Minnesota Council of Nonprofits

Education: MCN strives to provide educational events, networking opportunities, and publications that center equity and respond to the expressed needs, interests, and experiences of individual organizations to support the growth, health, and future of the sector and its people. In 2022, MCN sponsored 122 public events with over 6,100 total attendees. The majority of MCN's offerings were virtual for the year; however, we began reintroducing some in-person offerings, including our Annual Conference at St. Paul's RiverCentre which welcomed nearly 1,000 attendees. Our Finance and Sustainability Conference remained virtual. Other paid and free events focused on a wide range of topics including financial and change management, equity and justice, human resources, trauma-informed supervision, governance, accountability, fundraising, communications, leadership, and more. In 2021, MCN introduced Pay What You Can (PWYC) registration for its Annual Conference to create broader access to this popular event. In 2022 we introduced PWYC for additional offerings, including Minnesota Grantmakers, Session Lineup, and the Finance and Sustainability Conference. In 2022, MCN continued its role as a researcher and publisher, releasing the annual Minnesota Nonprofit Economy Report, the BIPOC Nonprofit Index, Minnesota Grants Directory, and Nonprofit News, a newsletter providing information on sector trends and resources. Through its educational programming, MCN worked with hundreds of people from other nonprofits, capacity building groups, and government agencies to offer myriad expertise, current information, and interactive learning for Minnesota's nonprofit sector.

Membership: In 2022, 2,312 charitable organizations and 221 businesses contributed dues to support MCN's work. Nonprofit members receive discounts on publications, in-person and virtual workshops, and full-day conferences. Additionally, members can post job openings on MCN's highly trafficked job board at no cost. In 2022, MCN members posted 19,579 free staff, board, volunteer, and intern openings on MCN's job board. Through the use of free member publication vouchers, MCN nonprofit members requested and received 974 free copies of regularly updated publications, like the Minnesota Grants Directory, Minnesota Nonprofit Salary & Benefits Survey, Minnesota Nonprofit Legal Handbook, Handbook for Starting a Successful Nonprofit, and Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence. MCN also capitalizes on the group purchasing power of its members to negotiate lower prices and better service on many products and services that nonprofits need, including banking, insurance, health plans, employee benefits, office supplies, payroll processing and more.

Public Policy and Civic Engagement: MCN builds the capacity of nonprofit leaders to be confident and competent voices on issues impacting their constituents and communities by providing them with workshops, briefings, and other informational resources. In 2022, MCN offered public policy training and information series attended by several hundred participants that included presentations on nonprofit advocacy, lobbying laws, state and federal budget processes, engaging communities around the 2022 midterm elections, nonprofits and election engagement, and public policy issues related to COVID-19 recovery funding relief. Additionally, MCN re-granted charitable funds to 31 nonprofits to conduct voter engagement activities in their communities for the 2022 midterm election. MCN's Minnesota Budget Project educates nonprofits, decision-makers, the media, and the public on budget, tax, and economic policy issues through a range of activities.

Research: With the support of charitable contributions from foundations and corporations, MCN studies nonprofit sector trends and shares this research with members, other nonprofits, decision-makers, and the media. In 2022, MCN shared information widely on Minnesota's nonprofit sector, demonstrating the economic impact of nonprofits on the state's economy. In response to COVID-19, MCN produced two updated Nonprofit Economy Reports in 2022. MCN also conducts nonpartisan research and analysis on tax, budget, and economic issues through the Minnesota Budget Project. The Minnesota Budget Project's analysis particularly focuses on policy choices and economic trends that impact low- and moderate-income Minnesotans and communities of color, budget and policy choices that impact access to prosperity and economic opportunity in Minnesota, the contributions of Minnesota's immigrants to the economy and local communities, and progress toward a fair and sustainable tax system.

Advocacy: MCN undertakes advocacy efforts to strengthen the nonprofit sector and its ability to serve communities throughout Minnesota. MCN's major advocacy efforts in 2022 included: nonprofit relief funding due to impacts of COVID-19, racial equity in state bonding, paid family and medical leave program creation, volunteer mileage reimbursement, opposing harmful proposed legislation on oversight of nonprofit grantees of the stateand various nonprofit sales tax issues. MCN's Minnesota Budget Project identifies and advances public policies that expand economic opportunity and prosperity, especially in the areas of state tax, budget, and economic policy. The Minnesota Budget Project's 2022 advocacy priorities called for bold action to respond to the ongoing health and economic impacts of the pandemic, address long-standing disparities and areas of disinvestment, and build a stronger, more equitable recovery in which all Minnesotans are healthy, safe, and economically secure. This included advocating for robust and fair revenue system, including improvements to tax credits that support low-income Minnesotans, investments in affordable health care and child care, and improving wage and job-quality standards.

AmeriCorps VISTA: In 2022, MCN was awarded a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service to sponsor 25 full-time VISTA members and 19 Summer Associate VISTAs at 21 different nonprofit organizations. MCN's VISTA program builds the capacity of nonprofits serving or led by BIPOC, immigrant, and refugee communities to overcome poverty. MCN places AmeriCorps VISTA members in Minnesota nonprofits to provide the resources, capacity, and connections for community-based organizations to ensure operational sustainability and grow their community impact.