Founded in 2014 and headquartered at Augsburg University, ³ the Sabo Center is named for former left-progressive U.S. Rep. Martin Olav Sabo (D-MN). ⁴ In addition to its organizing workshops, the Center hosts events on critical race theory-influenced concepts such as social and racial justice, “intersectional environmentalism,” ⁵ “climate anxiety,” and other topics. ⁶

The Sabo Center’s supporters include the left-of-center Ford Foundation, Kettering Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, the Minnesota Department of Education, Northwest Area Foundation, Surdna Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Minneapolis Foundation, and others. ^{7 8}

History and Leadership

The Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship was formed in 2014 at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when the Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning merged with the Center for Democracy and Leadership. ⁹

Elaine Eschenbacher is the executive director of the Sabo Center. She is the assistant provost for experiential learning at Augsburg University. ¹⁰

Activities and Funding

Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship is a left-leaning organization that aims to shape the public narrative for social change through workshops, deliberative public dialogue, and one-on-one meetings with a focus on community organizing and other topics. ¹¹

The Sabo Center hosts events on critical race theory-influenced concepts such as social and racial justice and “intersectional environmentalism.” ¹² In 2022, the Sabo Center’s events included the “Climate Anxiety Workshop,” “BIPOC Stories from Across the Country,” and others. ¹³ The Sabo Center also operates Augsburg University’s Sabo Scholars program ¹⁴ and the Leaders for Equity, Action, and Democracy (LEAD) Fellows program, which is a project of the Bonner Foundation. ¹⁵

The Sabo Center is a member of the national Place-Based Justice Network ¹⁶ and offers consulting, speaking, and training programs to coach individuals and organizations to work on issues in Minnesota and the broader U.S. on college campuses, in K-12 schools, and with professionals. ¹⁷

Funding

The Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship is supported by grants, contracts, and individual contributions. ¹⁸

In 2020, the Sabo Center received a $75,000 grant from the left-of-center Hearst Foundation to support the Leaders for Equity, Action, and Democracy (LEAD) Fellows Program. ¹⁹ In 2021, these fellows reflected on critical race theory-influenced issues including equity and justice. ²⁰

As of 2018, the Sabo Center’s financial supporters included 21^st Century Community Learning Center, A’Viands, Bigelow Foundation, Ford Foundation, General Mills, Kettering Foundation, McKnight Foundation, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, the Minnesota Department of Education, Northwest Area Foundation, Sheltering Arms Foundation, Saint Paul Foundation, Surdna Foundation, Target, Travelers Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. ²¹ That same year, the Sabo Center received $3,500 from the Minneapolis Foundation to support West Bank youth in civic engagement. ²²