Who's involved

More than 400 people have shared their expertise in the development of Compass.

Minnesota Compass Funders

Blandin Foundation
Bush Foundation
Initiative Foundation
The McKnight Foundation
Northland Foundation
Northwest Minnesota Foundation
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation
Southwest Initiative Foundation
West Central Initiative

* Special thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation for sponsorship of database development.

Minnesota Compass steering Committee

Sue Brorson, University of Minnesota Extension
Neal Cuthbert, McKnight Foundation
Drew Digby, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Nancy Fasching, Southwest Initiative Foundation
Brad Finstad, Center for Rural Policy and Development
Tom Gillaspy, Minnesota State Demographic Center
Don Hickman, Initiative Foundation
Wendy Merrick, West Central Initiative
Matt Rezac, Blandin Foundation
Mary Rothchild, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
Marty Sieve, Northwest Minnesota Foundation
Pam Wheelock, Bush Foundation

Technical Advisory Committee

Carol Berde, Strategy Consulting for Nonprofits and Philanthropies
Will Craig, Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota
Tom Gillaspy, State of Minnesota
Todd Graham, Metropolitan Council
John Gunyou, City of Minnetonka
Ellery July, Minnesota Housing Partnership
Jay Kiedrowski, Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Toby Madden, Federal Reserve Bank of Minnesota
Herman J. Milligan, Wells Fargo & Co.
Elizabeth Peterson, Greater Twin Cities United Way
Jeffrey Schneider, City of Minneapolis
Tom Stinson, Minnesota Department of Finance
Tom Walkington, Hennepin County
Tom Wegner, Land O’Lakes

Compass advisory group co-conveners

Aging – Dawn Simonson, Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging
Civic Engagement – Sean Kershaw, Citizens League
Disparities – Sandra L. Vargas, Minneapolis Foundation
Early Childhood – Barbara Yates, Minnesota Early Learning Foundation
Economy and Workforce – Michael Gorman, Split Rock Partners
Education – Alice Seagren, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education
Environment – Steve Morse, Minnesota Environmental Partnership
Health – Mary Brainerd, HealthPartners
Housing – Tim Marx, Commissioner, Minnesota Housing
Immigration – Bill Blazar, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Sandra L. Vargas, The Minneapolis Foundation
Public Safety – Tom Johnson, Council on Crime and Justice
Transportation – Bob Johns, Center for Transportation Studies, University of Minnesota

Please note, affiliations are as of the time that the groups convened.

wilder research

Compass is led by Wilder Research, a division of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. It is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit research and evaluation groups dedicated to practical research in the field of human services. Located in Saint Paul Minnesota, Wilder Research works with more than 100 organizations each year at the local, state and national level.

More about wilder research >