Minneapolis Parks Foundation Annual Report 2015 by Laura Billings Coleman

Minneapolis Parks Foundation 2015 Annual Report

WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE 2015 Annual Report

DIRECTORS’ LETTER

Dear Friends, IN 1872, the noted landscape architect Horace Cleveland made his first speech to the civic leaders of Minneapolis, laying out a vision for the Twin Cities’ parks so compelling that the outlines are now indelibly drawn into our shared sense of place. From the Grand Rounds biking trails that make Minneapolis one of the world’s great cycling cities, to our walkable Chain of Lakes, to the natural gorges and gathering spaces of Minnehaha Falls, the foundation for nearly everything that sets our park system apart was set in motion 140 years ago. At that moment in history, fewer than one in 10 people on the planet lived in a city—yet these prescient urban planners and business leaders anticipated a future when that ratio would be reversed, and the parkways and green spaces they sketched would be more than mere amenities, but essential to our civic life. A century later, the future they predicted is upon us. As our built environment grows more urban and the pace of life picks up, Minneapolis’s thriving public parks provide a refuge from screens and schedules, and wide-open spaces that invite 21.4 million visits each year, welcoming people from every walk of life. Our parks provide the common ground that draws our communities together, and drives our quality of life. This is why we are pleased to share the important progress the Minneapolis Parks Foundation made in 2015, committing to a new strategic plan that will focus our philanthropic investment and private sector resources over the next five years. The Parks Foundation embraces this once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish a continuous public riverfront along the Mississippi River. We are proud to be the lead philanthropic partner behind the RiverFirst Initiative, launching a capital campaign to leverage private support for two high-priority projects—Water Works and the 26th Ave N Trail Link & Pier. Though the chance to rediscover the Mississippi is certainly compelling, this $15 million campaign is also driven by the Parks Foundation’s mission to ensure that every improvement of the Minneapolis parks system is made with a spirit that values equitable access for all of our city’s residents, and an innovative approach to everything from community engagement to implementation and sustainability.

Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Equity and innovation are community values the Parks Foundation advanced in 2015 through our Next Generation of Parks™ Lecture Series, which included inspiring conversations with creative placemakers Gil Penalosa, founder of the 8-80 Cities movement; Roger Cummings of Juxtaposition Arts and Kristine Miller and Tom Fisher of the University of Minnesota College of Design; and landscape designer Kate Orff, winner of the 2014 Buckminster Fuller Institute Challenge. Civic-minded discussions with these thought leaders remind us of the powerful role that parks play in building community health, economic vitality, and the sense of ownership and belonging that give residents roots. We share the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board’s founding vision for a future in which everyone in our city lives within walking distance of a safe and vibrant public park—a goal we supported in 2015 through the grants to neighborhood park projects you see on these pages. Just as we were given a gift by those who created our park system 140 years ago, now it is our turn to give inspiration, voice and resources to ensure our system of parks and public realm serves the next century. We see our work at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation as part of a true public parks renaissance, as we reconsider how shared spaces from sidewalks to greenways can also provide paths to opportunity for all of our residents. Your confidence in our work and your generous support is making it possible. Thank you! Sincerely,

Tom Evers Executive Director

Sarah Harris Board Chair

PHOTO: © MINNEAPOLIS SWIMS

PHOTOS: © MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD

PARK GRANTS

Minneapolis Parks Foundation 2015 Annual Report

TURNING ON THE FUN: Kids in Near North Minneapolis wanted play bubblers included among wading pool improvements at Bethune Park, but the extra pool features weren’t in the budget. Your contributions to the Minneapolis Parks Foundation made it possible to provide for fun new water features now making a big splash at Bethune Park.

DIVING IN: In 2015, the Parks Foundation made a grant to support the Minneapolis Swims effort to turn the Phillips Aquatics Center into a state-of-the art competitive swimming and diving facility with a robust learn-to-swim program. Located in the heart of Phillips—within walking distance of 50 K-12 schools—the new Aquatic Center will serve our city’s most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhood by reopening and revitalizing a community pool that’s been closed since 2008. INVESTING IN NEIGHBORHOOD PRIDE: Leveraging private support for the public good is part of our mission at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, which received a $100,000 donation for the future Northeast Recreation Center from long-time parks supporter Barbara Lupient. “We can’t thank Barbara Lupient and the Lupient Family enough for their generous support of Northeast Park,” says Tom Evers, Executive Director of the Parks Foundation. “Their pride in the neighborhood where Mr. Lupient grew up and the family’s commitment to its long-term vitality is a model for philanthropic investment in our city’s parks.” 3

