Minneapolis was and still is known in the nonprofit and foundation world as
someplace where corporations take their citizenship seriously. In the
past, this was deserved--we wouldn't have the Walker, Guthrie, Mpls
Institute of Arts, Hennepin Center for the Arts, Theater in the Round,
Courage Center, one of the best funded United Way's (per capita) in the
country, Sabathani Center, etc.,etc.,etc.... without the good corporate
citizens. But that seems to be changing:
Saturday's Strib had an article on the Target Foundation (the foundation
formerly known as Dayton Hudson Foundation) decision to stop funding
Planned Parenthood. It mentioned that they had changed their funding
criteria. Here is an interpretation of their new funding criteria:
1. Programs to keep poor people poor (they fund emergency food shelves and
emergency clothes closets and that is about it for social services).
2. Schools that are attended by kids with rich parents (The allow people do
earmark 1 % of their credit card sales to a specific school. The schools
in MN that are in the top ten nationally are Eden Prairie High, Coon Rapids
High, Anoka High, The Academy of the Holy Angels and Blaine High. There's
a reason that there are no Minneapolis or St. Paul schools in the
list--those families spend less at Target.)
3. Large flashy art projects that they can put their name on (they stopped
funding Resources and Counseling for the Arts--an org that helps small art
groups and individual artist, proposed the Washington Monuments scaffolding
tower, and are funding an "art bridge" across I 94 at 3rd Ave.
US West about three years ago changed their funding criteria to include
projects that result in significant visibility for US West (not the exact
wording but close). At least they were honest about it.
Last year Honeywell sent a letter to everyone they promised to fund in 2000
that basically said: If you have not received the check from us yet, forget
the promise. We're not funding you.
Sunday's Strib had an article about all the X GE executives now running MN
corps (including 3M) that stated: "...not going to be particularly
concerned about the kinds of community issues social investors are looking
at. They are taking a very cold look at what the community can do for them
and not vice-versa.
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sheldon mains, seward neighborhood, minneapolis
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
the shameless agitator in the electronic town square
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