McKnight Refocuses Human-Services Grant Making on Children, Families

The McKnight Foundation has refocused its human-services grant making on improving the lives of children, families, and their communities.

Under guidelines still being developed, the foundation will judge proposals by how likely they are to benefit children in measurable ways and to strengthen families’ ability to nurture their children. Previously, its grants supported a range of human services, from child-abuse prevention and housing to legal services and employment training.

The foundation expects to provide about the same level of support for human services as it did last year — $23-million — and will still consider unsolicited requests. As in the past, it expects to devote most of its attention to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where it is located.

McKnight will continue to make capital grants elsewhere in Minnesota, and will also consider making a few grants to national organizations that conduct policy research or advocacy campaigns dealing with issues that are central to children’s well-being.

The changes follow two years of study. The new guidelines, expected to be available in late June, will be mailed to grantees, and will also be posted on the foundation’s Web site, http://www.mcknight.org. The first round of grants under the new guidelines will be made in November.

McKnight’s grant-making programs in the arts, the environment, international affairs, and research and applied science remain unchanged.