The River Partnership pursues a dual-mission designed to bolster the capacity and impact of community foundations to improve the environmental, economic, and cultural vitality of communities along the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

Background

The Mississippi River and its tributaries are vital environmental, economic, and cultural resources and assets. Yet given the River’s size and scope (a 31-state watershed and a 10-state Corridor), it’s easy not to feel ownership of or responsibility for the River. The River Partnership of Community Foundations was created in 2005 to engage community foundations in efforts to address the negative impacts that sprawling patterns of development and growth pressures are having on the Mississippi River, its tributaries, and its communities.

Community Foundation Leadership

The Funders’ Network has a long history of working with community foundations, as place-based leaders with a commitment to the long-term health and vitality of their regions and residents, to inspire and motivate their leadership and action on growth and development issues. The Network’s staff support to the River Partnership continues this tradition.

Participating Foundations

The Partnership meets in-person twice a year in River communities and is guided by a volunteer steering committee, chaired by Don Hickman from the Initiative Foundation. As the Partnership matures, it is evolving from advancing an awareness and learning agenda to supporting individual and collective action among participants. The Partnership currently includes 18 participating community foundations from the Headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico:

• Initiative Foundation
• Central Minnesota Community Foundation
• The Minneapolis Foundation
• The Saint Paul Foundation and the Minnesota Community Foundation
• St. Croix Valley Foundation
• Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque
• Community Foundation of the Great River Bend
• The Moline Foundation
• Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine
• Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation
• Greater East St. Louis Community Fund
• Southern Illinois Community Foundation
• Green River Area Community Foundation
• Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
• Arkansas Community Foundation
• Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi
• The Greater New Orleans Foundation