You will find below a few highlights from the most recent version of the Constellation Fund’s Annual Report, the fifth edition of our yearly publication. To download the full document, click this button.
Annual Report
Strength in Support
Ann Henderson
CEO, Mental Health Resources
As the leader of a nonprofit supported by the Constellation Fund, I can say firsthand that working with Constellation is radically different from working with most other philanthropic foundations. To understand why, one must first understand the work of the organization I lead, Mental Health Resources…
Planning For Change
Mental Health Resources
By Cinnamon Janzer
Prior to 2018, Mary Redd was in and out of sometimes three-month stints at the hospital. She felt like she didn’t need her bipolar medication and had a social worker who was helpful but overworked and unreliable. Redd would call when she needed help but wouldn’t hear back for days. It was then that she was referred to Mental Health Resources…
Growing Confidence
Way to Grow
By Lauren Cutshal
After 2020’s disruptions in education, Maya and Maki — second grade students and twins — were each struggling to read and comprehend material for their grade level. That changed when the family made a meaningful connection with someone who would become a key part of their support system: their Family Educator Amanda…
Ready for Takeoff
Matt Morton
Executive Director of CoLab
In the Constellation Fund’s efforts to build the kind of rocket ship that can reach for the stars of poverty impact, this past year, it added a critical component – the Constellation Lab, or “CoLab.” A partnership with the Foundation for Educational Research and Development (FERD), CoLab aims to reduce poverty by producing actionable data through funding and supporting high-quality, long-term research on programs, practices, and their effects…
Investing in Equity
Dianna and Joel Grebenick
Constellation Supporters
While neither of us were born in Minnesota, this state is our home. With careers in the financial services sector, we both moved here over a decade ago to work in a community with a robust economy and a high quality of life. While we have found that and more in the Twin Cities, we are keenly aware that many of our fellow residents have not shared in that same good fortune…
A Note from Our CEO
Andrew Dayton
Founder and CEO of the Constellation Fund
In the year ahead, the Constellation Fund will celebrate its fifth anniversary. While our organization is laser-focused on long-term impact, this short-term milestone offers the opportunity to reflect on what has been learned. Learning has been the operative word in these first years…
The projected areas of long-term impacts from Constellation’s last year of investments, by category:
Health Impacts
Housing Impacts
Education Impacts
Employment Impacts
Constellation’s metrics allow for reliable projections of the long-term poverty-fighting impacts of most poverty-fighting services, an evaluation that results in a benefit-cost ratio. Over the past 12 months, Constellation invested $4,145,000 million into 30 nonprofits that are projected to use those resources to create over $22.6 million of lifetime health and wealth improvements for over 70,000 people experiencing poverty in our community, a return-on-investment of $5.45-to-1.
Our Generous Donors
Constellation is proud to partner with a growing group of generous donors. Our board of directors funds 100% of the operating expenses so that 100% of the funds from the community are invested in what evidence says are the most impactful poverty-fighting organizations in the Twin Cities. Below are the generous supporters who made gifts between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. Find information about becoming a donor to the Constellation Fund online or by contacting the team at info@constellationfund.org.
$1,000,000+
Foundation for Educational
Research and Development
$500,000 – $999,999
Lynne and Andrew Redleaf
Foundation
$200,000 – $499,999
Anonymous (2)
Alyssa and Andrew Dayton
Cargill Foundation
Halloran Family Foundation
John Huepenbecker and Marcia Page
U.S. Bank
$100,000 – $199,999
Alida and Bill Messinger
Carlson Family Foundation
Cornelia and Eric Dayton
Elizabeth and Tim Welsh
George and Mary Dee Hicks
Jeff and Mary Werbalowsky
Jim and Norma Leslie
John and Lynn O’Neil
Julie and Doug Baker Jr.
Foundation
Pohlad Family
SMIKIS Foundation
The Corridoni Foundation for
Agency and Self – Determination
$50,000 – $99,999
Anonymous (1)
Amy and John Higgins
David and Kathleen MacLennan
Laura and Paul Bergren
Nancy and Rolf Engh
Racciatti Family Fund
Soran Foundation
The Edward J. Phillips Family
Foundation
$20,000 – $49,999
Anonymous (3)
Ameriprise
Amy Langer
Andrew Longen and Krista O’Malley
ARR Family Foundation
Barry and Kathleen Langton
Bill and Susan Sands
Bloomfield Family Foundation
Bob Gardner and Mary Jo Stocco
Charlie and Sally Lannin
Christianson Family
Chuck Rottinghaus and Kirsten Voss
Colleen Hartmon Bollom and Pat
Bollom
Dan and Mary O’Keefe
David Wilson and Michael
Peterman
Don and Lisa Beaupre
Ed and Libby Hlavka
Greg and Lori McMillan
Jacqui and Ronald Mason
James and Kathryn Ganley
John W. Mooty Foundation Trust
Karin Birkeland and Lee Mitau
Kevin and Nancy Rhein
Kirkland & Ellis Foundation
KRISBIN Foundation
Lenzmeier Family Foundation
Rhonda and Rory O’Neill
Rose Francis Foundation
Soigné Hospitality Group (Spoon
and Stable)
The Wendy & Colin Smith Family Foundation
$10,000 – $19,999
Anonymous (3)
Abigail MacKenzie Kerl and Ben Kerl
Ben and Mary Whitney
Brianna Mooty
Caroline Dayton
Casey and Xander Hector
Charlie Sellew and David Fiocco
Cheryl Appeldorn and Tom Schnettler
Chuck and Liz Mooty
Craig Bentdahl and Stephanie Simon
David Kristal
David Miller and Jennifer Melin Miller
Dayton King Foundation
Doug and Nora O’Leary
Dr. Allan Stillerman
Jacob Fishman and Kimberly Lear
Jay Cowles and Page Knudsen
Cowles
Joel and Laurie Kramer
John and Susan Simon
Johnnie Hicks and Paige Kaping
Knutson Construction
Lyle and Theresa Ward
Markus and Samantha Specks
McKinsey & Co.
