A Conduit for Community-Led Change:
Headwaters as a Philanthropic Intermediary
For over 40 years, Headwaters Foundation for Justice has helped grow and sustain grassroots organizing across Minnesota. We are a place-based, people-powered community foundation that welcomes participation from everyone, regardless of class, race, or background.
We get money to activists and organizations on the frontlines of fights for justice in Minnesota through grants that they can use to support their work however they need. These grants are made up of the combined dollars of our committed donors and funds from larger foundations.
You may hear the term “intermediary” used to describe our role. But we prefer the word conduit.
A conduit carries power and energy from one place to another so it can move, grow, and do real work. That’s how we see our role.
When a dollar comes to Headwaters from an individual donor, its impact is multiplied and spread far across Minnesota. Through Headwaters, every dollar donated becomes a building block for stronger relationships and long-term power for a network of organizations fighting for a more just Minnesota.
Here’s how:
We Invest in People, Not Just Projects
Our grants don’t just cover line items. They support the people doing the work.
Headwaters hosts grantee and community gatherings and offers leadership development, skill building, and practical trainings for our grantees. We share best practices and lessons learned like how to build an individual donor program and write stronger grants.
When grassroots leaders grow stronger, movements grow stronger. We don’t just fund organizations - we help build their capacity to win.
We Open Doors Other Funders Won't
We are often the “first funder in” when new, small grassroots organizations are seeking seed funding and credibility. That early trust matters.
Our grants frequently open the door to additional funding from other philanthropic institutions. As a result, our funding has helped shift the broader philanthropic landscape in our region. Our grants move resources to groups that have long been overlooked and encourage more cautious institutions to invest in community-led change.
Shared Power, Shared Accountability
Traditionally, philanthropy has centered paperwork and tedious forms for reporting. Headwaters centers relationships.
Instead of transactional reporting, we build trust through sharing knowledge, stories, and ideas during award visits. We learn from our grantees about what’s working and what’s changing on the ground. And we invite grantees to serve as grant readers in future funding cycles, sharing decision-making power with the community.
For us, that’s what real accountability looks like: shared strategy, shared learning, and shared power. Together, we turn collective dreams into lasting relationships and long-term infrastructure for justice.
Join a Community That Funds Justice Together
So if you’ve ever hesitated at the word intermediary, we invite you to reconsider.
Giving to a conduit like Headwaters means your dollar works in more than one place at once, making transformation in our region possible.
In a moment when movements need both courage and stability, being a conduit ensures support flows steadily. Together, Headwaters donors can resource movements for the long haul, turning individual generosity into collective strength.
Give today. Help power movements for justice across Minnesota.
