Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy

Background

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy emerged from the work of its predecessor, the Project Environmental Foundation (PEF), and was officially established in 1974. Founded by lawyers and environmentalists, including Chuck Dayton, the MCEA’s core mission was to ensure enforcement of the state’s environmental protection laws. This included the Minnesota Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), which the MCEA utilizes frequently. ^{5  6  7}

Financials

In 2024, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy reported revenue of $2,817,765, expenses of $4,026,895, and a net loss of $1,209,130. The organization had net assets of $3,905,750. Contributions accounted for $2,544,126 or 90.3 percent of revenue. Program services revenue was $244,398 or 8.7 percent. Investment income was $64,229 or 2.3 percent. On the expenses side, other salaries and wages totaled $2,642,064 or 65.6 percent. Executive compensation was $162,096 or 4 percent. Total assets were $4,492,106 with liabilities of $586,356. ⁸

In 2023, the United States Energy Foundation, an environmentalist left-of-center “pass through” charitable foundation, gave a $325,000 donation to the MCEA to “support education and outreach to build a clean energy future.” ^{9  10}

In 2023, the McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based left-of-center foundation, made a $300,000 donation to the MCEA for “strategy leadership to transform the energy sector, decarbonize building, maximize implementation of new laws, and achieve equitable outcomes at the Public Utilities Commission.” ¹¹

Litigation and Advocacy

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy initiates litigation challenging industrial and infrastructure developments. The organization has taken legal action concerning the PolyMet/NewRange copper-nickel mining proposal, resulting in court-ordered reviews and permit suspensions. The MCEA has also pursued legal challenges to ensure stricter regulations of PFAS chemicals in Minnesota. In urban environmental cases, the organization was involved in the Roof Depot/East Phillips case and challenged environmental outcomes related to the Upper Harbor Terminal development. Additionally, the MCEA represented youth activists opposing the Line 3 pipeline project and secured a legal precedent for state agencies involving setting climate standards. ¹²

The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy joined over 500 advocacy groups in a July 16, 2025, letter opposing Congressional inquiries into groups receiving federal grants, calling them attempts to “weaponize” power against organizations that promote policies in opposition to the second Trump administration. ^{13  14}

People

Kathryn Hoffman, the chief executive officer of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy as of November 2025, earned her law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School and a master’s in public policy from the Humphrey Institute in 2006. She practiced complex litigation at Zelle LLP in Minneapolis for four years before joining the MCEA as a staff attorney in 2010 before being elevated to chief executive officer in 2017. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota Law School and chaired the Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association. ^{15  16}