hunger in 14 counties in southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
· Every Meal (formerly Sheridan Story): Working to fight hunger in our community by filling the gaps to food access that children face during weekends, summers, and extended breaks.
· Generation Next: A coalition of civic, business and education leaders from across Minneapolis and St. Paul working to harness the community’s knowledge, expertise and action to ensure that every child can thrive.
· Genesys Works: Providing pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships.
· Hunger Solutions Minnesota: The only statewide anti-hunger organization whose services reach every county of Minnesota.
· Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest: Inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy.
· MIGIZI: Acting as a circle of support that nurtures the development of Native American youth, with programming addressing youth success economically, educationally, socially, and culturally.
· Neighborhood House: A multi-service agency, providing wrap-around services for people when they need it most.
· Northside Achievement Zone: Working with partner organizations to permanently close the achievement gap and end generational poverty in North Minneapolis.
· Partnership for a ConnectedMN: A public-private partnership to bring tech devices and internet access to students across the state, especially communities most in need, including students who are Black, Indigenous and People of Color, students from low-income families, and students residing in rural Minnesota.
· Pillsbury United Communities: Built with and for the people they serve, they are co-creating enduring change toward a just society.
· Playworks Minnesota: Helping kids stay active and build valuable social and emotional skills through play.
· Project for Pride in Living: Building the hope, assets, and self-reliance of individuals and families who have lower incomes by providing transformative affordable housing and career readiness services.
· Project Success: Motivating and inspiring young people to dream about the future, helping them take steps to get there and giving them the tools they need to achieve their goals.
· Reading Partners Twin Cities: A national nonprofit mobilizing communities to provide students with the proven, individualized reading support they need to read at grade level by fourth grade.
· Roots for the Home Team: Nourishing young people’s appetites to discover new possibilities and pathways for success through unique opportunities.
· TeamSmile: Providing children with a life-changing dental experience through the power of sports.
· Urban League Twin Cities: Unapologetic and relentless advocates for equity, justice and power for African descendants.
· Urban Ventures: Based in South Minneapolis, working to address opportunity gaps with the overarching goal to prepare and send every youth in their neighborhood to college or postsecondary education.
· Youthlink: Working with homeless youth, ages 16-23, by connecting them with a community of resources and support.
· Youthprise: Increasing equity with and for Minnesota’s indigenous, low-income, and racially diverse youth.
· YWCA Minneapolis: Working to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.