McKnight Foundation
Encyclopedia
The McKnight Foundation is a philanthropic organization based in Minneapolis, Minnesota
in the United States. The foundation's interests lie in the environment, the arts, community development, and other areas.
The Foundation was set up by William L. McKnight
and Maude L McKnight in 1953. William McKnight was an early leader of the 3M
corporation. The Foundation is privately endowed and has always been independent of the 3M Company.
Bolstered by the estates of both McKnight and his wife Maude, the foundation's assets grew substantially in the 1980s.
As of 2009, the Foundation had assets of over $1.8 billion. is ranked twenty second on the Foundation Center's
list of the largest private foundations in America.
The foundation's board of directors is still largely composed of McKnight's descendants, and is chaired by Robert J. Struyk.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
in the United States. The foundation's interests lie in the environment, the arts, community development, and other areas.
The Foundation was set up by William L. McKnight
William L. McKnight
William L. McKnight was an American businessman and philanthropist who served his entire career in the 3M corporation, rising to chairman of the board from 1949 to 1966. He founded The McKnight Foundation in 1953....
and Maude L McKnight in 1953. William McKnight was an early leader of the 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
corporation. The Foundation is privately endowed and has always been independent of the 3M Company.
Bolstered by the estates of both McKnight and his wife Maude, the foundation's assets grew substantially in the 1980s.
As of 2009, the Foundation had assets of over $1.8 billion. is ranked twenty second on the Foundation Center's
Foundation Center
The Foundation Center is a 501 nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City. The Center’s stated mission is "to strengthen the social sector by advancing knowledge about philanthropy in the U.S...
list of the largest private foundations in America.
The foundation's board of directors is still largely composed of McKnight's descendants, and is chaired by Robert J. Struyk.