“I Fund the Process Because I Believe in the Result” -- SJF Supporter Ron McKinley

Ron McKinleyYou know that Social Justice Fund supports grassroots social change in the Northwest, but did you know we have a national reputation as a model for progressive foundations? Social Justice Fund has attracted supporters from across the country, folks like Ron McKinley of Minneapolis, who has been donating for years even though he lives 2,000 miles away.

Ron McKinley knows philanthropy. Nineteen years ago, serving on the board of the Headwaters Foundation for Justice, he helped transform the foundation from an organization run primarily by white people with inherited wealth to one representative of the LGBT and people of color it serves. He has also worked with the Funding Exchange (a network of progressive foundations) and with former Social Justice Fund Executive Director Bookda Gheisar on the board of the National Network of Grantmakers.

“I’ve enjoyed the thoughtful way that Social Justice Fund has matured,” says Ron, about why he has chosen to support Social Justice Fund as part of his personal philanthropy. He sees SJF as “a great example of progressive social justice philanthropy.” In his 30 years in the field, he has recognized the importance of participation from those most affected by grantmaking, and appreciates our commitment to this principle. Ron believes in our democratic grantmaking process—explaining, “I’m funding the process because I trust the result.”

In his professional life, Ron is the Project Director the Kellogg Lab initiative of the Fieldstone Alliance, where he helps connect nonprofit groups with capacity building resources to help them achieve their goals. He also serves on a number of boards, including Migizi Communications, an organization focusing on educational programs and communications strategies for native communities in Minnesota, and Mixed Blood Theater, which is currently working on a production being written by seven Native playwrights.

Ron has been married for 36 years, and enjoys spending time with his two daughters and two granddaughters. Ron envisions a better future for them and the rest of the world, if, he says, “Advocates for justice commit themselves to very personal, individual action grounded in the values of equity.”

Ron’s support of Social Justice Fund is one part of that action.