00666 SAINT PAUL FOUNDATION: An Inventory of Its Records at the Minnesota Historical Society National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Minnesota Historical Society

St. Paul MN.

Manuscripts Collection

Finding aid encoded by David B. Peterson, December 13, 2007. Finding aid written inEnglish June 2011 Additions added and finding aid updated by Shelby Edwards October 2010 Boxes 1-4 relocatored by David B. Peterson August 2008 Converted from EAD Version 1.0 to Version 2002 by Monica Manny Ralston, Daniel Sher, and Joyce Chapman. OVERVIEW Minnesota Historical Society Saint Paul Foundation. Saint Paul Foundation records. 1962-2001, 2003-2008. Materials in English. Microfiche grant files and paper indexes, including correspondence, proposals, and related records, detailing this private foundation's support of social, charitable, environmental, municipal, educational, and cultural organizations in the Twin Cities area. Includes similar records of the Mardag Foundation, the F. R. Bigelow Foundation, and the Minnesota Foundation. 2.8 cubic feet (5 boxes). See Detailed Description for shelf locations. HISTORICAL NOTE

The Saint Paul Foundation was founded in 1940 when a group of the city's business leaders began to look to private philanthropy to supplement public funds to address community issues and needs. A community foundation provided a way to draw together many donors who could contribute money, often in their own names, to establish funds that would support a variety of community projects. The first donor was Annie Paper, a Lithuanian immigrant who contributed $5,000 in 1944 through a trust fund as part of her will. The Foundation made its first grant in 1952. The Foundation also provided grant administration services to other granting organizations, including researching grant applications and administrative support. These clients included the Mardag Foundation, the F. R. Bigelow Foundation, the Minnesota Foundation, the Paper foundations, the Jebco Foundation, and the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.

The F. R. Bigelow Foundation was founded in 1946 through a trust established by Frederic Russell Bigelow, the fourth president of the St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company. It was established as a trust to promote the well-being of mankind and to support the civic, educational, religious and other needs of the community. It has funded programs and helped shape initiatives to strengthen neighborhoods and downtown Saint Paul, to improve educational opportunities for youths and adults, and to enhance the quality of life in the Saint Paul area. The F. R. Bigelow Foundation became a client of The Saint Paul Foundation in 1980.

The Mardag Foundation was established in 1969, as called for in the will of Agnes Dagmar Maas Elmer Ober. Agnes was the wife of Edgar Ober, president of the 3M Company. Originally called the Ober Charitable Foundation, the name was changed to Mardag Foundation in 1976 to move away from identifying the Foundation with one donor. Mardag is a reversal of the syllables in "Dagmar." In 1979 the renamed Mardag Foundation became a client of The Saint Paul Foundation and gained access to more resources and advisory counsel. The focus of the Mardag Foundation shifted from family interests to deeper social concerns and emergency needs.

The Minnesota Foundation was established in 1949 by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation to provide charitable giving services to donors throughout the state. The name of the organization was later changed to Minnesota Community Foundation. From 1949 to 1974 the Foundation developed programs that included accounting, investment, tax return preparation and administrative support. The Minnesota Foundation left the umbrella of the Wilder Foundation in 1984 and became affiliated with The Saint Paul Foundation.

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

The collection consists of microfiche grant files of the Saint Paul Foundation and several client foundations. Accompanying paper indexes provide the grant identification number, project title, closeout date, and type of grant. These were prepared and provided by the Saint Paul Foundation. There is no index to the Jebco Foundation microfiche cards.

ARRANGEMENT

Microfiche cards and accompanying paper indexes are arranged by granting foundation and alphabetically thereunder by name of grantee. From 1962-2001, the cards were organized into 49 consecutively-ordered groups. Cards received after 2001 are organized first chronologically, and then alphabetically by organization name.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics: Arts--Minnesota--Endowments. Charities--Minnesota--Administration. Education--Minnesota--Endowments. Endowments--Minnesota--Administration. Medical care--Minnesota--Endowments. Scholarships--Minnesota. Organizations: F.R. Bigelow Foundation. J. Paper Foundation. Jebco Foundation. Lewis and Annie F. Paper Foundation. Mardag Foundation. Minnesota Foundation. Ober Charitable Foundation (St. Paul, Minn.). Saint Paul Public Library. Friends. Types of Documents: Microfiche. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Restrictions:

Quotation or publication, beyond the fair use provision of the copyright law, from records less than 25 years old requires written permission.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Saint Paul Foundation Records. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 14,055; 14,056; 14,130; 14,412; 14,707; 15,169; 15,354 15,492; 15,536; 15,587; 15,685; 16,254; 16,301

Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

The records of the F. R. Bigelow Foundation and the Mardag Foundation formerly stood on their own as separate Minnesota Historical Society manuscript collections. In 2007 the microfiche replaced the original paper grant files (62.0 cubic feet) of the Saint Paul Foundation and the client foundations, which are no longer held or collected by the Society.

