Introduction
Journalism highlights
Financial report
Who's who
Event sponsors
Supporters
In 2014 MinnPost celebrated its 7th anniversary and its most successful year yet. Read all about it in our annual report, below. You can also download the annual report as a PDF.
Letter from the Co-Founders
In 2014, MinnPost began positioning itself for the future, hiring two new top leaders and embarking on a major, multi-year initiative to increase membership.
At the same time, we saw solid growth in visits to our site and in the number of members, gave our readers a lot of outstanding journalism, were recognized by the Online News Association as one of the top three small online news enterprises in the country, and built up our financial reserves to a more prudent level.
On the leadership front, Andrew Wallmeyer, a senior associate at the strategic consulting firm McKinsey & Co., became publisher in May. Wallmeyer oversees the business side of MinnPost, including membership, advertising and sponsorship. A native of Stillwater, he is a former journalist who earned his MBA at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.
In June, Andrew Putz was named executive editor of MinnPost, replacing Roger Buoen, who retired after leading the newsroom through its first six and a half years, but continues in a part-time editing role.
Photo by Jana Freiband
Tesfa Wondemagegnehu & VocalEssence from MinnRoast 2014.
Putz joined MinnPost from Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, where he was deputy editor. He also has served as enterprise editor of the Philadelphia Daily News, and top editor of Boston and Minnesota Monthly, and has twice won the national Clarion Award for feature writing. Like the other Andrew on our executive team, he is from Stillwater.
Both Wallmeyer and Putz report to Joel, who remains CEO and Editor. Laurie, the other co-founder of MinnPost, continues to oversee major gifts and major events including MinnRoast. Both Kramers have begun modestly cutting back on MinnPost hours but not on our commitment to its long-term success.
We are also excited about another emerging leader, Bethany Hollenkamp, who joined MinnPost in January 2014 as office manager. Bethany expects to earn her MBA from Carlson this year, and she has steadily been taking on increasing responsibility in a range of areas including finance and database management.
And we’re very pleased with two other recent hires: Peter Callaghan joined us to cover local government in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Jonathan Stegall was hired as user experience engineer. Both are new to the Twin Cities and seem to be surviving their first winter.
Together with the rest of the our staff and contributing journalists, we have a great team of people creating and displaying our content, serving our members and advertising customers, and generating the revenue to keep MinnPost publishing.
Photo by Jana Freiband
Andrew Putz and Beth Hawkins discussing education during
September’s MinnPost Social.
A major component of our strategy for growth is to build up our capability to attract and retain more members. In 2014, the Knight Foundation awarded us a two-year grant totaling $600,000 for this purpose. For the last six months we have been working behind the scenes, under the direction of our new publisher, to conduct research about our readers and to build the systems and tactics needed to attract more readers to become members. In 2015, we will roll out an exciting new program of benefits both for members at various levels and for readers who become registered users.
Our reader research, by the way, showed a high level of satisfaction with MinnPost’s content and user experience among both members and non-members. Even as future planning has proceeded, we set a new record for annual donors, at 2,247, thanks in part to an end-of-year campaign that exceeded our goal by 40%.
We continue to build our reader base as well. In 2014, visits to MinnPost rose 6 percent, to more than 7.48 million. Page views rose a more modest 1 percent, reflecting the growth of visits on smartphones, which typically generate fewer pages per visit.
One measure we follow closely is the number of times per year that a MinnPost story, section front, topic or data page gets read at least 5,000 or 10,000 times – an indicator of our reach and impact. In 2014, 185 pages were read at least 5,000 times – up 15 percent over 2013. And 54 of those pages were read at least 10,000 times – an increase of 42 percent.
Advertising and sponsorship revenue, under Sally Waterman’s leadership, finished the year even with 2013, but set a one-month sales record in December.
Our growth-capital campaign, launched in 2011, surpassed its goal of $1 million.
Photo by Jana Freiband
Rep.-elect Tom Emmer, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie and MinnPost
Board Member Vernae Hasbargen at the 7th anniversary party.