EQUITY AND INNOVATION In 2015, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation brought expertise and new community engagement strategies to advance a world-class park system

Safe, pedestrian-friendly streets, smart public transit, and responsive public officials are all part of the mix when it comes to making Minneapolis more vibrant, but creative placemaker Gil Penalosa believes there’s one essential ingredient that can bind communities like no other. “The measure of a great city,” he says, “is how it treats its most vulnerable residents, the young, the old, the disabled and the poor— and this is seen in the availability of parks and other public spaces for everyone to use. An internationally recognized thought leader on the power of well-designed public spaces, Penalosa, the CEO and Founder of 8 80 Cities, visited Minneapolis in 2015 as the closing speaker of the Next Generation of Parks™ Lecture Series. It’s just one of the programs the Minneapolis Parks Foundation employs to advance equity and innovation within the city’s world-class parks system.

Building a model of rainwater reuse strategies at Water Works is one of the projects Research Assistants in Practice Jonathan Fillmore and Christopher Tallman took on in 2015. (Not pictured: Kelly Watters)

“We want to keep advancing forwardthinking ideas that challenge us to think differently about our city, not just in terms of design and access, but also in terms of expanding our imagination about how we accomplish these goals together,” says Tom Evers, executive director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation. “As a community, Minneapolis is great at coming up with really big and bold ideas. At the Parks Foundation, we see ourselves serving as a bridge that can move those plans from vision to implementation.” Another resource in that strategy is the new Minneapolis Parks Fellow program, a first-

of-its kind effort launched in 2015 to bring design expertise and public sector knowhow to making the RiverFirst Initiative a reality. MPF tapped award-winning landscape architect and urban designer Bruce Chamberlain (left) to take on the inaugural two-year appointment, which will focus primarily on the design and implementation of RiverFirst Initiatives including Water Works

and the 26th Ave N Trail Link & Pier. “These are key Minneapolis riverfront park initiatives that hold the power to transform, forever, the city’s embrace of its river corridor,” says Chamberlain, the immediate past-Assistant Superintendent for Planning with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board.

“I’ve learned that you need more than just the momentum of the community at large, you also need relationships on the ground level that can help align lots of groups toward the same goal.” —2015 Research Assistant Han Do 4

Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Minneapolis Parks Foundation 2015 Annual Report

the momentum of the community at large, you also need relationships on the ground level that can help align lots of groups toward the same goal. I’ve been very impressed by the Parks Foundation’s strong desire to make sure the parks are equitable and serve every community.”

Kate Orff kicked off the Next Generation of Parks™ Lecture Series in April 2015 with a discussion about urban design and climate dynamics.

To support that work, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation also continued its commitment to the Research Assistants in Practice program, an innovative partnership with the University of Minnesota Department of Landscape Architecture that invites promising graduate students to gain practical design skills while bringing a fresh perspective to public sector planning. “Understanding the process of how park systems come together has been very valuable for my own training,” says 2015 Research Assistant Han Do. “I’ve learned that you need more than just

Public spaces can only realize their full creative potential when every community is part of the process, says environmental designer Samuel Ero-Phillips: “Having city planning happen to you feels very different.” That’s why the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, with support from the Minnesota Twins Community Fund, also initiated a new partnership with EroPhillips’ Environmental Design Studio apprentices at Juxtaposition Arts to create community engagement events around aligning future riverfront parks with north Minneapolis neighborhoods. “As an architect, I’ve been very interested in finding ways of connecting communities of color to design, and making sure that design decisions start reflecting the needs of communities that have been underserved traditionally,” Ero-Phillips says. “Instead of showing people slideshows and drawings, we want to bring them out on the river in

MPF joined forces with community partners, including The Loppet Foundation’s Anthony Taylor, to lead Gil Penalosa on a cycling study of North Minneapolis’s relationship to the Mississippi River.

kayaks to look at that beautiful skyline, and see the river in a way they may never have experienced it before. That’s a huge game-changer when you can teach people not just what parks have been, but what they can be in the future.” ■

