Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota
A Statewide Model to Create Equity
We’re on a mission to create a Minnesota where every young woman thrives. Launched by the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota in partnership with the Governor’s Office in 2016, the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota is a multi-year, multi-million-dollar investment that centers the leadership and solutions of young women of color, American Indian young women, young women from Greater Minnesota, LGBTQ+ youth, and young women with disabilities.
Advancing Opportunities with Young Women in Minnesota
In 2017, the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota published a Blueprint for Action to create and advance opportunities for and with young women in Minnesota. The Blueprint’s 20 recommendations map a pathway forward to achieve equity in opportunities and ensure that all young women can thrive.
Designed to be as participatory and inclusive as possible, two core committees help drive the Blueprint forward: Young Women’s Cabinet and Young Women’s Initiative Council. Through the WFMN Innovators program, the Women’s Foundation provides one-time microgrants of $2,500 directly to young women (ages 16-24) to support their leadership and to drive their ideas and solutions that advance recommendations in the Blueprint for Action. Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota grants support front-line organizations working in the intersecting areas of economic opportunity, safety, and leadership with and on behalf of young women and girls to advance Blueprint for Action recommendations.
Measuring Progress: The Initiative will also measure and evaluate the progress made over time in Minnesota toward equity, and will continue to produce research to better understand the lives of young women in communities, identify assets and barriers, and fund solutions across the state.
National Partnership
The Women’s Foundation is the founding member of the National Philanthropic Collaborative of Young Women’s Initiatives. Women’s foundations across the country are leading young women’s initiatives in their communities so young women of color everywhere can thrive.
YWI MN in the News
For media or other communications inquiries please contact Jen Lowman Day, Director of Communications, at jen@wfmn.org or 612.236.1828.
- Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan Announce Appointments to the Young Women’s Initiative Executive Council and Cabinet
- Governor Dayton & the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Announce Appointments to the Young Women’s Cabinet
- Impacts of YWI MN on the State’s Labor Market
- Office of the Governor & WFMN release YWI MN’s Blueprint for Action
- Read the launch press release.
- Watch the video of the launch press conference.
- YWI MN In The News: Star Tribune, WCCO, MN Daily, Fox 9 (KMSP), MN News Network, MinnPost
- WFMN Announces Inaugural YWI MN Field Building Grants.
- Read the inaugural WFMN Innovators grant announcement.
- WFMN Innovators in The News: Microgrants Help Young Women Lead Change, A Push Against Online Shaming
- These young women aren’t waiting around to spark real change in Minnesota
Our Work
Blueprint for Action
Built with community partners, based on community-specific listening sessions, and funded through Women’s Foundation investments, the Blueprint for Action proposes community-led solutions to advance opportunities and start eliminating barriers for young women in Minnesota.
Listening Sessions
From November 2015 to December 2016, the Women’s Foundation convened nine listening sessions featuring young women and advocates from the Somali and East African, American Indian, African American, Latina, Hmong and Karen, LGBTQ, disabilities, and northern and southern Greater Minnesota communities. The sessions enabled each community to form its own panels to allow for deeper conversation around economics, racism and culture, school and education, societal and gender norms, safety, and health.
We know problems and solutions are found in the same place and hearing directly from young women and youth is an important part of finding solutions. The information gathered from the sessions helps the Foundation develop a statewide agenda for gender and racial equity and increase resources for girls and women across Minnesota with the greatest disparities in outcomes. The qualitative data we gained from the listening sessions is instrumental in driving the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota (YWI MN).
Check out these listening session storyboards and more in our research ›
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume I
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume II
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Volume III
Listening to Young Women of Color, Youth, & Advocates: Executive Summary
Young Women’s Cabinet
The Young Women’s Cabinet, comprised of up to 32 young women and youth leaders (ages 16-24) from eight communities across Minnesota, is charged with ensuring that the work of the Young Women’s Initiative stays grounded in the lived experiences of the young women and youth from each community and the community-specific challenges and solutions they identified in the Blueprint for Action. The Cabinet has engaged in leadership development, been trained as policy advocates, and has directed nearly $1 million in grants to nonprofits and individuals to advance equity. The YWCA St. Paul works with the Young Women’s Cabinet to provide leadership development.
Young Women’s Initiative MN Council
The Young Women’s Initiative Council comprises more than 40 cross-sector leaders from government, business, higher education, philanthropy, and the community. Members of the Young Women’s Cabinet also sit as co-chairs of the Council. The role of the Council, in partnership with the Cabinet, is to sequence the Blueprint for Action and catalyze resources to move the recommendations forward.
Get Involved
Become a champion with young women in Minnesota and ensure a better future for all.