Over the past two years, thanks largely to the success of that campaign, we have built up our cash position to just over $700,000, or about four months of expenses. This is great news for an enterprise that, until 2013, needed to borrow money every summer to stay afloat.
In 2015, we expect to show a modest surplus on revenues just under $2 million. Looking ahead to 2016, when there will be no further payments from Knight and very little from our growth-capital campaign, we will need substantial growth in membership and other operating revenue to continue to break even.
MinnPost continues to benefit from generous support from other foundations including McKnight, Bush, Allina/Robina, Joyce and others.
We are proud of the outstanding journalism we published in 2014. Thanks to designated donations from readers, we were able to double the frequency of Artscape and continue our Earth Journal and Mental Health and Addiction beats. As mentioned above, the Online News Association recognized MinnPost as one of the three best online news sites in the nation among enterprises with fewer than 50 staff members.
As always, we give heartfelt thanks to MinnPost’s hard-working editors, technology and business staff, journalists, advertisers, sponsors, Board of Directors, Advisory Council, comment moderators and other volunteers. Their names are listed throughout this report. Supporters of our two major annual events, MinnRoast and the Seventh Anniversary, are gratefully acknowledged on pages 8 and 9.
Photo by Jana Freiband
Editor Andrew Putz and Publisher Andrew Wallmeyer displaying their Stillwater
colors at the 7th anniversary party.
Last but not least, a word of special appreciation to the 2,247 member-donor households who supported MinnPost financially in 2014.
Readers who support our independent, thoughtful journalism as members are a diverse group, ranging from those who have done so from the beginning to those who took the plunge in 2014. If you’re not in this group, we hope our new member benefits program will bring you in. Watch for it, and please respond by becoming a member for the first time, re-establishing the habit if you’ve let it lapse, or stepping up your membership to a higher level. Reader support makes courageous, independent Minnesota journalism a sustainable reality, and your participation is central to our continued success.
Joel Kramer, Editor and CEO
Laurie Kramer, Major Events and Gifts
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Journalism highlights of 2014
2014 didn’t initially seem like it would be a banner year for news. It opened promising none of the big-ticket drama that had marked the previous couple of years. But it ended up being marked by a fascinating array of issues, events and ideas in Minnesota, from the implementation of a new medical marijuana law to the resignation of Bernadeia Johnson, Minneapolis Public Schools superintendent.
MinnPost was there every step of the way, providing invaluable insight and analysis of the region’s most important stories, from our wall-to-wall coverage of the legislature to a revealing narrative of how troubled Supreme Court candidate Michelle MacDonald managed to secure her party’s endorsement.
Photo by Bill Kelley
Green Line trial run.
And yet, for all the big stories we covered in 2014, it’s impossible to highlight our best journalism without talking about the journalists who produced that work. That’s particularly true in the case of our coverage of local government in Minneapolis and St. Paul. This year, we decided to invest in a full-time reporter to deepen our commitment to the beat. So this summer, we were fortunate enough to hire Peter Callaghan, a veteran journalist from Washington State who had previously worked for the Tacoma News Tribune and the Associated Press. Peter quickly made his mark on the beat with deeply reported pieces on Southwest LRT, Minneapolis’ arcane alcohol rules, and – perhaps most notably – an expansive look at the future of the Metropolitan Council.
When it came to state political coverage, Briana Bierschbach — who spearheaded MinnPost’s coverage of the 2014 legislative session and the 2014 elections — served up a collection of scoops and insightful takes on everything from the minimum wage to the GOP takeover of the Minnesota House. Her reporting on the ongoing problems with the Minnesota Sex Offender Program – and the class-action lawsuit seeking to reform it – has consistently broken news. Her work with MinnPost’s data team on deconstructing the way money from outside spending groups makes its way into Minnesota races was a must-read for anyone who wants to know how political campaigns work today.
