Star Tribune
Here’s how to help your favorite Minnesota nonprofit this Give to the Max Day
Minnesota’s annual Give to the Max Day this week is the largest fundraising day of the year for many of the state’s nonprofits, but organizers said the venture’s size and success shouldn’t deter anyone considering a donation.
“Even if all you can give is $5, please don’t skip that part of November, because all of those dollars are going to make a huge difference to not only the organization serving our neighbors, but our neighbors themselves,” said Jake Blumberg, executive director of GiveMN, which puts on the annual event. Higher costs at the grocery store or on utility bills have left many feeling a pinch, Blumberg acknowledged, but that’s likely to be felt even harder by organizations that feed the hungry or help provide shelter to unhoused people.
This year’s Give to the Max, which runs all day Thursday, will test Minnesota’s recent trend of bucking national decreases in the rate of charitable giving. In 2023, more than $34 million went to state nonprofit organizations, the fourth consecutive year the statewide online fundraiser topped $30 million.
The giving holiday often increases exposure for nonprofit organizations, attracting many first-time donors. New this year is a regional amplifier program that will provide additional sponsored prize grants for gifts made to organizations in greater Minnesota, Blumberg said.
“We’re excited about that partnership and the opportunity for rural and greater Minnesota organizations to have a little additional generosity pointed their direction,” he said.
The postelection season sometimes inspires donor fatigue. But the outcome of the presidential race this year has given some Minnesota nonprofits a sense of urgency to go with their donor pitches. CAPI, a Brooklyn Center-based nonprofit serving refugees and immigrants, is currently supporting more families than ever, said Development & Communications Director Monique Hernandez. She said there’s been a needed uptick in interest in the last couple weeks from people looking to give to immigrant and refugee causes in the Twin Cities, as fears rise of impending federal policy changes that could negatively impact the community.
“I’ve been seeing a lot more people in the community seeking out those ways to just get involved, whether that’s donating, volunteering, or just participating in events,” Hernandez said. CAPI operates a culturally-specific food shelf that sees 40 families or about 300 people per week, and is hoping to raise $10,000 as part of their campaign to support the food shelf and a future child care center the group hopes to open in 2026.
“We’ve had to scale back on the amount of people we can serve in the food shelf because the demand has been so high,” Hernandez said. “With food prices being what they are, it’s harder for us to obtain the amount that we need with the funding that we have.”
Fresh off the Democrats’ losses in the presidential election and for control of the U.S. House and Senate, the longtime chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor party is putting his name in the hat to lead the Democratic National Committee.
Ken Martin, 51, of Eagan, announced his intention Tuesday in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I’m ready to get to work to rebuild our party,” he wrote in a caption accompanying the 2:20 minute video.
Martin began his career in the 1990s as an intern for former U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone. He has served as leader of the state’s Democrats since 2011, making him the longest-serving chairman in the party’s history. Martin also serves as vice chair of the DNC and president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs.
“When I took over Minnesota’s Democratic Party, we were deep in debt and disarray, reeling from major losses. But we brought people together, we built a winning coalition and we delivered results,” he said in his video. “Since then we’ve won every statewide election. Twenty-two in a row. “And we are the last of blue wall states still standing. “
Martin, who attended Eden Prairie High School and graduated from the University of Kansas, said he entered politics because he was angry and frustrated with what he saw with politicians. He said Wellstone told him the only way to change an institution is to get involved and shape it from the inside.
“That is why I am running for the chair of the Democratic National Committee,” Martin said in his video. “My motto is to build, to expand, build to last. When the Trump agenda fails Americans, as it most certainly will, they need to know that we have their backs.”
The owners of the CC Club in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood say they are open to selling the famous dive bar in the near future after running it for more than a decade.
Randy Segal, one of the co-owners of the bar, said there have been no formal plans to sell the bar yet. But with both Segal and his co-owner Steve Shapiro recently turning 75 in March, he says he is contemplating retirement.
“With all the stress of running businesses, you get older, and reality hits,” Segal said on Monday.
The dive bar was first opened in 1933 at the intersection of Lyndale Avenue and 26th Street. It developed a legendary status in the city as a place for hipsters and musicians. The bar has seen a lot of music style evolution from rock-and-roll to today’s punk-focused music scene.
Notably, a few songs by the Minneapolis rock band The Replacements were inspired by their time at the CC Club, including the track, “Here Comes a Regular.”
Earlier this year, Segal had mentioned to others that he would look to retire and sell the business to when he turned 75, which happened in March. While there have been no advertisements or formal talks about selling, Segal said he would consider offers.
“It’s the kind of thing where if something came along and it was the right deal, I suppose I’d listen to it,” Segal said.
First opportunity, however, would go to the bar’s workers if they wished to collectively buy the bar, the owner noted. Still, Segal said he wants whoever eventually takes over the club to have knowledge of bars, business and being a manager.
The Salvation Army kicked off its annual Red Kettle campaign over the weekend, but it does not have enough bell-ringers to staff its donation buckets.
The nonprofit is seeking to raise $2 million during its holiday campaign, and a good portion of that comes from coins and dollar bills dropped in red buckets placed outside store entrances and on street corners. To reach that goal, Salvation Army is looking for volunteers to ring bells near the kettles and draw attention to the campaign.
The organization providing struggling families with food, housing and financial assistance throughout the year needs bell ringers to fill 15,000 hours, but so far only 4,000 hours have been reserved.
“Volunteers are the foundation of our Red Kettle campaign, because a kettle with a bell ringer will raise between $80 and $100 an hour — enough to feed three families for a week,” said Salvation Army Northern Division Lieutenant Colonel Randall Polsley. “All the analysis we’ve done confirms that a kettle without a ringer collects no donations, so volunteering as a bell ringer makes all the difference.”
Last year, the Salvation Army tested a new system at select kettles to allow donors to use credit cards and smartphones to make digital contributions. This year Salvation Army will use its “Tap To Give” devices at more Twin Cities locations.
“Many people no longer carry cash with them, and with ‘Tap To Give,’ we’ve made it incredibly easy to quickly make a small donation at the red kettle,” Polsley said.
Revenue during the annual holiday campaign was up last year, but still has not returned to levels prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, officials said. But the need for help continues as families continue to face high prices for rent, food and utilities, they added.
“As more and more people come to the Salvation Army for help, we in turn rely on volunteer bell ringers for their help at this most important time of year,” said Sophie Crowell, volunteer relations director of the Salvation Army Northern Division.