“Instead of showing people slideshows and drawings, we want to bring them out on the river in kayaks to look at that beautiful skyline, and see the river in a way they may never have experienced it before.” —Samuel Ero-Phillips, Environmental Design Studio Instructor, Juxtaposition Arts

THE ROOTS OF

RIVERFIRST

A once-in-a-generation opportunity to reconnect all of Minneapolis with the Mississippi River

Glimpsing St. Anthony Falls for the first time from the deck of a steam boat, the history books claim milling pioneer Cadwallader Washburn let out a gasp. More than 150 years later, Minneapolis parks visitors can still experience the natural wonder that took his breath away. The heart-pounding roar of those 50-foot falls—the only major waterfalls for the entire length of the Mississippi—carried with it all the natural power it took to turn Minneapolis into the nation’s milling capital for more than a generation, transforming the region’s economic landscape in the process. “None of this would have been possible without the river,” says Ken Powell, CEO of General Mills, the global corporation built from the legacy of Washburn’s original Minneapolis Milling Co. “The river enabled opportunities to take our state, our people and our businesses to entirely new realms.” The Mississippi River still has the power to transform the city—this time with a bold vision for parks called RiverFirst that will reclaim 11 miles of once-industrial riverfront and redefine how every community connects to its raw power and natural beauty. As General Mills marks its 150th anniversary in 2016, the company that began on the west side of the falls reinvested in those roots, with a $3 million capital contribution toward the RiverFirst Campaign. Their generous “birthday gift” is the lead corporate gift to a $15 million capital campaign aimed at putting the river’s natural resources to work for the next generation. The visionary project will reconnect North and Northeast Minneapolis communities to the river through the 26th Ave N Trail Link & Pier, recreate Hall’s Island as a year-round park, and reimagine the soul of the city through Water Works, a destination park that will provide a new gateway to the Mississippi River.

Minneapolis Parks Foundation

A sacred site to native peoples and a significant source of Minnesota’s economic power, St. Anthony Falls has long been viewed as the centerpiece of the city’s natural assets. MPF is helping to fulfill a 140-year vision, held by landscape designer Horace Cleveland and other parks visionaries, to create a continuous riverfront park for all of Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Parks Foundation 2015 Annual Report

West River Trail Extension

Water Works, a new destination park, will reveal and reactivate historic features from Minneapolis’s hard-working riverfront, reimagining the gatehouse that once powered the mill district.

RiverFirst will connect 11 miles of once-industrial riverfront with the Grand Rounds and redefine how North and Northeast Minneapolis neighborhoods experience the Mississippi River.

“You have it in your power to convert its banks into the most attractive and most conspicuous ornament of the city, one that is entirely unique… a continuous park….of such picturesque character as no art could create and no other city can possess.” —Horace Cleveland 7

Rediscovering rivers is a 21st century urban planning trend embraced by cities from Chicago and Boston to Barcelona and London. But as Minneapolis parks historian David Smith points out, connecting every corner of the city through a continuous riverfront parks system was always part of the grand scheme outlined by landscape architect Horace Cleveland, who advised the Minneapolis Park Board during the formative years that the Mississippi River must be “placed in a setting worthy of so priceless a jewel.” “Cleveland had been involved in early park movements in Boston, New York and Chicago, and he saw how difficult it was to acquire land and create parks in developed cities. He saw that when those opportunities were gone, they really were gone forever,” says Smith. “That original vision has helped Minneapolis do a remarkable job of preserving and creating recreational spaces and to take advantage of historic opportunities when they come. Those early leaders were passionate about parks for their own sake and what parks can do to raise up the opportunities and aspirations for a community. I think that’s a legacy you can still see today.” ■

The future 26th Ave N Trail Link & Pier will have a big impact on North Minneapolis, creating new river views from a street level lighted pier (above), and converting a portion of an existing rail bridge to connect park users and bike commuters from new North and Northeast Minneapolis greenways to Downtown. Once the terminus of the Grand Rounds, a realigned Ole Olson Park (cover) will complete the circle.

“We are delighted that General Mills’ $3 million contribution to this vital project will be joined by charitable contributions from a wide array of supporters and funders representing Minnesota’s private and public sectors, who share in the belief that this riverfront is one of our community’s greatest natural assets.” —Kim Nelson, Senior Vice President, External Relations, General Mills; and President, General Mills Foundation

Minneapolis Parks Foundation

THANK YOU EVERGREEN MEMBERS

Minneapolis Parks Foundation 2015 Annual Report

Horace Cleveland Circle

The following individuals, families, foundations and corporations gave generously to support the Minneapolis Parks Foundation in 2015, through direct donations, capital campaign pledges, and support for the Foundation’s annual event. Your contributions make it possible for us to help fulfill a 140-year vision to establish a continuous public Mississippi Riverfront and secure a world-class park system within walking distance of every resident of Minneapolis. Thank you!

