Saint Paul Foundation

The Saint Paul Foundation was founded in 1940 when a group of the city's business leaders began to look to private philanthropy to supplement public funds to address community issues and needs. A community foundation provided a way to draw together many donors who could contribute money, often in their own names, to establish funds that would support a variety of community projects. The first donor was Annie Paper, a Lithuanian immigrant who contributed $5,000 in 1944 through a trust fund as part of her will. The Foundation made its first grant in 1952. The Foundation also provided grant administration services to other granting organizations, including researching grant applications and administrative support. These clients included the Mardag Foundation, the F. R. Bigelow Foundation, the Minnesota Foundation, the Paper foundations, the Jebco Foundation, and the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.

The F. R. Bigelow Foundation was founded in 1946 through a trust established by Frederic Russell Bigelow, the fourth president of the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company. It was established as a trust to promote the well-being of mankind and to support the civic, educational, religious and other needs of the community. It has funded programs and helped shape initiatives to strengthen neighborhoods and downtown Saint Paul, to improve educational opportunities for youths and adults, and to enhance the quality of life in the Saint Paul area. The F. R. Bigelow Foundation became a client of The Saint Paul Foundation in 1980.

The Mardag Foundation was established in 1969, as called for in the will of Agnes Dagmar Maas Elmer Ober. Agnes was the wife of Edgar Ober, president of the 3M Company. Originally called the Ober Charitable Foundation, the name was changed to Mardag Foundation in 1976 to move away from identifying the Foundation with one donor. Mardag is a reversal of the syllables in "Dagmar." In 1979 the renamed Mardag Foundation became a client of The Saint Paul Foundation and gained access to more resources and advisory counsel. The focus of the Mardag Foundation shifted from family interests to deeper social concerns and emergency needs.

The Minnesota Foundation was established in 1949 by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation to provide charitable giving services to donors throughout the state. The name of the organization was later changed to Minnesota Community Foundation. From 1949 to 1974 the Foundation developed programs that included accounting, investment, tax return preparation and administrative support. The Minnesota Foundation left the umbrella of the Wilder Foundation in 1984 and became affiliated with The Saint Paul Foundation.

From the guide to the Saint Paul Foundation records., 1962-2001, 2003-2008., (Minnesota Historical Society)