In Washington, an election year kept our D.C. correspondent, Devin Henry, busy even before 2014 started. Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District race between Rick Nolan and Stewart Mills attracted national attention – and significant spending – as one of the most competitive races in the country, and Devin provided comprehensive coverage of this and other congressional races in Minnesota. While the election loomed large, Devin also covered Washington policy questions that were particularly important to Minnesotans, everything from the Farm Bill to college athlete labor unions and net neutrality.
The mood around national politics also provided the context for one of our most ambitious and well-received projects of the year. In the midst of the handwringing over poor voter turnout for Minnesota’s August primary, Eric Black wrote a multi-part series examining voter participation in other democracies around the world. Eric also broke several stories in 2014, the most notable of which came out of an expansive interview with U.S. Senate candidate Mike McFadden. In fact, Eric’s ability to pin down McFadden on his policy positions was singled out by the Columbia Journalism Review as an example of how to get relentlessly on-message politicians to actually answer questions.
Photo by Jana Freiband
President Obama speaking at Lake Harriet.
Beth Hawkins further established her Learning Curve column as a must-read when it comes to education policy in Minnesota. Beth was the first to reveal that a nonprofit named CSI, which was affiliated with well-known community activist Al Flowers, had received a no-bid contract with Minneapolis Public Schools for more than $375,000. And her insightful and candid account of Bernadeia Johnson’s tenure as the head of Minneapolis Public Schools defined the debate about the challenges facing the district.
Likewise, MinnPost’s data team of Tom Nehil and Alan Palazzolo continued to establish MinnPost as a leader in data-driven storytelling. Collaborations with MinnPost writers led to the first interactive edition of The Stroll and a graphical show-and-tell of the way campaign money flows in Minnesota. The data team also led MinnPost’s entry into 2014’s Northern Spark festival with Lacu, a visualization of Minnesota’s 13,000+ lakes. On a more pragmatic note, the data team’s user interface on MinnPost’s election dashboard won raves from both readers and other journalists as an indispensable election-night resource.
MinnPost’s groundbreaking mental health and addiction beat was the source of one of our most compelling narratives of the year: Sarah T. Williams’ examination of the tragic demise of former state legislator Steve Smith. After Sarah took a job with the Star Tribune, we hired veteran Twin Cities journalist Andy Steiner to take over the beat. Andy produced some of MinnPost’s most widely read pieces of 2014, such as her interview with KSTP-TV meteorologist Ken Barlow and his public battle with bipolar disorder.
In environmental news, Ron Meador covered a wide range of local and national issues, including the possible effects of plans by PolyMet and Twin Metals for sulfide mining in the North Woods; a mystery plague threatening white-nosed bats; causes and effects of the honeybee die-off; and energy topics including the environmental ramifications of ongoing Bakken oil shipments across Minnesota and a proposed new oil pipeline in the northern part of the state. His stories on wolf policies – involving both wolf hunting and the maintenance of wolves on Isle Royale – generated interest throughout the year. In June, Ron wrote a multipart series on his 93-mile kayaking trip on the St. Croix and related environmental issues.
One of the most exciting developments for MinnPost this year has been the continued expansion of our arts coverage. At a time when many media outlets are cutting back, MinnPost is doing the opposite. Thanks to a successful fundraising campaign, we were able to increase the frequency of Pamela Espeland’s Artscape column to four times a week. We also added a new local theater calendar (produced in partnership with the Ivey Awards) that boasts the most comprehensive and up-to-date performance information. All this on top of Amy Goetzman’s coverage of the local books scene, Andy Sturdevant’s The Stroll, and Jim Walsh’s music and cultural coverage.
Photo by Craig Lassig
Last St. Paul Saints game at Midway Stadium.
On the health beat, Susan Perry interview-ed Minnesota health experts and interpret-ed the latest medical and health studies for her wildly popular Second Opinion column. Susan was also part of MinnPost’s efforts to take on a woefully under-covered topic: late-in-life health care. This ambitious series of stories examined challenges faced by patients in the last few years of life as they deal with chronic illness in an uncoordinated U.S. health-care system. Coverage looked at successes and system weaknesses, touching on everything from transportation quandaries to a lack of food access to the challenges of moving into assisted living.
