In May, the Constellation Fund approved $1.1 million in new grants to proven poverty-fighting organizations across the Twin Cities. At Constellation, we celebrate the measurable change this will bring to our community.

Driving Economic Mobility Across the Twin Cities

This funding ensures thousands of people across the Twin Cities will be offered new opportunities and pathways toward exiting poverty. In concrete terms, this looks like: a Karen refugee gaining training to become an apprentice carpenter. A high school student finding a caring adult who helps her graduate. A Black elementary school student mentored by a teacher who looks like him… and many more stories of progress.

A Growing Benefit-Cost Ratio

Our portfolio now spans 20+ nonprofits working across education, employment, health, and housing. With this high-performing group, our benefit-cost ratio has reached its highest point yet: $10.09 in measurable benefits for every dollar invested.

The benefit-cost ratio is the backbone of our evaluation — a measure of how effective an intervention is in delivering lasting benefits for every dollar invested. This number continues to climb with each round of grants — reflecting years of grantmaking discipline.

Refining and Strengthening the Portfolio

“Our average returns continue to improve,” says José Diaz, Ph.D., Chief Economist. “We’ve built sharper knowledge of which interventions generate the greatest benefits — and which organizations deliver them most cost-effectively. Our systematic, sector-by-sector grantmaking accelerates that learning. We refine and strengthen the portfolio with each round of research and investment.”

A Months-Long Process of Evaluation

Last fall, our application period opened and drew more than 50 submissions from organizations across the Twin Cities. What followed was a months-long process: benefit-cost analyses, qualitative review, financial assessment, and multiple meetings with each organization’s leadership. Four new organizations secured a place in our portfolio.

Over the years, Constellation has evaluated hundreds of organizations. We invest only in those with proven impact, strong financials, excellent leadership, and sustainable operations.

Our Grantees: Stars in the Fight Against Poverty

With this round of funding, we renewed our support for six existing grantees. These are proven nonprofits, representing some of the most promising organizations generating measurable, long-term economic mobility for individuals and families in the Twin Cities:

• American Indian OIC
• Augsburg Family Scholars
• Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Minnesota
• Open Cupboard
• Project for Pride in Living
• Way to Grow

We also welcomed four new grantee partners with unique ways of expanding educational opportunities and career development:

AccessAbility, Inc.

AccessAbility serves people with disabilities and other barriers to employment through workforce training, job placement, and social enterprise. Constellation supports Project Connect, a workforce program for adults facing significant employment barriers.

Black Men Teach

Black Men Teach works to grow the Black male teacher workforce by investing at every stage of the pipeline — from sparking high school students’ interest in teaching to supporting teachers with financial help, student loan relief, and ongoing instructional coaching.

Communities in Schools of the Twin Cities

Communities in Schools of the Twin Cities embeds full-time staff directly inside partner schools to support student success. Their approach works on three levels: school-wide programming, targeted group interventions, and individualized case management — empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life.

The Karen Organization of Minnesota

The Karen Organization of Minnesota serves immigrants and refugees, with a particular focus on those from Burma. Constellation supports their employment services, which combines Adult Basic Education, high school diploma completion, English language instruction, financial literacy, and career certification.

Finding and Funding the Most Impactful Nonprofits

The reality is more than 600,000 Twin Cities neighbors are experiencing poverty — but solutions exist. The nonprofits best positioned to respond — the ones with the evidence, the relationships, and the track record — need solid funding to maximize their work.

This latest round of funding is a testament to our mission to fight poverty in the Twin Cities with rigor and attention to making the greatest impact possible. With each grant round, our evidence-based model gets sharper, stronger, and more effective.