Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies last year adopted seven permanent program areas, or “domains,” to guide giving in accordance with Margaret Cargill’s wishes. Here is a sample of the philanthropy’s grants in recent years in each domain. Unless otherwise noted, all were awarded by Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, one of three grant makers under the Cargill umbrella.
Care of domestic and injured wild animals; increasing empathy toward animals.
University of Wisconsin-Madison, July 2016, $851,598 over three years for the shelter medicine program, providing educational opportunities to veterinarians and veterinary students working in animal shelters.
Folk arts, Native American art, music, textile art, and artistically significant crafts.
American Indian College Fund, August 2013, $860,000 over 42 months to provide regranting opportunities to the 13 Upper Midwest tribal colleges and universities for efforts to expand knowledge and skills related to lost and endangered Native art forms.
North House Folk School, October 2016, $675,000 over three years to strengthen Scandinavian folk arts in northern Minnesota.
Disaster Relief and Recovery
Emphasis is on events receiving little attention.
Center for Disaster Philanthropy, October 2016, $3.1 million over three years to support early-recovery needs of vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters in the Midwest.
American Red Cross, International Services Department, June 2016, $1.47 million over one year from Anne Ray Charitable Trust to provide more staff members for international-response programs and improved emergency-response technology.
Conservation of natural resources; protection of animal habitats.
The Nature Conservancy, May 2016, $5.5 million over two years from Anne Ray Charitable Trust to demonstrate how to protect and restore forests, reduce carbon emissions, and improve the lives of local communities in Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States.
Wildlife Conservation Society, October 2015, $2.7 million over three years to reduce the loss of biodiversity and natural habitats in the Lower Mekong and Irrawaddy river basins in Southeast Asia.
World Wildlife Fund. August 2016, $1.67 million over two years to conserve the ecological function of the Northern Great Plain grasslands by involving communities in a local-to-global approach.
Helping vulnerable children, young adults, families, and older people.
University of North Dakota, July 2016, $1.74 million over three years to strengthen long-term services to help elders of Spirit Lake Nation age in place. The project is expected to result in a model that other tribal communities can replicate.
YMCA of the USA, November 2015, $4.3 million over one year from Anne Ray Charitable Trust to support the Achievement Gap Initiative, which helps young people improve their school readiness, engagement, and success.
Flexible funding for work that’s in line with the philanthropy’s values, including projects in the Upper Midwest and Southern California.
CommonBond Communities, June 2012, $2 million over five years for the Housing Investment Fund’s Open 4,000 Doors Campaign, which provides capital to build and preserve affordable apartments and townhomes for families, seniors, and people with disabilities.
Recruitment, training, and retention.
This domain is still being developed.