It’s impossible to talk about the journalism challenges of 2014 without noting the retirements of two of MinnPost’s founding editors: Executive Editor Roger Buoen and News Editor Don Effenberger. Both Roger and Don will be very hard acts to follow, and we are grateful that Roger has agreed to stay on as MinnPost’s special projects editor and Don has joined both the comment moderation and MinnRoast songwriting teams. With the help of longtime staff and new hires, the MinnPost newsroom is ready to tackle whatever 2015 presents.
Andrew Putz, Executive Editor
Susan Albright, Managing Editor
Corey Anderson, Web Editor
Tom Nehil, News Editor
Photo by Ashleigh Swenson
MinnPost editorial staff, clockwise from left: Briana Bierschbach, Devin Henry, Jonathan Stegall, Andrew Putz, Alan Palazzolo, Joel Kramer, Tom Nehil, Susan Albright, Corey Anderson, Beth Hawkins and Peter Callaghan, October 2014.
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Financial report
MinnPost recorded revenues of $2.04 million in 2014, up 26% from 2013. This total included $651,000 in membership donations and events, $427,000 in sponsorship and advertising, $787,000 in foundation grants, $169,000 in growth-capital campaign donations, and $8,000 in other revenue.
MinnPost 2014 revenue sources
MinnPost recorded revenues of $2.04 million in 2014, up 26% from 2013.
Expenses for 2014 were $1.66 million, up 11% from 2013. The surplus for 2014 was $379,228, compared to a 2013 surplus of $118,889. This was partly a matter of timing: we received the first $300,000 payment on our membership-building grant from Knight Foundation in 2014, and much of the spending will occur in 2015. This is MinnPost’s fifth consecutive annual surplus. Cash on hand at year-end was $722,000, our strongest position since shortly after we launched in 2007.
Foundation support in 2014
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation – $600,000 over two years (2014 and 2015) for membership strategy and development.
Bush Foundation – $200,000 over two years (2014 and 2015) to support coverage of K-12 education.
Allina and the Robina Foundation – $125,000 pledged in 2013 for reporting in 2014 on late-in-life health care.
The McKnight Foundation – $90,000 for general operating support.
The Joyce Foundation – $50,000 for news coverage of various topics.
Central Corridor Funders Collaborative – $20,000 to support Cityscape.
Fredrikson & Byron Foundation – $2,000 for general operations.
Group-funded beats
MinnPost now has three beats that are funded in part by groups of individual donors interested in the subject matter. Donors listed have pledged $1,000 or more.
Earth Journal: Edward R. Bazinet Foundation, David Winton Bell Foundation, Wendy Bennett, Bill and Sharon Clapp, Jay and Page Cowles, Jack and Claire Dempsey, Peter and Mary Gove, Kathy Jones, Martin and Brown Foundation, Lorna and Tom Gleason, Jim Lenfestey, Jane Mauer, Rolf and Lindy Westgard, Nancy Gibson and Ron Sternal, Bob and Pat Tammen.
Mental Health & Addiction: Burdick Family Fund of The Minneapolis Foundation, Linda and Ken Cutler, Laurie and Joel Kramer, Nancy Speer, Martin and Brown Foundation, Lois and John Rogers and Marge and Tom Barrett in loving memory of Tom Rogers.
Artscape: Ford Bell, Fuller Cowles and Connee Mayeron, Paula and Cy DeCosse, Design Forty Five, Polly Grose, Nina Hale, Lili Hall, Garrison Keillor, Monica Little and Mark Abeln, Chris and Dan Mahai, Eric Newman and Janice Gepner, Kay and Mike O’Keefe and a Medtronic Philanthropy match.
