Brokering Trust
Bridging Divides
The Citizens League is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that creates opportunities for Minnesotans to engage in building a strong civic life and effective public policies.
Recent News
2017 Legislative Session & Project Updates
The Citizens League is working on several fronts during this 2017 Legislative Session. Here’s a summary on what we’ve been working on. If you have any questions, or want to get involved, let us know! Email us at [email protected]. Transit Study Committee From...
Star Tribune: Citizens League report hopes to break the transit ‘logjam’
A light rail mass transit train crossing an intersection in Bloomington, MN. Up at the Capitol, the debate surrounding transit funding continues. As legislators remain divided along party lines, we convened a 21-member study committee in an effort to push the...
Citizens League Study Recommends Transit Funding Options
From September to December 2016, the Citizens League convened a study committee to review the current transit funding system and work to identify new funding scenario options. The diverse 21-member study committee was chaired by Peter Bell, former Met Council Chair...
Sean Kershaw featured on Almanac’s ‘People in Policy’
How did Citizens League Executive Director Sean Kershaw come to envision his role in policy in Minnesota? Sean was the first to be featured on Almanac at the Capitol’s new ‘People in Policy’ segment. Watch to learn more about Sean’s background, and what led him to...
Artists & Aging: Access, Storytelling & Change
This post by Amelia Brown originally appeared on Creative Exchange from our project partners Springboard for the Arts. Read more about our Aging project, Calling Home, here. The Artists & Aging pilot project was created by a partnership between the Citizens League...
Citizens League-backed “WINcentive” Prize-Linked Savings completes successful first year
Taking effect in 2016, the “WINcentive” prize-linked savings law has allowed Minnesota credit union members to win money simply by starting the habit of saving on a regular basis. Over 4,000 Minnesotans saved nearly $3 million in 2016. The Citizens League had two...
Current Work
Minnesota Legislative Exchange
The Minnesota Legislative Exchange is a first-in-the-nation effort to build trust and bipartisan relationships in state legislatures. 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.
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
Through our engagement with communities in Minnesota, we strive to help people understand that public policy happens everywhere, and everyone has a role in decision-making.
Our events are organized around these goals, inviting a panel of different viewpoints to discuss policy issues that affect Minnesotans. We cover such topics as mental health, aging, disruptive protests, and water quality. Those in attendance can expect ample opportunity to voice their perspectives, questions, and ideas as well.
Interconnected: Mental Healthcare Access for Minnesota’s Communities of Color
Hear from researchers, advocates, community leaders, and mental health professionals working to advance culturally responsive mental health care for Minnesota’s diverse communities.