Propel Nonprofits is a federally certified community development financial institution (CDFI) that provides capacity-building services for third-party nonprofits, as well as serving as an intermediary for financial capital for nonprofits. Propel Nonprofits was created after the merger of the Nonprofits Assistance Fund and MAP for Nonprofits in 2017. 1 The group supports hundreds of nonprofits, especially in the Twin Cities region, each year. 2
Propel Nonprofits provides third-party nonprofits with services to help grow their capacities, including fiscal sponsorship, accounting and finance, recruitment to boards through its Board Connector Program, lending, consulting, and leadership training through its Leaders Circle. 3
Funding
In 2023, Propel Nonprofits reported $9,328,353 in revenues and $12,331,034 in expenses, with $44,298,816 in total assets and 37 employees. Funding levels dropped between the fiscal years of 2022 and 2023, with revenues falling over 35%, and total grants and contributions falling 44%, from the previous year’s numbers. 4
In 2024, Propel Nonprofits received an $8 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, as part of the more than $17 billion she’s donated since 2020. Another Minnesota-based organization, the Entrepreneur Fund, also received $9 million from Scott in the wave of donations, as part of her support for the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) sector. 5
In 2022, Propel Nonprofits reported receiving a $750,000 donation from the Margaret A Cargill Foundation for Rooted to Last, one of Propel’s fiscally sponsored projects. 46 Rooted to Last seeks to build a “social justice movement infrastructure” for Minnesota’s “communities of color.” 7 The Margaret A Cargill Foundation is one of the three private foundations making up the larger Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, of which the Foundation is a subordinate organization. 8
In 2023, Propel Nonprofits reported receiving a $655,000 donation from the Minneapolis Foundation, a left-of-center grantmaking organization that focuses on the critical race theory-influenced concepts of equity. 49
In 2023, Propel Nonprofits reported receiving $353,000 donation from the Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, which is itself another grantmaking and funding organization that specializes in donor-advised funds (DAFs). 410
People
Henry Jimenez is the chief executive officer of Propel Nonprofits. 4 Prior to his work at Propel Nonprofits, Jimenez was the CEO of the Latino Economic Development Center, and the executive director for the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs. 11
Kate Barr is the president of Propel Nonprofits. 4 Barr also works as a senior advisor for the Minnesota CDFI Coalition and board chair for the Jerome Foundation. 12
Propel Nonprofit’s CFO, Ellie O’Brien, was named CFO of the Year in 2024 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 13
General support for programs, operations and other charitable purposes
$8,000,000
2024
MacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott made an unrestricted grant of $8 million to Propel Nonprofits. Propel Nonprofits fuels the impact and effectiveness of community-rooted nonprofits by providing responsible guidance, expertise, and capital to drive racial and economic equity and community vibrancy for underserved individuals.
Seeding Future Treasures Initiative – to provide support over the next five years for BIPOC arts organizations that are younger or emergent (in existence at least 2 years), or ones that are reinventing themselves.
A seven-year program related investment to support a new recovery-focused loan product for nonprofits led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and in rural communities on North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota
$750,000
2022
Margaret A Cargill Foundation
The purpose of this project is to learn, engage and develop community-centered systemic solutions to increase investments in the enduring infrastructure (including formal and natural leadership, nonprofit organizations, cultural assets, networks and coalitions, and so on) of Minnesota’s communities of color – Black, Indigenous, Asian and Latinx/e.
For capacity building of community-based nonprofits in recovery from hardships and in support of the rebuilding and recovery of the communities they serve.
Support for work related to a program related investment for a new recovery-focused loan product for nonprofits led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and in rural communities, that combines working capital with partial loan forgiveness and technical assistance
Propel Nonprofits is an intermediary and community development financial institution that supports nonprofits primarily in Minnesota. They provide a number of capacity-building services and access to capital. They also serve as fiscal sponsor for organizations that do not yet have 501c3 status. Ecosystem grants provide general operating support for organizations that support others to solve problems in their communities.
for general operating support – Propel supports Minnesota's nonprofit sector by providing technical assistance, capital deployment, leadership support and development, and strategic services.
To provide no-cost leadership capacity building for 15-25 nonprofits and organizations that serve rural communities in Minnesota, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, farmer-oriented, and arts and cultures organizations as well as organizations that support small businesses
