News

Black lives matter. It is a sign of the polarization of our time that such a simple statement can be so fraught that people refuse to say it. It is a moral truth. And it forces recognition of how racism in people and policies can violate this truth. We believe racism is holding our region back from being all it can be and preventing us from reaching our individual and collective potential. The Bush Foundation’s purpose is to make the region better for everyone. Making the region better for everyone requires intentional anti-racism work.

The inequities and systemic oppression that the killing of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic have spotlighted have been there for generations. But they don’t have to continue. It is up to all of us to step forward with the leadership that this moment requires and build a new reality together.

Introducing the 2020 Bush Fellows, 24 visionary leaders who are thinking big about how to solve problems and shape a better future for their communities.

George Floyd’s murder and the community unrest that followed affected our region and world. We’re inspired by the many community-led efforts to respond and rebuild. We are glad to be an initial contributor to the Twin Cities Rebuild for the Future Fund. 

It is always upsetting to witness racism and violence. It is particularly upsetting when the racism and violence is close to home. When it is our community. Our police. Our neighbor — George Floyd.

After considering many factors related to COVID-19, we have decided to postpone bushCONNECT from Fall 2020 to Fall 2021.

The organizations who have received Community Innovation grants so far in 2020 are examples of the community problem solving happening to make our region better for everyone. They're working on solutions for homelessness, workforce inclusion, increasing home-ownership opportunities and issues related to COVID-19. 

The Bush Foundation has invested in leadership development as a program priority for decades. It is only in recent years that we have brought that same intention to our own staff.

One of our Bush Foundation values is to Spread Optimism. To us, that means thinking bigger and thinking differently about what is possible for people and communities. It does not mean pretending like things aren’t bad or difficult. Turning optimism into action requires being realistic and adjusting efforts to fit changing circumstances.
 

The Bush Foundation is adjusting to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the rest of our region, country and world. We’re thinking about how we can be most supportive and useful to our community as we also figure out how to manage ourselves and our work. We don’t yet know what the greatest needs will be or the best ways to support them. We do know that the economic hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic will be challenging for many. Here’s what we’re doing right now to support our staff, partners and community...