Citizens League Impact Report 2024-2025

We are living in a time of deep polarization in our politics and in our communities.

Public trust in institutions and in one another has fallen to alarmingly low levels; political rhetoric is increasingly toxic; divisiveness has fomented into discord; and tragically, threats and acts of political violence are on the rise. Many people are discouraged, disheartened – and may even feel despair.

In these times, Citizens League’s mission and work are important antidotes to induce hope and encourage positive civic engagement. Everywhere I go around Minnesota people tell me: “Citizens League is needed now more than ever!”

For more than 73 years, Citizens League has been a trusted, nonpartisan voice for civility, collaboration and pragmatic public policy solutions in Minnesota. And to this day, Citizens League remains committed to fostering civil, respectful policy conversa- tions and empowering people to be active and engaged in policymaking and civic life.

Throughout this past year we’ve sought to find new opportunities to bridge divides, explore important public policy topics and solutions, and forge new partnerships. We have been challenging ourselves to think big and bold about the role we play in Minnesota’s civic ecosystem and how we can best meet this moment.

Since its founding in 2016, the Capitol Pathways internship program has become a flagship program of the Citizens League. The program provides BIPOC college students with leadership, legislative and career readiness training alongside an immersive, paid internship experience with an organization working in public policy and advocacy. This year’s cohort was our largest ever, pairing 43 students with internships at partnering government offices, nonprofits, companies, and law firms.

The hands-on policymaking experience, knowledge and networks students gain through the Capitol Pathways program prepares them to be future leaders and change-makers. Today, with over 340 alumni serving in roles including Minneapolis and Saint Paul city council members, legislative aides, lobbyists, policy advocates and more, Capitol Pathways is bringing new voices into policy spaces at local, state and national levels.

> Click to learn more about Capitol Pathways

The Minnesota Legislative Exchange (MLE) is a first-in-the-nation effort to build trust and bipartisan relationships at the state legislature. As Minnesota’s leading nonpartisan nonprofit focused on civic engagement and public policy solutions, Citizens League is proud to lead this important effort, intentionally forging new relationships to bridge divides and govern our state effectively. The MLE pairs up one Republican and one Democratic member of the Minnesota State Legislature to visit each other’s districts, where they spend time together while learning more about each other and their communities.

We kicked off the inaugural MLE trip in early summer of 2025 with Democratic Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (District 53A) visiting Republican Rep. Dave Baker (District 16B) in his district in the Willmar Lakes region. Our second trip in late July brought us to St. Cloud with Democratic Rep. Sandra Feist (District 39B) visiting Republican Rep. Bernie Perryman (District 14A), and several additional pairings are underway for 2025 and 2026.

The MLE initiative aims to help foster deeper relationships and trust among legislators and civic leaders, provide opportunities to share about local challenges and opportunities, and to find policy areas where legislators can work together.

> Click to learn more about the Minnesota Legislative Exchange

Citizens League continues to dive into critical policy research which informs impactful policy solutions across Minnesota.

This year, Citizens League partnered with the Association of Minnesota Counties and the League of Minnesota Cities to research and explore recruitment, retention and workforce challenges and opportunities facing local governments statewide.

After a six-month process of research to gather data and input and hearing from nearly 1,000 Minnesotans – most of whom are currently working for local governments – findings were synthesized into our new report, Strengthening Public Service: Workforce Challenges and Opportunities for Local Government Entities in Minnesota. This report includes thirty-six actionable recommendations to support a robust and thriving public workforce.

> Click here to learn more about the report

Citizens League promotes a variety of free, online and in-person opportunities for Minnesotans to learn more about policy issues and increase their engagement through a nonpartisan approach that represents diverse points of view. Our Interconnected Rural-Urban Conversations, long-running Mind Opener event series, Civics@Work employee engagement sessions, and other events this year covered a wide range of topics including Trustworthy Elections, Geographic Disparities to Health Care Access, Minnesota’s Housing Crisis, Migration and Changing Demographics, 2025 Legislative Preview, and a discussion with the authors of “From Conflict to Convergence.”

In April, 2025, a sold-out crowd attended our annual Civic Celebration event and demonstrated their support of Citizens League’s work. Hundreds gathered to network and connect, celebrate the people and ideas that make our state unique and recognize our 2025 honorees, Peter Bell and Sharon McMahon, and Civic Changemaker Awardee, Anton Jones.

> Click to learn more about Citizens League events

Citizens League aspires to building lasting connections and collaborations with other organizations focused on bringing people together across the state to bridge divides, rebuild trust, and amplify the impact of our collective civic engagement initiatives:

• Last November, we hosted a Mind Opener event at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis in partnership with MPR News’ Talking Sense series, to hear from authors Mariah Levison and Robert Fersh about their book, From Conflict to Convergence: Coming Together to Solve Tough Problems. Other organizations also participated to share information and resources including Braver Angels; Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the Humphrey School, University of Minnesota; Majority in the Middle; and Civic Bridgers.
• Our regular series of Interconnected: Rural-Urban Conversations, hosted in partnership with the Center for Rural Policy and Development (CRPD), explores the unique needs of communities across the state as well as shared challenges and opportunities. For more than five years, we have partnered with CRPD to promote this series of public policy events that bring together diverse panels of experts who go deep on current policy issues and help bridge the divides between urban and rural communities in Minnesota.