Minnesota Community Foundation & The Saint Paul Foundation: Two Foundations One Direction

Don't have a fund with us? Find more information about starting one. Already a donor advisor? Find resources to help you research organizations and make informed grantmaking decisions.

Download Minnesota Community Foundation Donor Advised Funds brochure. (163 kb)

Download The Saint Paul Foundation Donor Advised Funds brochure. (199 kb)

Download the Donor Advised Funds Investment Program brochure for both Foundations. (300 kb)

How can you ensure that your philanthropic dollars are put to good use? Is your impact greater spreading out your giving among many groups or giving larger grants to fewer organizations? How do you choose an organization for your giving plan? Does your gift really make a difference?

These are questions frequently asked by our donor advisors. To help answer them, we held a Grantmaking 101 workshop in 2008. Download the workshop packet (178 kb). Watch the entire workshop on our Vibrant Video channel (video courtesy of TVbyGirls). Short on time? Here are our four picks:

Giving Timeline: Pros and cons of short- and long-term support of organizations (2:30)

Knowing an Organization: How to find out more about an organization that interests you (5:43)

Red Flags: Warning signs that there may be a problem with an organization (3:50)

Types of Gifts: How types of gifts affect and organization: budget support vs. restricted program support; focused funding vs. spreading the wealth (10:22)