Navigate MN is a Hispanic-focused activist group operating in Minnesota that promotes left-progressive race, gender, and economic causes. The organization claims to envision “a Minnesota where Latinxs [sic] are achieving their full potential.” The group opposes the enforcement of numerous immigration laws. ¹

Projects

Navigate MN is the fiscal sponsor of the Minnesota Immigrant Family Fund, a program to distribute financial aid to non-citizen households. Navigate MN and its partners, which include the left-progressive religious organization ISAIAH and the Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha, a Hispanic-focused labor group, claim that non-citizens are unjustly “excluded” from government programs. ²

Navigate MN also runs a summer camp for teaching left-of-center activism to youth aged 12-18 and a fellowship program for young adults. Navigate MN emphasizes that “Undocumented, daca-mented [sic] … afro-latinx [sic], indigenous, queer, trans, gender non-conforming, differently-abled, and/or rural young adults” are “STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to apply.” ³

Partner Organizations

Navigate MN is affiliated with dozens of educational, religious, and labor organizations in the state, as well as other activist groups. These include a local chapter of the Service Employees International Union, the state League of Women Voters, and the University of Minnesota chapter of UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza). Navigate MN also maintains ties with the Mexican Consulate in Saint Paul, Minnesota. ⁴

Financials

In 2020, Navigate MN received more than $1.2 million in contributions and grants, a significant increase from the previous year, when the organization had received less than $300,000 in revenue. ⁵ The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, one of the primary funders of Navigate MN, significantly increased its grant amounts to the organization that year: Prior to 2020, the foundation had given Navigate MN between $18,000 and $25,000, but in 2020, it gave the organization more than $130,000, split up into three grants for different programs. ⁶

1. “About Us.” NavigateMN. Accessed February 19, 2022. https://www.navigatemn.org/about-us/
2. “MN Immigrant Family Fund Application.” Asian American Organizing Project. September 25, 2020. Accessed February 19, 2022. http://aaopmn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/FINAL-09.25.2020-Press-Advisory.pdf
3. Campaigns and Platform, NavigateMN. Accessed February 21, 2022. https://www.navigatemn.org/campaigns-and-platform/
4. “About Us.” NavigateMN. Accessed February 19, 2022. https://www.navigatemn.org/about-us/
5. Navigate MN, Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990), 2019. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/453808452/05_2021_prefixes_45-45%2F453808452_202006_990_2021052018155689
6. “Search Grantees.” Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. Accessed February 19, 2022. https://www.bluecrossmnfoundation.org/our-focus_old/search-grantees/