Recognizing the significant contribution of donors who have made cumulative general operating support gifts of $50,000 or more. Sue Bennett Julia Dayton Mary McCarthy and Brian Zelickson Elizabeth Redleaf Paul and Mary Reyelts Angus and Margaret Wurtele

Next Generation Circle † Recognizing generous donors who have made a threeyear commitment of $30,000 or more for operating support.

RiverFirst Capital Campaign *A RiverFirst Capital contribution is included in this gift.

$3,000,000 Margaret and Angus Wurtele Family Foundation*

$1,000,000 – 2,999,999 General Mills Foundation*

$100,000 – $999,999 Barbara Lupient The McKnight Foundation Paul and Mary Reyelts Foundation †

$50,000 – $99,999 Mary McCarthy and Brian Zelickson* Minnesota Twins Community Fund Frank and Frances Wilkinson Foundation*

$25,000 – $49,999 Julia Dayton Tom and Lindsay Pohlad (Eloise and Carl Pohlad Family Fund)* St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board

$10,000 – $24,999 Anonymous Mark Addicks and Thomas Hoch † Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc. Sue and David Bennett Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation † Karin Birkeland and Lee Mitau

David Dayton† Richard Erickson (Arthur T Erickson Charitable Foundation) First Avenue & 7th St Entry George Family Foundation Hawn Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation* The Minneapolis Foundation

$5,000 – $9,999 Robert Bruininks and Susan Hagstrum* David A. Wilson Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Janice and William Dircks Elly Grace ( W M Foundation) HGA Architects and Engineers Steve King and Susan Boren Kate and Stuart Nielsen The David B. Gold Foundation Whole Foods Market Calhoun and Hennepin

$2,500 – $4,999 Kelsey Arneson Bruce and Martha Atwater (Prospect Creek Foundation) Barry Berg and Walter Tambor Cynthia Froid Group Joseph Gibbons and John Cullen* Hand Made Events, LLC Jule and Betsy Hannaford Sarah Harris and David Holmgren* Elizabeth Huey

Sheila Morgan Mary and Thomas Racciatti The Gmach Family Fund Wai Nani Surf & Paddle

$1,000 – $2,499 Lucille Amis Dan Avchen and David Johnson Bank of America Dorothy Bridges* Neil Brozen and Mary Wertz Claire and John Butler Centennial Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Bert and Susan Colianni Jay and Page Cowles Mary Daschner and Dan Chowen ESG Architects FirstService Residential Fund for Community Excellence Tom Fisher and Claudia Wielgorecki Nor Hall and Roger Hale Cecily Hines and Tom Pettus Deb and Mike Hogenson JAMF Software Christine Krsnik Kathy and Al Lenzmeier Peggy and David Lucas Diane and Richard Madlon-Kay Medtronic Foundation Ann Meisch Microsoft Minneapolis Downtown Council Todd and Brittany Moitz NTH, Inc. Mary and Gary O’Brien Olseth Family Foundation

Patricia Anne Connelly Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation* Tom Paul and Robert Lenz William and Michelle Pohlad Prairie Restorations, Inc. Rickie and John Ressler Samuel and Sylvia Kaplan Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation Softcrylic, LLC Standard Water Control Systems, Inc. Pat and Thomas Sugrue Kenneth Talle The Ackerberg Group The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation The Eagle and The Hawk Foundation* United Health Foundation Mark and Nancy Wilson* Windsor Community Foundation

$500 – $999 Anonymous Cathy Anson and Peter Vaughan Mary and Keith Bednarowski Allan and Mary Lou Burdick Bruce Chamberlain and Melissa Mrachek Ann and Bruce Christensen Coggins Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation John and Laura Crosby Charles Denny Sara and John Donaldson

