Collectivity

04/27/2026

What does it mean for an organization’s values to evolve?

At Collectivity, our work has always been guided by equity, collaboration, and gratitude. But as our team and the world around us continue to change, we’ve been reflecting more deeply on how our values show up in practice.
Over the past year, we invested in intentional practices; from guided circle conversations, to strengthening how we communicate through discomfort. All in pursuit of deeper alignment and shared understanding.
One key outcome of this work is the expansion of our core values, including Care.
💡 Care means showing up with empathy, recognizing the realities people carry, and creating space for wellness and humanity in our work.
For us, this isn’t just a new idea; it’s a clearer naming of what has already been present in how we partner, collaborate, and build community.

We’re excited to carry this forward into 2026 and beyond.

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04/22/2026

Thank you to all who joined our latest Collectivity Salon Series!
We had an inspiring session featuring Bo Thao-Urabe, who shared powerful perspectives on what it truly means to build belonging in our communities.
Together, we explored this year’s theme, Belonging: Inclusion, Connection, Recognition, and Agency, and reflected on how these elements shape more inclusive and impactful spaces.

💡 Some key takeaways from the conversation:
👉 Belonging requires more than inclusion; it calls for visibility, voice, and empowerment
👉 Strong communities are built through meaningful connection and shared responsibility
👉 Creating lasting impact means fostering agency at both the individual and collective level
We’re grateful to everyone who joined, contributed, and made this conversation so meaningful.
Stay tuned for more upcoming conversations in our Salon Series!

12/09/2025

We’re excited to partner with the Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD)! 🌟

MCCD is a statewide network of community development organizations advancing racial and economic justice through small business lending, policy advocacy, and community wealth-building. Their vision is a more connected development field that promotes equitable access to opportunity and wealth-building for BIPOC and low-wealth communities across Minnesota.

Together, Collectivity and MCCD are embarking on a multi-phase strategic planning journey to shape MCCD’s next Strategic Plan — building on their legacy of impact and positioning them for the next chapter of sustainable, statewide growth.

🧭 Our collaboration is focused on:
🔸 Aligning MCCD’s mission, vision, and values with community priorities and racial equity commitments
🔸 Strengthening statewide membership engagement to ensure equitable value and voice
🔸 Exploring innovative strategies for CDFI growth, shared ownership, and inclusive capital access
🔸 Building accountability and sustainability structures to support long-term organizational impact

We’re honored to support MCCD in defining the future of community development in Minnesota — one rooted in racial equity, cooperative impact, and collective prosperity.

12/03/2025

As we move toward the end of the year, many organizations are reflecting on their progress and preparing to share their impact. At Collectivity, we’re grateful to collaborate with partners who are making real change in their communities — and help them tell those stories in meaningful, accessible ways.

Here are three lessons we’ve learned through years of impact reporting:

✨ Match the Medium to the Message
📝 Invest in the Outline
🎉 Celebrate Your Work

Check out our blog post for specific tricks and tips within these lessons and to view some of our recent Impact Report work with Engineers Without Borders USA Minnesota Professional Chapter, Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, East Side xChange and Collectivity. https://www.collectivity.coop/latest-news-clone-1691526671106/measuring-what-matters-the-power-of-impact-reporting

If your team is ready to elevate how you measure, communicate, and celebrate your impact, we’d love to connect. 📨 [email protected]

As the days grow shorter and the year winds down, it’s that familiar season of reflection; when teams prepare for what’s ahead in the year to come, take stock of what’s been accomplished, and tell the story of their impact .  Our nonprofit and social impact sectors do so much to elevate t

11/26/2025

Join us on Wednesday, December 17 from 2:30-4 p.m. for our final Collectivity Salon Series conversation of 2025! We're thrilled to be partnering with Sara Luben, Senior Director of Impact and Collective Giving at The Minneapolis Foundation to co-host the event.

This month, we’ll gather to explore how collective giving can drive systems-level change in philanthropy and Minnesota’s social-impact sector. Together, we’ll reflect on the power of connection, storytelling, and shared purpose as we head into a new year of collective work.

🗣️ We’ll dive into:

🔸 How do we sustain collaboration amid constant change?
🔸 What does it look like to lead with hope and humility?
🔸 How can we translate reflection into action for 2026?

Let’s close the year by learning, imagining, and building together.
👉 Reserve your seat: https://www.collectivity.coop/salon-series

11/20/2025

This Give to the Max Day, we’re proud to celebrate and support our incredible clients and partners who are making a difference across Minnesota through GiveMN’s Annual day of giving! 💚

These organizations are dedicated to building stronger, more inclusive, and more sustainable communities — and Give to the Max is the perfect opportunity to help fuel their impact.