2014 sponsors, partners and major advertisers
Conservation Minnesota, sponsor of Weather
Google, in-kind donor
Gorton Studios, in-kind partner
Nina Hale Consulting, in-kind partner
The Ivey Awards, promotional partner
University of Minnesota, sponsor of Arts & Culture
Microsoft, in-kind donor
The Minneapolis Foundation, major sponsor, supporting Community Sketchbook
Minnesota Newspaper Association, partnership allowing members to republish MinnPost’s state government and D.C. bureau stories at no charge
People Incorporated, major sponsor supporting Mental Health and Addiction coverage
Ramsey County, major advertiser
TPT, promotional partner
UCare, overall site sponsor as well as sponsor of Second Opinion
University of Minnesota School of Journalism and Mass Communication, content partner
WCCO, content partner
MinnPost is a nonpartisan, nonprofit online journalism enterprise launched in late 2007. We publish Monday through Friday, with a limited edition on Saturday and a Sunday Review. Free daily, Sunday-only, and Greater MN subscriptions are available at www.minnpost.com/subscribe.
MinnPost’s message to the community is simple: High quality journalism is not just a consumer good, and we can no longer depend only on the private sector to provide it. High quality journalism is a community asset, underpinning democracy, community and quality of life.
Join the thousands of donors whose support makes MinnPost an ongoing reality. MinnPost is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are fully tax-deductible. Donations are welcome at www.minnpost.com/support or by check to MinnPost, 900 6th Ave SE, #220, Mpls 55414.
Become a sustainer! Sustaining members provide ongoing funding while reducing administrative costs. Contributions can be charged to credit cards automatically or deducted from checking accounts each month. Contact Ashleigh Swenson at aswenson@minnpost.com for more information.
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Who’s who at MinnPost 2014
Staff
Susan Albright, Managing Editor
Corey Anderson, Web Editor/Creative Director
Briana Bierschbach, Staff Writer
Eric Black, Staff Writer
Roger Buoen, Special Projects Editor
Peter Callaghan, Staff Writer
Beth Hawkins, Staff Writer
Devin Henry, Washington Correspondent
Bethany Hollenkamp, Office Manager
Joel Kramer, Editor & CEO
Laurie Kramer, Major Events and Gifts
Tom Nehil, News Editor
Alan Palazzolo, Interactive News Developer
Brian Perry, Director of Advertising Operations
Bryan Powell, Business Manager
Andrew Putz, Executive Editor
Tema Rosenbaum, Advertising Coordinator
Jonathan Stegall, User Experience Engineer
Ashleigh Swenson, Membership and Events
Andrew Wallmeyer, Publisher
Sally Waterman, Director of Advertising
Contributing writers & editors
Gregg Aamot
Michael Anthony
Dave Beal
Karen Boros
Pat Borzi
Cynthia Boyd
Cyndy Brucato
Frank Bures
Steve Date
Steven Dornfeld
Pamela Espeland
John Fitzgerald
Aaron Gleeman
Amy Goetzman
Doug Grow
Chuck Haga
Marlys Harris
Kay Harvey
Nick Hayes
Stephanie Hemphill
Ibrahim Hirsi
Louis D. Johnston
Joe Kimball
Brian Lambert
Bill Lindeke
Ron Meador
Iric Nathanson
Mark Neuzil
Susan Perry
John Reinan
Britt Robson
Sharon Schmickle
Al Sicherman
Andy Steiner
Andy Sturdevant
Jim Walsh
Adam Wahlberg
Catherine Watson
Sarah T. Williams
Contributing photographers
Steven Cohen
Daniel Corrigan
Steve Date
Mike Dvorak
Jana Freiband
Terry Gydesen
Brian Halliday
Rita Kovtun
Bill Kelley
Craig Lassig
Tony Nelson
John Noltner
