9 survey respondents
Location: 33 S Sixth St Cc-1029, Minneapolis, 55402 MN
EIN: 41-6017088
37%
63%
8 hours
Median
33%
67%
56%
44%
2017 Deadlines:
Types of Grants Awarded:
Geographic Focus:
For Fiscal Year
Total Assets:
Total Grants:
Change in Assets FY :
Amount of Grants to Minnesota Nonprofits:
Largest Grant:
Smallest Grant:
Average Grant:
Reviewer 1725 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2020
I wouldn't know where to tell them to start because other than the guidelines, Target Foundation has no accessible information or staff.
Inadvertently exerts negative influence in the field, Difficult to work with
Minnesota
Grant currently pending
2020
Bad
There is no transparency and very difficult to connect directly with Foundation staff.
Bad
Their guidelines prioritize systems change work, but the application is structured for direct service organizations, not those working in systems change. They do not seem to understand their own definition of systems change.
Make your Foundation staff accessible to the nonprofit community to answer questions about the process.
They provide amazing, flexible general operating support to the lucky nonprofits that are able to get funded.
8
Grant Applicant - applied in 2016
Have an internal connection to guide you through or give you an invite.
Inadvertently exerts negative influence in the field, Difficult to work with
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2016
Bad
Target Foundation is not transparent. Applications go into a black hole. Decline notifications were not sent and trying to get an status update from them is impossible, as they use a third party vendor to do all the communicated. They tell you to "check online" and online there is no status update. Really negative experience trying to work with them.
Bad
For a company this size, they have a very small list of grantees.
Be more open and transparent and hire your own staff to manage the grants process and communication.
You might not want to waste your time.
Um, ???
8
Grant Applicant - applied in 2018
Check online.
Inadvertently exerts negative influence in the field, Difficult to work with
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for lesser amount
2018
Bad
We never know who our contact is anymore at the Foundation. It changes and people have been let go.
Average
Target said earlier this year that they'd communicate their new priorities/guidelines to current grantees (with transition grants) in Feb, but that never came. No one seems to know Target Foundation's direction. Please communicate.
0
Reviewer 597 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2019
Due to the announced shift in their priorities, it is hard to know what advice to give about this funder. Other reviews mention you need to make a connection with an employee or someone on the board, but I am curious about how they made that connection?
Minnesota
Grant currently pending
2019
Average
We have an existing relationship with staff at the foundation that was cultivated before I was hired. I am able to reach out to staff with questions and get responses in a reasonable amount of time.
Average
As with all announcements of shifting priorities, it is hard to say whether or not a goal is being met. From the news, we can see that Target Foundation is trying to be thoughtful about their shift by sustaining funding for organizations for a few years before funding ends. I am interested to know how other nonprofits, especially those who are being asked to participate in various trainings sponsored by the foundation, would respond to this question.
Simplify your grant application! It is painful to enter a board list one-by-one into an online system.
Awaiting decision
Almost, if not all, of Target Foundation's grant dollars are invested in Minnesota where it is located which is valuable to the nonprofit community here.
15
Did not apply
They are currently doing a realignment of funding priorities. But in the past, unless you had an invite based on recommendation of a Target employee, it was impossible to break in. It was also impossible to reach someone from the foundation unless you had a contact already established.
Risk averse
Minnesota
Did not apply
2018
Bad
Average
Maybe with the new funding priorities and process to be announced at some point this year, they will do better. I guess if you were a nonprofit that had been receiving funds, you would say the foundation was achieving its goals. But the difficulty of new agencies to 'break into' the foundation, makes me want to say they aren't.
Keep working at developing contacts at Target (more upper management or having a large cadre of Target volunteers involved in your organization). Keep positive thoughts about its upcoming announcement of new priorities.
The foundation itself-once they choose you, they stick with you for several years. However, if you are receiving a grant based on employee recommendation, it will all depend on if your contact is proactive on your behalf from year to year.
5
Grant Applicant - applied in 2018
Once Target is interested in funding your organization, you will probably get funding from them. It seems like once an invitation is issued you will almost certainly get an award. The trick is getting to that point. Foundation is completely non-transparent and inaccessible, so unless you have a direct connection via board or high up employee it is almost impossible to get an invitation to apply for funding.
Inadvertently exerts negative influence in the field
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2018
Bad
Average
I have no idea, because the Foundation is not clear on what their philanthropic goals are.
Be more clear about process, expectations, and goals. Right now the Foundation seems like it exists because it's expected that corporations have foundations, rather than because Target has philanthropic goals.
Their application is short and straightforward, which is much appreciated.
5
Grant Applicant - applied in 2018
For the most part it’s a fairly simple process if you are invited. The biggest issue was cybergrants did not work well, it was hard to find the correct contact person so resolve the issue. Lots of time spent on the phone and not being able to get connected to the needed person(s). It was stressful to not know if the online portal would be fixed in time to get everything submittedz
Builds relationships
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2018
Good
Good
Need more insight on who to call when their is website issues.
Application is fairly straightforward and to the point.
10
Reviewer 3289 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2018
You should know that Target is now saying that they will not fund more than 1-2% of an organizations budget.
You should know that Target is still funding general operations! Yay!
Positive leader in the field, Gives more than money
Minnesota
Current or former grantee
Funded for lesser amount
2018
Average
Even if you personally know someone at the foundation as I do, it does not seem to influence the outcome. For best results, it is very helpful to have a director and above Target employee on your board.
Good
Target has focussed on education but they have not abandoned their organizations that work with hunger and housing. They have broad goals and work hard to meet them. Also, besides money they do a terrific job with gifts-in-king.
Since being notified that they want to be a 1-2% of a budget funder, (we were at nearly 4%) they are cutting us gradually. It hurts but does give us more time to adjust. They communicate personally and we appreciate that.
10 to 15 hours
Reviewer 680 - Grant Applicant - applied in 2017
The program officers are very approachable, though busy and sometimes take a few days to respond to inquiries. Anyone considering applying should reach out first. There have been some changes in the staffing, so if you've worked with someone in the past, you may be working with someone new again this year.
Friendly, Builds relationships, Likes site visits, "Gets" nonprofits and issues, Openminded, Responsive
(Unknown)
Current or former grantee
Funded for amount requested
2017
Good
Good
20