Check out their Give to the Max campaigns and see how you can make a difference:

❤️ Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA)

🧡 Elevate Teaching

💛 Minnesota Center for Employee Ownership (MNCEO)

💚 Minnesota Farmers Union

💙 Neighborhood Development Center

💜 Redesign, Inc.

❤️ East Side Neighborhood Development Company

🧡 Minnesota Waldorf School

💛 Engineers Without Borders USA Minnesota Professional Chapter

💚 Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul

💙 Resilient Cities & Communities

💜 Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD)

❤️ CoNorth (formerly Northcountry Cooperative Foundation)

Together, we can build a brighter, more connected future by celebrating generosity and community this . 🌍✨

👉 Join us in giving here: givemn.org/gtmd

Give to the Max Day November 20. Find Minnesota causes fast, explore matching grants, and make a gift—every gift moves Minnesota forward.

11/04/2025

We’re excited to announce our partnership with Asian Economic Development Association (AEDA)! 🌟

AEDA has been a powerful leader in advancing Asian business and community development across the Twin Cities—particularly through its work in Little Mekong, a vibrant cultural and economic corridor in St. Paul.

Together, Collectivity and AEDA are embarking on a strategic planning journey to align organizational capacity, financial sustainability, and community impact. This process will help AEDA continue to foster economic inclusion, entrepreneurship, and cultural vitality for Asian Minnesotans.

🔍 Our collaboration is focused on:
🔸 Strengthening AEDA’s business development and training programs to expand opportunity and access to capital
🔸 Advancing Little Mekong as a sustainable, year-round cultural destination
🔸 Supporting AEDA’s workforce and social enterprise initiatives to build long-term financial resilience
🔸 Co-creating a strategic roadmap that reflects community values, bold vision, and sustainable growth

We’re honored to support AEDA in shaping its next chapter as a cornerstone for Asian-led economic empowerment and placemaking in Minnesota.

10/22/2025

🚀 MN Promise Act Round 2 is now open!

We’re excited to share that Round 2 of the Minnesota PROMISE Act grant program has officially launched. This initiative provides critical funding and resources for small businesses in communities disproportionately impacted by systemic inequities, civil unrest, and economic disinvestment.

The PROMISE Act is about more than financial support — it’s about equity, community investment, and helping local businesses grow and thrive for the long term. Collectivity is proud to support Neighborhood Development Center and its community partners on distributing this important resource.

📅 Now is the time for eligible businesses to:
✅ Check location and eligibility requirements
📝 Prepare tax returns, revenue records, and required documents
💬 Attend informational sessions to get guidance on applying
🔗 Learn more and get started here: mnpromiseact.org

💼 Your Business. Your Future. Round 2 Is Open!
Applications for Round 2 of the MN PROMISE Act are now live.
🧪 Visit a lab or info session for hands-on help: https://mnpromiseact.co/48U84fN

Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development African Economic Development Solutions (AEDS) of Minnesota CLUES - Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio Connect UP Emerge Community Development East Side Neighborhood Development Company HAP Lake Street Council LEDC-MN Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers Northside Economic Opportunity Network Propel Nonprofits Rondo Community Land Trust West Bank Minneapolis

10/15/2025

🌍 Happy National Co-op Month!

October is here, and Collectivity as a worker-owned cooperative, is proud to join cooperatives across the country in celebrating that “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”

This year’s theme aligns with the UN's designation of 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives, shining a spotlight on people-centered enterprises that strengthen community resilience, equity, and shared prosperity.

Around the globe, more than 1 billion people are member-owners of cooperatives! From the food we eat to the healthcare we receive to art we create to the ways we recreate and build community, cooperatives touch every facet of our lives. They support dignified jobs, affordable housing, vibrant third spaces, reliable services, strong local economies, and so much more.

Let’s use this month to raise awareness and share stories about the power and potential of cooperatives.

09/30/2025

At Collectivity we love talking possibilities, and are happy to offer tips and insights into potential projects. From 9-11:00 a.m., every first Friday of the month, Collectivity staff members are available to answer your questions!

We're happy to schedule a meet up with you at a local coffee shop (with a coffee on the house!), Collectivity's office in St. Paul, or virtually.

🔗 Sign up for an upcoming session: Oct. 3, Nov. 7, or Dec. 5 https://www.collectivity.coop/first-fridays

09/23/2025

At Collectivity, we believe meaningful change happens through collective action—when organizations work together, they drive systemic and population-level change.

As highlighted in our 2024 Impact Report (collectivity.coop/impact-report-2024) our work is deeply rooted in the Theory of Change framework. This approach helps us to strengthen organizations by increasing their capacity, foster collective impact through partnerships and knowledge-sharing, and identify key interventions that create conditions for systems change.

By making assumptions and measures of progress explicit, we ensure that every step toward impact is intentional and effective.

💡 Curious to learn more? Read how we integrate Theory of Change into our consulting practices here 👉 https://www.collectivity.coop/theory-of-change-and-logic-models