Paul and Mary Donovan
Rob Albright
Senator Tina and Archie Smith
Sheri and Steve Lear
Spencer Family
The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation of Minnesota
$5,000 – $9,999
Anonymous (1)
Andrew and Meg Murphy
Andrew Hanson
Anna and John Helms
Archie Black and Jane McDonald Black
Audrey and Jim Lucas
Berit and Michael Francis
Bill O’Keefe
Christine Meuers
Clayton and Janna O’Toole
Dave Holden and Sarah Kies
David and Kiara Powell
Elaine and Marshall Siegel
Greg and Whitney Blasko
Hal Kaufman and Julie Berman
Hannah and Joe Helms
Helios Foundation
Jamie and Tammy Thingelstad
Jean and John Geisler
Jeff and Terri Greiner
Jim and Lauri Roberts
Jim and Meghan Dunbar
John Larsen
Kathy and Ward Armstrong
Maggie and Tom Borman
Maurice and Sally Blanks
Merle and Mort Kane
Robert Beach
Shannon Evenstad
Sunrise Banks
Susan D. Miller
$1,000 – $4,999
Anonymous (6)
Aaron Pearson and Lisa Sheppard
Pearson
Abbey Voelker
Adam Mohr and Saanii Hernandez
Adam and Hunter Wright
Aika Shoo and Alex Herman
Alex and Christina Clark
Alex and Tom Goodmanson
Ali and Jamie Lockhart
Alicia and John Popehn
Alix and Ben Aase
Alyssa Goolsby and Robert Hunter
Amanda and Joseph Cahill
Amanda and Rich Thomson
American Family Insurance
Amy Zaroff
Andrea and Russell King
Andrea Larson and Blake Berquist
Andrew and Emily Vennerstrom
Andrew Cholakian and Jessica
Nordell
Ann and David Heider
Ann and Mark Schulze
Anna and Willie Argo
Anne Paape
Ashley Adkison and John Anderson Jr.
Baird Foundation
Bank of America
Barbara Lannin
Ben and Eva Rasmussen
Ben and Lynn Oehler
Blake and Lindsay Holden
Blakely and Ryan Petersen
Brett and Jessie Sorensen
Brian Hoffman and Pahoua Yang Hoffman
Britt and Rick Gage
Brown-Sill Fund: Jeffrey Brown and Katherine Sill
Caitlin Van Kooten
Carleton Johnson
Caspar and Laurie Borggreve
Cassie and David Benowitz
Cassie and Tom Jones
Charles and Emily Kelley
Charlie Pohlad
Cindy and Jim Murphy
Cory Petersen and Jessica Reipke
Dana Mortenson
Daniel Duty
David and Juanita Griffin
David and Leni Moore
David and Sheila Juran
Denise and Mark Rabogliatti
Desirae and Justin Butler
Dianna and Joel Grebenick
Dick and Sue Ward
Dr. Fayneese Miller and Robert
Biral
Flor and Peter Frey
Gavin and Jaclyn May
Geoff Turgeon
Gharib Family
Gigi and Ron Fingerhut
Hannah Yankelevich
Jacqueline Crowley
James Bremer and Tim Manning
Jason and Jill Pflaum
Jean Taylor
Jen and Matthew Bertolatus
Jessica Grittner
Jim and Peg Hicks
Jimmy and Larisa Sioris
John Chadwick
John Kennefick
Joseph and KaiMay Terry
June Cheng and Ron Garber
Justin Freiberg
Justin and Maddy Persuitti
Karen Grabow and Keith Halperin
Kelly and Jon Miller
Kerry and Sky Fauver
Kristin and Will England
Landmark Environmental LLC
Laura Delaney Taft and John Taft
Laura Fiedler
Lorene and Tom Magne
Maria and William Bloomfield
Marion and Will Parke
Mary Burnton
Mary Mullen
Matt Mach and Rita Mehta
Matthew Dalton
Meg and Tony Rodriguez
Microsoft
Mike Johnson
Mike McHugh
Northeast Bank Foundation
Owen Stockdale
Pam Nightingale
Piper Sandler
Rajiv and Rajni Shah
Rebecca Shavlik
Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum
Scott Anderson
Sue Ward
United Health Group
United Properties
