Common Ground.
Common Good.
The Citizens League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that empowers people to engage in civic life and public policy to make Minnesota a better place to live and work for everyone.
Recent News
Report: Gathering Community Input on a Possible Minimum Wage Increase in St. Paul
The Citizens League was commissioned by The Saint Paul Foundation to help the city of St. Paul, its employers and employees, and residents explore questions related to and potential impacts of raising the minimum wage. We have now published the final report of this scoping project.
The next generation of Minnesota policy leaders of color
With the long-term goal of making our government truly representative of our communities, Capitol Pathways opens access to the Minnesota capitol to the next generation of leaders of color. The program is beginning its third year.
A Good Debate: Beyond Gridlock
A Good Debate strives to model thoughtful dialogue that encourages disagreement while discouraging rancor. This time, we’re tackling the future of transportation in Minnesota.
Capitol Pathways 2018 is underway! (Photos)
Capitol Pathways, our paid internship program for college students of color and indigenous students, kicked off last week with an extensive training for our students, including a visit to the Capitol. Our thanks to James Chang for leading many...
Pioneer Press: In praise of intelligent decision-making — and the Citizens League
The Pioneer Press Editorial Board recognized the Citizens League in a recent editorial as a much-needed body with recent successes in these times of political and ideological division: In recent months, the league’s contributions have had a high profile among St. Paul...
Watch: Pahoua Hoffman on TPT Almanac
On Friday, January 5th, Citizens League Executive Director Pahoua Hoffman sat down with Eric Eskola and Mary Lahammer on TPT Almanac to talk about her new role at the League, and some of the recent and upcoming things we're working on. Watch: On citizen-engagement:...
Current Work
Interconnected: Rural-Urban Conversations
This conversation series – hosted by the Center for Rural Policy and Development and the Citizens League – bridges the divide between urban & rural Minnesota by exploring our shared challenges and how to design a future that works for our unique communities. All discussions are recorded and can be listened to and viewed online.
Capitol Pathways
With the long-term goal of making our government truly representative of our communities, the program opens access to the Minnesota Capitol to the next generation of leaders of color. Through this program, interns build relationships with established Capitol leaders, gain exposure to various kinds of careers in policy, get real-world experience in career fields they would like to learn more about and build a strong professional resume in the process.
Strengthening Public Service
Citizens League is embarking on a new project to dig deeper and explore the unique challenges and barriers to public service, with a particular emphasis on non-elected roles and people who make our state’s local governments work.
Events
The Citizens League hosts forums for civil discussion across Minnesota. Our event series includes events that are open to the public, member-only and workplace events to help inform and engage Minnesotans on important policy and civic leadership discussions.
MCN & MCF Joint Conference
The Citizens League team is proud to present at the upcoming Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF) & Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) Joint Annual Conference. Registration is now open for this two-day conference!
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Mind Opener: Trustworthy Elections — Do conservatives and liberals agree?
In the midst of another challenging and hyper-polarizing election season, join us to hear from Braver Angels and others about how to enhance trust in our elections.