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WHO WE ARE

There are two essential aspects to the constellations that we see in the night sky: the astrology and the astronomy or, to put it plainly, the stories and the science. Both of these elements carry fundamental truths that are key to truly understanding the significance of the stars. The same is true for philanthropy.

Pressing social issues like poverty are filled with complexity. On the one hand, there is the invaluable wisdom that can only come from on-the-ground lived experiences. On the other hand, there is a growing body of knowledge that exists in data from and research into countless poverty-fighting interventions conducted in communities across the country. Together, the qualitative and the quantitative, the stories and science, underscore what we know – and expose what we don’t – about improving the lives of those living in poverty. And, if thoughtfully used together, this information can point us toward better outcomes. The Constellation Fund is designed to do just that.

To read more about our founding story, please read a letter from our CEO

PEOPLE

STAFF

The Constellation Fund has a growing staff of individuals committed to identifying and investing in the most impactful poverty-fighting assets in the Twin Cities.

Susie Brown

Executive Assistant

Rose Carr

Managing Impact Officer

Andrew Dayton

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Jose Diaz, Ph.D.

Chief Impact Officer

Kate Genereux

Director of Partnerships

Cooper Hanning

Impact Officer

Amal Karim

Impact Officer

Ryan Petersen

Chief Advancement Officer

Lisa Rau

Learning and Research Officer

Tiffany Xiong

Engagement Coordinator

LEADERSHIP SUPPORTERS

Our Board of Directors and Leadership Funders have generously underwritten our administrative and operational costs so that every dollar donated to the Constellation Fund will directly support the most impactful poverty-fighting organizations in the Twin Cities.

Susan Bass Roberts

Pohlad Family Foundation

Armando Camacho

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Andrew Dayton

The Constellation Fund

Eric Dayton

Askov Finlayson

Stephen Hemsley

UnitedHealth Group

Dr. Fayneese Miller

Hamline University

Wendy Nelson

The Carlson Family Foundation

John O'Neil

Kirkland & Ellis

Marcia Page

Värde Partners

Robert Pohlad*

Pohlad Companies

Lynne Redleaf

Lynne & Andrew Redleaf Foundation

Tim Welsh

U.S. Bancorp

Pahoua Yang Hoffman

Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
* Denotes Leadership Funder

CONSTELLATION IMPACT COUNCIL

The Constellation Impact Council supports the continuous development and improvement of Constellation’s evidence-driven evaluation framework, helping to ensure that best-in-class metrics are used to bolster our grantmaking.

Richard Chase, Ph.D.

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation

Aaron Sojourner, Ph.D.

Carlson School of Management

Judy Temple, Ph.D.

Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the Department of Applied Economics

Abigail Wozniak, Ph.D.

Opportunity & Inclusive Growth Institute

Mark Wright, Ph.D.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

PARTNERS

The Constellation Fund is grateful to partner with a number of incredible organizations whose generous support makes our work possible.

Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
Humphrey School of Public Affairs
Winthrop & Weinstine
Carlson School of Management
McKinsey & Company

VALUES

The Constellation Fund is driven by a core set of values, which inspire and inform every aspect of our work.

Impact

We make every decision with one question in mind: what will have the greatest impact for those living in poverty in the Twin Cities?
We make informed, reasoned choices in the face of ambiguity or pressure.
We seek to identify root causes and to move beyond treating symptoms.
We challenge prevailing assumptions and pursue better approaches.

Courage

We follow the best available evidence, even when it’s uncomfortable.
We are willing to respectfully rethink the status quo.
We make tough decisions, take smart risks, and are open to possible failures.
We question actions inconsistent with our values.

Interdependence

We go to great lengths to carefully select our partners, and we trust them.
We treat everyone with kindness, respect, and compassion.
We build strong partnerships and celebrate each unique contribution.
We seek and embrace diverse perspectives to make better decisions.

Transparency

We seek candid feedback and work to deeply understand before reacting.
We admit mistakes freely and openly.
We share information and assets proactively.
We provide polite, honest, and timely feedback to colleagues and partners.

Rigor

We engender confidence by demonstrating consistent results.
We invite and accomplish remarkable amounts of meaningful work.
We strive relentlessly to improve our organization and our community.
We recognize that we all have biases and work to grow past them.

CONTACT US

323 North Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401
info@constellationfund.org

 

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