Varde Partners
Up to $1,000
Anonymous (19)
Adam Burghduff
Adam Matula
Aileen Wu and James Barmann
Aimee and Thomas Martinez
Akshay Ramen
Alex and Hayley Hontos
Alex Rice-Slothower
Alexey Ponomarev
Alexis Gallagher
Alyssa and Bryan Toft
Amy Hertel Buckley and Matt Buckley
Andrew Dahlen
Ann Kim
Ann Schattenberg
Anna Horner
Anne Cashill
Arvind Sastry
Audrey Gotko
Benjamin Balling and Erin Booher
Benjamin Wheeler and Emily
Harris-Greene
Beth Silverwater and Norman Greenberg
Bobbi Evans
Boston and Molly Cardinal
Brad Bauer and Veronica Clark
Bradley and Lauren Sundick
Bradley Berman
Briar Andresen and Sjur Midness
Brigitte Mussack and Mark Waller
Britta Lillion
Bruce Boyce and Sally Takala
Calvin Noble
Camryn Green
Caroline Correia and Dennis Smith
CBRE
Chad Piersma
Chapel Puckett
Cheri Gengler
Chris Bemis and Janelle LeClair
Chris Geyer
Christian Moreno Cova
Chris Perry
Christopher Rogers
Christy Kujawa
Ciara McManus and Colter Hanson
Colette Edgar
Colleen Dornquast and Joe Weise
Colton Heil
Connor Diggins
Cooper and Molly Hanning
Cooper Sande
Courtney Kelley
Daniel Frankowski
Daniel Hinueber
Danielle and David Rubin
David and Mary Dunn
David Oman and Laura Meier
Dawn Renner
DeAnn Barlow
Deborah Zwickey
Deniz Cultu
Denny and Jennifer Bennett
Derrick Frazier
Doug and Nora O’Leary
EDF Renewables, Inc
Elastic Co.
Elizabeth Tornell
Eric Roden
Erica Cantoni
Gordon Paynter
Grace Kinsey
Grant Tesdahl
Halvar Trodahl
Haoran Yu
Heidi Dick
Hilary Caligiuri
Holly Knoll
Isaac Swaiman
Jack Carter
Jackson Palmer-Kern
Jackson Schwartz and Rose Carr
Jacob and Anna Herd
Jacob Fenske
Jacob Frey and Sarah Clarke
Jacob Roche
Jacqueline Fogelberg
James and Stephanie Kent
James and Stephanie Pierce
Jamie Hanson
Jazmine Logan
Jeff Chen and Karen Ho
Jess Laumeyer
Jessica Bishop
Jill and Tim Geoffrion
Joe and Stacy McConnell
John Milligan
John Phillips
John Walsh
Jones Family
Jorden Cavanaugh
Jorge Sa
Joshua Dorothy and Nadege Souvenir
Judah Thomas
Jude Bricker
Julia Offenhauser
Julia Silvis
Julie and Kirk Mitchell
Justin Kaster
Kaitlyn Anderson
Kaitlyn Dipasupil
Kelsey Tyler
Kendra Reichenau
Kiel McElveen
Kingsley Neequaye
Kong Cheng Moua and Tiffany Xiong
Kylie Landa
Lara Boucher
Laura Clemens
Linda Pascoe
Lisa Ohlson
Logan Schuelke
Loralei Cruz Osborn
Maddy Morehouse
Mahareen Karim
Mai-Anh Tran
Marla Cumming
Martha Ballard and Paul Chrenka
Mary and Steve Grove
Mary Cate Peris
Matt Kalan and Michaella Holden
McGrath Charitable Gift Fund
Megan and Michael Muske
Michael Levine
Mike and Annie Kelly
Molly Mammen Heinz
Murid Amini
Obiefune Ezekoye
Oxana Korchagina
Paul Kelley
Paul Manning
Paul Prenevost
Paula Beck and Scott Moore
Piper Sandler
Pleasant Radford and Toni Newborn
Premier Banks
Prince Acheampong Hyeamang
Push Play LLC
Rachel and Tal Ganani
Rachel Hansen
Rachel Stranghoener
Rebecca Pinard
Renata Braudy
Robin Estrin
Ronald Randolph
Roshan Babu
Ruth Chun
Ryan and Annie Vetter
Ryan McKinney
Sailesh Sitaram
Sally Maenner
Samuel Cowan
Sara Bencic
Sarah Hauge
Sarah K. Oltmans
Sonja Pedersen-Green
Steve Beuning
Steve Spencer
Susan Hammel
Tareen family
The Dante Moreira Gilbert Fund
Thomson Reuters
Ullas Pathak
Vernon Rowland
Wells Fargo
Will Lyle