Kevin and Beth Dooley Sarah Duniway Steve Euller and Nancy Roehr Charles and Anne Ferrell David Frank and Wendy Holmes Amy Giovanni and Ben Ahrens Carol and Bud Hayden Jocey Hale and Glenn Miller Henry and Michele Helgen Tim Huebsch Penny Hunt Mary and Fred Jahnke Craig and Jean Jentz Lea Johnson Judy and Martin Kuretsky Lawrence Levine Libby Lincoln and Brad Fuller Cheryl and Bruce Little Ann and Reid MacDonald Lindsay and Laura Paine Christine and Jeff Phillips Jane Piccard and Hunt Greene David and Susan Plimpton Dave and Claire Ruebeck James and Van Sanders Peggy and Bradley Schafer Bryan Schmidt Bob Schmitz Margaret Telfer and Ed McConaghay The Trust for Public Land Charles and Debra Van De Weghe Joanne Von Blon Aaron and Erika Zabler Julie and Charlie Zelle

$250 – $499 Bluestem Holding, L.P. Breyer Family Fund of

THANK YOU EVERGREEN MEMBERS The Minneapolis Foundation Cinda Collins Laura Crosby and Daniel Enebo Caren Dewar and Todd Otis Kate and Douglas Donaldson Karla Ekdahl and Peter Hutchinson Nancy and Rolf Engh Tom Evers and Erin Sugrue Meg Forney and Jon Fagerson Cynthia Froid Peter and Scotty Gillette Katherine Grumstrup and Michael Bing Shawntera Hardy Aaron Howe Jake Hurwitz and Doreen Frankel IBM Phyllis Kahn William and Louise Keppel Kendall King Gail Korell and Douglas Brown Craig and Kathy Larsen Lillian and Dylan Leatham Mary Lynch and Kurt Kelsey Jodi and Jeffrey Mandyck Don McNeil and Emily Galusha Terry McNellis Lucy and Robert Mitchell David and Leni Moore Family Foundation Theodore and Judy Nagel

Avi Nahum and Jean Holloway Jean Nitchals Kathleen O’Brien and Jeffrey Loesch Julia and Brian Palmer Scott and Kristi Pearson Gloria Peterson and James McCarthy Mark Richards Cole Rogers and Carla McGrath Gordon and Maureen Rudd Cathleen Ryan and Doris Engibous Spiller L’Chaim Fund Janis and Jim Stephenson Robert and Anita Tabb Brian Thyr and Danita Carlson Jane Tilka and William Dolan Judith and Daniel Titcomb Mary Vaughan Martha Von Blon and Thomas Meyer Whitefield Russell Associates Martha Yunker

$250 – $499 Mary Aamoth Michael and Margaret Anderson Anonymous (3) Cathy and Rick Asher Thomas Bailey Gary Baker Janet Bartels Sally and James Beloff

SOURCES OF REVENUE 2015

Government

Special Events

21%

Corporations

63%

Individuals

Foundations

Minneapolis Parks Foundation

Barbara Bencini Elisabeth Bennett Best Buy Co., Inc Niki Bohne Leila Brammer Dan Buettner Robert Burgett Thomas and Anne Carrier Sarah Caruso Bob Close and Cindy Peltier John and Audrey Colasanti Ralph and Ruth Colby Steve Cramer Slater Crosby and Lise Stahl-Crosby Cy and Paula DeCosse Jane and Robert DeMay Lexie DeVries Joan and Richard Downham Barbara and Thomas Duffy Paul Egeland Susan and Noah Eisenberg Nicole Falk Kathleen and Bill Farley William Fischer Beverly Fitzgerald John Flavin Ian and Carol Friendly Lida Gilbertson Gene Goetz and Jan Conlin Terri Gold Barbara and Michael Goldner Susan John Graber Susan and Robert Greenberg Elinor Hands Nevin and Marialice Harwood Carrie and Richard Higgins Abby Hoeschler Tony and Diane Hofstede Lisa Hondros and Steve Christenson Nancy Hylden Tommy Johns and Julie Gillette Johns Michael Johnson Tim Kennedy Key Log Rolling John and Mary Ann Kosmas Hannah Lakin Lee Larson Hans and Janette Law Margaret and Ilo Leppik Robert Lunz Jim and Sara Martineau Martha and Stuart Mason Lee Mauk and Russ Bursch Samuel and Patricia McCullough Katherine Merrill

