McKnight Foundation
The McKnight Foundation is a family foundation established by William L. McKnight and his wife, Maude L. McKnight in 1953 in Minnesota. Programme areas include regional economic and community development, climate and energy, arts, international crop research, and rural livelihoods.
The McKnight Foundation is active both domestically and internationally. Its programmes aim to advance a more just, creative and abundant future where people and planet thrive. The foundation is built on four values: stewardship, equity, respect and curiosity. Its grantmaking related to development concerns agriculture research and Southeast Asia (in transition).
Official website: www.mcknight.org
The McKnight Foundation provided USD 3.9 million for development in 2020 through its grantmaking activities. Compared to 2019, this amount decreased by 56% in real terms.
In 2020, the McKnight Foundation provided all of its development finance bilaterally, mostly through universities, research institutes and think tanks.
The McKnight Foundation’s development finance was primarily focused on Africa (USD 1.9 million) and America (USD 500 000), accounting respectively for 49% and 12% of gross bilateral contributions, noting that 39% was unspecified by region in 2020, mainly comprised of research grants. The top recipients of the McKnight Foundation’s grants were Kenya, Mali and Uganda.
In 2020, almost all commitments made by the McKnight Foundation targeted the agriculture sector (under production sectors).
In terms of the 2030 Agenda, the McKnight Foundation’s development finance mainly supported SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals), SDG 2 (zero hunger) and SDG 13 (climate action), the latter of which mainly targeted adaptation objectives.