The Community Sharing Fund was established in 1980 to meet the community’s need for emergency assistance. With one in five Minnesota families living in or at the edge of poverty, many people are unprepared to weather unexpected medical bills or job losses. When disaster strikes, the Community Sharing Fund helps by dispensing assistance to hard-working East Metro residents.

Designed to protect long-term self-sufficiency, these grants range in size from $50 to $700 and may be used for a variety of necessities—everything from childcare to new steel-toe work boots. The vast majority, or 80 percent, of these grants foster basic household stability by covering rent, rent deposits, mortgage payments, utilities and other housing-related expenses.

How the Community Sharing Fund Makes a Difference

The Fund partners with more than 90 community organizations to identify families and individuals facing short-term financial setbacks, perhaps an illness or an automobile accident. More than half of the Fund’s clients are single parents. They tend to be employed, though they live paycheck to paycheck and lack adequate savings for financial crises.

The Fund has provided upwards of 25,000 grants (an average of 1,700 per year) and has assisted a total of 60,000 people—imagine a citizenry the size of Burnsville’s. It is a unique way for donors to have an immediate and direct impact that helps stabilize a person’s life. Thanks to corporate and foundation donors who support the Fund’s administration, 100 percent of a donor’s gift to this unique program directly supports the individuals and families in need.

The Role of The Saint Paul Foundation

Community Sharing Fund is a program of The Saint Paul Foundation. Corporate, foundation and other funding support comes from The Katherine B. Andersen Fund, Cub Cares Community Foundation, Daugherty Business Solutions, Ecolab, Edelstein Family Foundation, FEMA, Hardenbergh Foundation, Huss Foundation, Imation, Ramsey County, REEL, Securian, SuperValu, TKDA, Walmart, and many individual supporters.