Susan and Geoff Michael Jayne Miller Michael Miller Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and ESPs Alisa Mulhair Chouhei and William Mullin John and Diana Munger Ruth Murphy and Paul Mohrbacher Steffanie Musich Chris and Lisa Nelson Gary and Claire Nelson Joan and Richard Niemiec Janelle and Scott Nivens Adrienne and Stephen Oesterle Carol Peterson and Darren Acheson Karen Pfarr Amy Phenix Raj and Marie Pillai Pitney Bowes Foundation Susie and Chris Preston Susan Reid and Mark Schmidt Sarah Renner Mike and Katherine Richardson Leeann Rock George and Karen Rosar Ashley Rosen Richard Rosengren Gary Rother Lee Schafer Elizabeth Schmieg Mary Schneider Abbey and Tim ShowalterLoch Margaret and Davis Shryer Thomas and Kathryn Skalitzky Colleen Smith Matthew Spector Kathy Spraitz and Michael Swanson Karen Steiner William Sternberg Marcia and John Stout Patricia Strandness and Bruce Shnider John and Linda Sumner Craig Swaggert and Tanna Moore Roberta Swanson and Barry Clegg Keith Thorkelson JoAnn Verberg and Jim Moore David Warner John West Nora Whiteman and Thomas Rush Tom Whitlock Liz and Andrew Wielinski

Kim Wolson and Norman Abramson Janet Woolman Paul and Emily Zygmunt

$1 – $99 AmazonSmile Foundation Ameriprise Financial David Andersen Becky Anderson and Richard Baker Thomas Anderson Anonymous (8) Sam Aspnes Johanna and Michael Ayers James Baillie and Jacqueline McGlamery Barry and Sandra Baines John and Cynthia Banovetz John and Rebecca Bartlett Carol Bechtel Thomas Beer and Rita Doucet Matthew and Sara Bergen Ann Biggar Simon Blenski Shelley Bourland Debra and Gerald Bowers John Briel Lawrence and Elizabeth Brown Carolyn and Philip Brunelle Bryan Carlson Planning & Landscape Architecture Johnathan Buerg Ann Calvert Cargill Gordon and Helen Carlson John Clayton Jennifer Corlett Anna Coskran Rob and Liza Davis Megan Dawnson Michael and Michelle DeVaughn Joseph Dickinson and Karen Schleske Marilyn Dodge Marie Doering Cameron and Christine Downey Dianne Dufresne Lynette Dumalag Walt Dziedzic John Eichten Debra and Michale Elliott Mike Elson Carol and Kenneth Engelhart Patty Erickson Kurtis Fechtmeyer Sylvia and Robert Fine Arlene Fried Konrad Friedemann

Minneapolis Parks Foundation 2015 Annual Report

Glen and Carol Fuerstneau Katy Gaynor Susan Gerstner and Daniel Carlsen Robert Glass Timothy and Ann Goodman Michael Gordon Kathleen Graham Anastasia Gulinskaya Dan Hasty Joel Hauck Kevin Hemping Lindsay Henning Joanne Henry Russ Henry Curt Hillstrom Elizabeth Hixson Charles Hoglin Karen Hoistad Diana and Gerg Ingraham Chester Jacobsen Jen Johnson Paul Johnson Janna Jonely Suzanne Joyce Robert Kean Jeanine Kelley and Michael Love

Patrick Kelly Elaine Kienitz Darrell Koehlinger Rebecca Kolis Mary Korte Kristine Kvamme Katherine and Ian Lamers Kristen and Steven Lancaster Jamie Lanske Dana Leatherman Dana Lehigh Carol Lindborg Jean Lindholm Melissa Lockhart Diane Loeffler Christopher and Carol Long Ann Luithly Owen Lundberg Joanne and Roderick Macdonald Robert Madoff and Jane Korn Louise Mageli Sheldon and Beverly Mains Rita Martinez Virginia Mateer Wesley and Barbara

Mattson Marsha McDonald and Amos Rosenbloom Geraldine and Gerald McHugh John and Jane McNaughton James McRae Jan Mehlhoff Pamela Miller Diane Moe Max Musicant Nick Nicklaus Tracy Nordstrom and Kurt Waltenbaugh Sarah and Jim Novotny Katie Nyberg Steve Nyman Thomas O’Connell and Rebecca Heist Deanna Olson Marlaine Olson Tina Ham Peterson Monica and James Preisen Mark Pryor Martha and David Raymond Jennifer Ringold Carolyn Roby