Tom Olmsheid
David Tanner
John Whiting
Contributing illustrators
Jaime Anderson
Brian Barber
Hugh Bennewitz
Christopher Henderson
2014 Board of Directors
Jack Dempsey, Chair; Lee Lynch, Chair Emeritus; John Satorius, Secretary; Jennifer Martin, Treasurer; Mark Abeln, Peter Bell, Carla Blumberg, Lauren Collins, Fran Davis, Fred de Sam Lazaro, Jill Field, Jim Graves, Kathleen Hansen, Vernae Hasbargen, Rachael Jarosh, Kim Kieves, Barbara Klaas, Ed Kohler, Joel Kramer, Jane Mauer, Bill McKinney, Mike Moore, Max Musicant, Dan Oberdorfer, Kandace Olsen, Jeremy Edes Pierotti, Susan Plimpton, Mark Richardson, Jeff Ross, Gordon Rudd, Rebecca Shavlik, Zack Stephenson, Kari Swan, John Tieszen, Stephen Usery; David Cox, Emeritus
Advisory Council
Terri Barreiro, Wendy Blackshaw, Laura Bloomberg, Scott Burns, Jay Cowles, Toby Dayton, Nancy Feldman, Samuel Heins, Sue Herridge, Marlene Kayser, Tom Kayser, Lars Leafblad, Glenn Miller, David Moore Jr., Beth Parkhill, Mary Pickard, David Plimpton, Kim Snyder, Missy Staples Thompson, Chris Widdess
Greater Minnesota Advisory Group
Vernae Hasbargen, Chair; Greg Abbott, Eric Bergeson, Bob Bunger, Carol Cerney, Pat Henderson, Nitaya Jandragholica, Michelle Juntunen, Matt Kilian, Sheila Kiscaden, Jane Leonard, Becky Lourey, Maggie Montgomery, Thomas Peacock, Lori Schaefer, Lourdez Schwab, Joe Sertich
Volunteer Comment Moderators
Jean Bundt, Faith Christine, Andrea Feshbach, Janice Gepner, Wally Norlander, Kay O’Keefe, Sue Peterson, Barbara Scoll
MinnPost Event Planners
Corey Anderson, Cynthia Boyd A, Jill Field MR, Bethany Hollenkamp, Debbie Irestone A,
Kim Kieves MRA, Barbara Klaas MR A, Joel Kramer, Laurie Kramer, Lee Lynch, Jennifer Martin MR, Kandace Olsen MR, Susan Plimpton MR, Barbara Scoll, Al Sicherman, Ashleigh Swenson, Andy Wallmeyer
MR = MinnRoast Chairs
A = Anniversary Chairs
Event Volunteers
Kate Carpenter, Jane Cracraft, Nora Fox, Ali Hourigan, Jean Witson, Ang Dezelske, Rosanne Monten, Gay Herzberg, Linda Brooks, Caitlin Schober, Taryn Bitterly, Annie Wood, Debbie Ross-Staska, Kameron Engle, Kyle Irestone, Katie Ahmann, Carly Broderick, Tony Broderick, Logan Schumacher, Lori Eagle, Brad Lewis, Mugsy Keller, Ana Panone Baker
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Event sponsors
MinnRoast 2014
Reception Host
Stinson Leonard Street
Smokey & the Miracle Workers
K-TWIN
Kim & Garry Kieves
Laurie & Joel Kramer
Lee Lynch & Terry Saario
Jennifer Martin
The Minneapolis Foundation
Minnesota Business Magazine
People Incorporated
Ramsey County
UCare
Four Seasonings
At Sara’s Table
Chester Creek Café
Jack & Claire Dempsey
Tom & Marlene Kayser
TPT
Hot Mamas & Papas
Mark Abeln & Monica Little
Accredited Investors
Joyce Anderson
Close Architects
Jay & Page Cowles
Fran & Barb Davis
Fred & Kay de Sam Lazaro
Deloitte
Jill & Larry Field
Barbara Forster & Larry Hendrickson
Jim & Julie Graves
Great Plains Institute
Great River Energy
Gustafson Gluek PLLC
Mike & Vernae Hasbargen
Diane & Tony Hofstede
Debbie & Pat Irestone
Sam & Sylvia Kaplan
Warren & Joyce Kapsner
Thomas A. Keller III
Barbara & Paul Klaas
Eli Kramer & Jessica Cordova Kramer
Matt & Katie Kramer
Peggy & Ilo Leppik
Becky Lourey
Jane K. Mauer
McGrann Shea Carnival
Straughn & Lamb
Bill & Amy McKinney
Leni & David Moore, Jr
Dan & Evelyn Oberdorfer
Kandace Olsen & Scott Peterson
PCG Agencies
Jeremy Edes Pierotti &
Kathryn Klibanoff
David & Susan Plimpton
Ross & Orenstein
Allen & Linda Saeks
John & Linda Satorius / Fredrikson & Byron
