Connections Create Possibilities

It’s the reality of working as an incubator: There are so many good ideas, and we should and do pursue them when there’s a solid leader and a confluence of resources to support that leader, but even when everything seems to align, so much is out of our control. Often, we work hard to turn an opportunity into reality, and just as the idea starts gaining momentum and support, a barrier pops up that can’t be overcome. 

But I’ve learned that, when the people are right, a false path needn’t slow our momentum, because you never know where connections can lead. Relationships are never wasted, and when we’re open to them, new paths open.  

I believe in and practice relational philanthropy. Relational philanthropy requires approaching people with deep curiosity, leaning into new relationships even when the timing isn’t right to dive into shared work. In my experience, that means meeting with a lot of great people and crossing paths with cool projects that may never be a good fit for our Foundation’s priorities, because every now and then, in all that exploration, there’s a spark. 

This is the story of how our foundation came to finance the purchase the largest commercial building in George Floyd square. 

The story begins twice: Once in the summer of 2022, at an early morning meetup with a group of people from an organization with which we were exploring partnership (incredible people who hit a barrier to our shared work) at the intersection of 38th and Chicago in South Minneapolis. There were a dozen of us. We listened as elected and appointed city leadership discussed the intersection and then turned the mic over to property owners PJ Hill and Dan Coleman to tell us about their work as owners and developers on the Square. As the group disbursed, PJ gave me his number. I took it without any idea why I would need it. 

The story also begins in the fall of 2022. I received an email from someone named Mike. I didn’t know Mike, but he knew me. A mutual acquaintance thought we should meet to talk about 38th and Chicago. We met at the coffee shop in the building he owned and talked about my family that lives a block away and our shared experiences during 2020. Then he got to the reason he reached out - would I buy his building? 

The Graves Foundation exists to support young people as they develop a thriving life. Nothing in the 8+ year history of our work qualified us to purchase currently occupied commercial property, but it felt important to make sure this property, at perhaps the most historically important intersection in Minneapolis, was held for community purposes. I knew this would only work if we had a pathway to moving to a supporting role as quickly as possible. And, thanks to relationships, a path presented itself. While I had connections to this neighborhood, I was only being invited there by someone on his way out. But I still had PJ’s number.

Fast forward to today, when, after some due diligence, my trusted network pushed me to take the leap of faith to hammer out an agreement with PJ whereby the Foundation serves as a financing partner for  Dan and PJ to own a building at 38th and Chicago. PJ and Dan manage and develop this property towards a thriving future that recognizes the historic events that have taken place in this neighborhood. 

Partnering with community-focused developers like PJ and others with deep community connections will help Minneapolis build long-term community assets, supporting our mission to create a city where all youth can thrive. This collaboration was not even on my radar a year ago, much less an outcome of Graves’s strategic plan; it only came to be through trusted relationships and an openness to possibility. 

Relational philanthropy is centered around mutual respect and co-creation, and sometimes it happens when you least expect it. When we’re open to them, connections create possibilities.