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. We institutionalize the best available information – qualitative and quantitative – into our grantmaking. In doing so, Constellation uses evidence to find, fund, and empower the most impactful nonprofits in our community in order to help our best poverty-fighting assets flourish and scale.

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.

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.

The Constellation Impact Council works to continuously develop and improve Constellation’s evidence-driven evaluation framework, helping to ensure that best-in-class metrics are used to bolster our grantmaking.

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

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