Rebecca & Mark Shavlik
Tina & Archie Smith
Spong
Lowell & Deb Stortz
Zimmerman Reed
In-Kind Donors
Le Cirque Rouge Cabaret & Burlesque Show Band
Northstar Balloons
Rapid Graphics & Mailing
The Ritz Theater
VocalEssence
Prairie Organic Spirits
Seventh Anniversary
Edward R. Murrow level
Fredrikson & Byron, PA
Ida Tarbell level
Kim and Garry Kieves
Laurie & Joel Kramer
Carl Rowan level
At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Café
Fran & Barb Davis
Barbara Forster & Lawrence Hendrickson
Warren & Joyce Kapsner
Jennifer Martin
Jane Mauer
Kandace Olsen & Scott Peterson
Susan & David Plimpton
Bob & Pat Tammen
U of M School of Journalism & Mass Communication
A.J. Liebling level
Mark Abeln & Monica Little
Jill & Larry Field
Erin George
Barbara & Paul Klaas
Becky Lourey
I.F. Stone level
Joyce Anderson
Ronald DeHarpporte
Andrew Putz & Kylie Engle
Jim & Joy Erickson
Hazelden Betty Ford
Horner Strategies LLC
Sara Jaehne & Jim Goff
NewStudio | Architecture
Northrop, University of Minnesota
Mary Pickard
Ed & Peggy Pluimer
Rebecca and Mark Shavlik
Missy Staples Thompson & Gar Hargens
Sam Stern
Emily Anne Tuttle
Andrew & Katrina Wallmeyer
Rolf & Lindy Westgard
Silent Auction & Raffle Donors
Al Sicherman
Alexis Bailly Vineyards
American Craft Council
American Swedish Institute
Andy Steiner
Andy Sturdevant
AX Fitness / Christine Jacques
Barbara & Paul Klaas
Barbette
Bea Sinna
Bibelot
Blue Plate Restaurant Company
Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts
Brave New Workshop
Briana Bierschbach
Britt Robson
Broders’ Terzo Wine Bar
Byerly’s Wine Shop
Caldrea/Mrs. Meyer’s
Carla Blumberg
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
Colossal Cafe
Comedy Sportz
Commonweal Theatre Company
Como Friends
Cyndy Brucato
Debra Mundinger
Elaine Evans
Elsie’s Restaurant,
Bar & Bowling
Eric Black
Fred de Sam Lazaro
George & the Dragon
Guthrie Theater
Hennepin Theatre Trust
Iric Nathanson
Jill & Larry Field
Jennifer Martin
Kim & Garry Kieves
Kirk Bratrud
Kyatchi Sushi
La Belle Vie
Laurie & Joel Kramer
Leza B’s Cleaning & Homesitters
Lucia’s
Magers & Quinn Booksellers
Mall of America
Masu Sushi & Robata
Milkweed Editions
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
MinnPost Board of Directors
Mixed Blood Theatre
MN Center for Book Arts
MN Historical Society
MN Landscape Arboretum
MN Opera
MN Orchestra
MN Timberwolves
MN United FC
Motoprimo Motorsports
Nick Hayes
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Pam Neary
Park Square Theatre
Peace Coffee
Penny Petersen
Penumbra Theatre
Primp Boutique
Red Stag Supperclub
Renewal Laser Clinic
Rock Bottom Brewery
Ron Meador
Rooster Feather Foodstuff
Sassy Spoon
Smack Shack
Solera Restaurant
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
Starbucks Coffee Company
SubText Books
Surdyk’s
Susan & David Plimpton
The History Theatre
The O’Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University
The Schubert Club
The Tiny Diner
The Works Museum
Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus
University of Minnesota
Dept. of Theatre Arts & Dance
Vernae & Mike Hasbargen
Vocal Essence
W.A. Frost
Walker Art Center
Weisman Art Museum
Wine & Canvas
Winston’s Barbershop at Macy’s
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Sincere thanks to MinnPost supporters
This list combines donations made in 2014 for membership, the growth capital campaign to Take MinnPost to the Next Level, MinnRoast and Seventh Anniversary sponsorships and tax-deductible ticket purchases.