Processed by: David B. Peterson, December 2007; Shelby Edwards, June 2011.

Catalog ID number: 001720038

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Paper indexes to microfiche cards 142.J.12.3B St. Paul Foundation: Groups 1-9, 1962-1998. 1 index in 2 folders. Group 10, 1998-2001. Group 11, circa 1998-circa 2001. March 2003-October 2008. F. R. Bigelow Foundation: Groups 12-22, 1962-2001. 3 indexes. March 2003-October 2008. Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library: Groups 23-27, 1978-2000. 2 indexes. J. Paper Foundation: Groups 28-30, 1984-1997. 2 indexes. August 2006-July 2007. L. & A. F. Paper Foundation: August 2006-July 2007. Mardag Foundation: Groups 31-41, 1962-2001. 3 indexes. March 2003-October 2008. Minnesota Foundation/Minnesota Community Foundation: Groups 42-49, circa 1962-2001. 3 indexes. March 2003-October 2008. MICROFICHE CARDS: GROUPS 1-49 Saint Paul Foundation 142.J.12.4F Small Box 1: Group 1: A-N, 1962-1994. Small Box 2: Group 1: N-Y, 1962-1994. Small Box 3: Group 2, 1983-1993. Group 3, 1988-1992. Group 4, 1987-1994. Group 5, 1991-1997. Group 6, 1989-1996. Group 7, 1990-1998. 142.J.12.5B Small Box 4: Group 8, 1990-1998. Group 9, 1985-1998. Small Box 5: Group 10, 1998-2001. Group 11, circa 1998-circa 2001. F. R. Bigelow Foundation 142.J.12.5B Small Box 6: Group 12, 1962-1994. Group 13, 1983-1993. Group 14, 1988-1992. Group 15, 1987-1993. Group 16, 1991-1995. Group 17, 1990-1994. Group 18, 1990-1995. 142.J.12.6F Small Box 7: Group 19, 1990-1997. Group 20, 1990-1999. Group 21, 1991-1999. Group 22, 1995-2001. Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library 142.J.12.6F Small Box 7: Group 23, 1978-1992. Group 24, 1991-1994. Group 25, 1992-1997. Group 26, 1997-1998. Group 27, 1999-2000. J. Paper Foundation 142.J.12.6F Small Box 7: Group 28, 1984-1989. Group 29, 1993.

Appears to also include L. and A. F. Paper Foundation.

Group 30, 1984-1997.

One envelope labeled "L. and A. F. Paper Foundation" and another labeled "Jebco Foundation."

Mardag Foundation 142.J.12.6F Small Box 8: Group 31, 1962-1994. Group 32, 1983-1993. Group 33, 1988-1992. Group 34, 1989-1993. Group 35, 1989-1994. Group 36, 1990-1994. Group 37, 1991-1996. Group 38, 1989-1996. Group 39, 1985-1998. Group 40, 1991-1999. Group 41, 1998-2001. Minnesota Foundation 142.J.12.6F Small Box 9: Group 42, circa 1962-1994. Group 43, 1987-1993. Group 44, 1987-1995. Group 45, 1987-1996. Group 46, 1994-1999. Group 47, 1996-2000. Group 48, 1997-2000. Group 49, 2001. MICROFICHE CARDS: CHRONOLOGICALLY-ORDERED Saint Paul Foundation 123.F.19.10F Acacia Park Cemetery-Young Women's Christian Association, March 2003-August 2006. 1000 Friends of Minnesota, Incorporated-Lao Family Community of Minnesota, Incorporated, August 2006-July 2007. Latino Economic Development Center-Youth Services Bureau, Incorporated, August 2006-July 2007. Admission Possible-Youth Express, August 2007-October 2008. F. R. Bigelow Foundation 123.F.19.10F Accessible Space, Incorporated-Youth Express, March 2003-August 2006. Admission Possible-Women's Opportunities Resource Center (WORC), August 2006-July 2007. Aeon Homes-Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, August 2007-October 2008. J. Paper Foundation 123.F.19.10F William Mitchell College of Law-Mount Holyoke College, August 2006-July 2007. L. & A. F. Paper Foundation 123.F.19.10F William Mitchell College of Law, August 2006-July 2007. Mardag Foundation 123.F.19.10F Accessible Space, Incorporated-Youth Express, March 2003-August 2006. Admission Possible-Women's Resource Center of Winona, August 2006-July 2007. Accessible Space, Incorporated-White Earth Reservation Tribal Council, August 2007-October 2008. Minnesota Community Foundation 123.F.19.10F American Association of University Women (AAUW) Legal Advocacy Fund, Incorporated-Iowa Great Lake Maritime Museum, March 2003-August 2006. Jamestown College-Zumbrota Community Trust, March 2003-August 2006. Augustana College-Zumbrota Community Trust, August 2006-July 2007. American Red Cross, Martin County Chapter-Waseca County, Minnesota, July 2007-October 2008.

[0.2 cubic feet empty, microfilm size]