Maura Rockcastle Charlene Roise Patricia Ryan Carol Saarela Nina Sayer and Alexander Rothman Renee Scanlon Brenda Schaeffer William Schlichting Heidi Schmidt Elizabeth and Lowell Schow Robert and Barbara Scott Katie and Kenneth Searl Patrine Shadick Karen Shapiro Lacy Shelby David Smith Susan Smoluchowski Laurine Speltz and Denis Ryono Suzannah Stulberg Faith and Daniel Sullivan Carolyn and Leslie Svendsen Keith Thompson Grant Thrall Daivde and Lynn Vander Haar

Linda Varvel and Martha Hewett Nancy and Douglas Verdier Julie Wallace Marybeth Weisberg Lori Wellman Pierre and Sheila Willette Whitney Windmiller David and Leone Zwickey

Heritage Oak Society Don Yager and Rick Groger

In-kind donors Birchwood Café Laura Billings Coleman HGA Architects and Engineers Mary McCarthy and Brian Zelickson Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Nice Ride MN Peace Coffee REI Dave and Claire Ruebeck

STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES AND CHANGES IN NET ASSETS For the Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014

2015

2014

Unrestricted

Temporarily Restricted

Total

$277,194 620,988

$414,060 —

$691,254 620,988

$792,245 —

46,356

—

46,356

24,790

73,760

—

73,760

891

16,777 372,783

— (372,783)

16,777 —

1,407,858

41,277

1,449,135

817,965

511,837

—

511,837

408,389

160,374 143,763

— —

160,374 143,763

81,260 75,099

Total Support Services

304,137

—

304,137

156,359

Total Expense

815,974

—

815,974

564,748

Change in Net Assets

591,884

41,277

633,161

253,217

Net Assets – Beginning of Year

338,700

344,917

683,617

430,400

$930,584

$386,194

$1,316,778

$683,617

Support and Revenue Contributions RiverFirst Program Support Special Event Income (Net of Expenses of $24,304 in 2015 and $13,727 in 2014) Government Grants Miscellaneous Income Net Assets Released from Restrictions: Total Support and Revenue Expense Program Services Support Services: Management and General Fundraising

Net Assets – End of Year

4800 Minnehaha Avenue South

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Presorted U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 32078

Minneapolis, MN 55417

Sticker Inside

Stuart Ackerberg, Secretary CEO, The Ackerberg Group Mark Addicks* Retired CMO, General Mills Daniel Avchen* Executive Director of Strategic Growth, HGA Architects & Engineers Sue Bennett Community Leader Dorothy Bridges, Treasurer Senior Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Robert Bruininks President Emeritus, University of Minnesota John Crosby Community Leader Caren Dewar Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Minnesota Sarah Duniway Managing Partner, Gray Plant Moody

Tom Fisher, Secretary Director, Metropolitan Design Center – University of Minnesota – College of Design Dayna Frank EVP/Co-Owner, First Avenue Joseph Gibbons Senior Vice President – Wealth Management, Boyd, Bencini, Gibbons & Associates – Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management Shawntera Hardy Deputy Chief of Staff, State of Minnesota Sarah Harris, Chair Managing Director, University of Minnesota Foundation – Real Estate Advisors Elizabeth Hawn Community Leader Steve King Chairman, Landscape Structures, Inc. Mary McCarthy* Community Leader Tom Paul Retired CCO, UnitedHealthcare

Thomas Pohlad President/COO, Carousel Motor Group Connie Remele* Community Leader Paul Reyelts* Retired CFO Valspar Corp. R.T. Rybak CEO, The Minneapolis Foundation Tene Wells* Principal Tene Wells Consulting

Staff Jennifer Downham Chief Development Officer Tom Evers Executive Director Matt Karl Business & Administration Manager Janette Law Director of Communications & Strategic Partnerships

Christine Moir Annual Fund & Events Manager Minneapolis Parks Fellow Bruce Chamberlain 2015-2016 Research Assistants in Practice Han Do Jonathan Fillmore Christopher Tallman Kelly Watters

Frank Wilkinson Community Leader Riff Yeager Partner, ERM

Ex Officio Meg Forney Chair, Planning Committee, Minneapolis Park Board of Commissioners Jayne Miller Superintendent, Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Liz Wielinski* President, Minneapolis Park & Recreation *Completed term in 2015

Minneapolis Ranked Best Parks 2016* *by The Trust for Public Land

Board of Directors