Donations in memory or honor of someone are acknowledged alongside the appropriate donor recognition.
If we have inadvertently omitted your name, or listed you in the wrong category, please email members@minnpost.com to let us know.
An ‘s’ after a donor’s name indicates Sustaining Members – those who make automatically recurring donations. An ‘l’ indicates Loyal Members – those who have contributed three or more years in succession. The names of donors who have passed away are marked by an asterisk.
Major Start-Up Donors ($100,000+ in 2007)
Sage* & John* Cowles
David & Vicki Cox
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Joel & Laurie Kramer
Lee Lynch & Terry Saario
Foundation Supporters since 2007
Allina and the Robina Foundation
Elmer L. and Eleanor J. Andersen Foundation
Edward R. Bazinet Foundation
David Winton Bell Foundation
Blandin Foundation
Otto Bremer Foundation
Bush Foundation
Carolyn Foundation
Central Corridor Funders Collaborative
Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation
Fredrikson & Byron Foundation
General Mills Foundation
The Joyce Foundation
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Leonard, Street and Deinard Foundation
Martin and Brown Foundation
The McKnight Foundation
Medtronic Foundation
The Minneapolis Foundation
Northwest Area Foundation
Pohlad Family Foundation
The Saint Paul Foundation
Planned Giving
Donors listed have notified us that MinnPost is listed as a beneficiary in their wills or other estate documents. If you are considering a planned gift to MinnPost, please let us know so we can acknowledge your generosity.
Jack & Claire Dempsey
Susan Herridge
Joel & Laurie Kramer
Lee Lynch & Terry Saario
2014 Donors
Benefactors ($20,000+)
The Joyce Foundation
Joel & Laurie Kramer ls
Lee Lynch & Terry Saario l
Jennifer Martin / Martin and Brown Foundation l
The McKnight Foundation l
The Saint Paul Foundation
Rebecca & Mark Shavlik l
Charter Members ($10,000-19,999)
Allan & Lou Burdick l
Jay & Page Cowles ls
Great River Energy l
Kim & Garry Kieves l
Jeremy Edes Pierotti & Kathryn Klibanoff l
Media Moguls ($5,000-9,999)
Mark Abeln & Monica Little ls
David & Debbie Andreas l
Carla Blumberg l
Peter & Maureen Beck ls
Wendy Bennett l
Fran & Barb Davis ls
Toby & Mae Dayton l
Jack & Claire Dempsey ls
Jill & Lawrence Field l
Fredrikson & Byron Foundation l
Jim & Julie Graves l
Rachael Jarosh
Kathleen Jones ls
Barbara & Paul Klaas l
Jane Mauer l
Bill & Amy McKinney l
Daniel & Evelyn Oberdorfer l
Jeff Ross l
Tankenoff Families Foundation l
John & Lesa Tieszen l
Stephen Usery
Pulitzer Prize Winners ($2,500-4,999)
Peter Bell & Sharon Bottorff
Michael & Ann Ciresi l
Fred & Kay de Sam Lazaro l
Janice Gepner & Eric Newman ls
Investigative News Network
Pat & Debbie Irestone l
Garrison Keillor
Ed & Carly Kohler ls
Andrew Lack
Margaret A. Cargill Foundation l
Kandace Olsen & Scott Peterson ls
Susan & David Plimpton l
Mark Richardson & Sallie Gaines ls
John & Lois Rogers ls
John & Linda Satorius l
Stinson Leonard Street Foundation l
Rolf & Lindy Westgard ls
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