Providing resources to strengthen and uplift Saint Paul’s East Side

Rooted Philanthropic focuses its giving and support on the neighborhoods of Saint Paul’s East Side and the surrounding communities. These neighborhoods radiate with potential and are filled with innovative and entrepreneurial efforts to improve people’s lives. Our focus is to support entrepreneurs and small business owners, ensure a quality education for our youth, empower women to be their best selves, and engage the community in healthy living.

Deep East Side Roots

Shannon Runyon and Chuck Runyon have deep roots on Saint Paul’s East Side. This is the community where they grew up and went to school. They continue to have family living on the East Side. This connection runs deep. They founded Rooted Philanthropic in 2014 as a way to support causes and issues of importance to them and their family. The foundation provided a limited number of grants in its first few years, the most significant of which was to establish the Future Leader Scholarship program at Hill-Murray High School in 2019. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the founders decided they could and should do more to support the East Side community, making the commitment to expand the work of the foundation and increase their annual grantmaking.

Learn More About the Foundation

Areas of Philanthropic Focus

Our goal is to support sustainable, generational wealth, health and well-being by providing resources to the East Side communities. Planting deep roots and measuring our impact long-term will be key to breaking down systemic barriers that have historically inhibited equitable social and financial well-being for individuals, families and cultural communities

Learn More

Entrepreneurship

Creating and building ideas and businesses is a long-term path to sustainable economic security and generational asset-building.

Learn More
Education

A quality and holistic education is fundamental to opportunity.
Health & Wellness

Engaging in physical and mental well-being allows for a healthy quality of life.
Empowering Women

Women need the tools and resources to improve their lives, especially when barriers to opportunities make success more challenging.

Recognizing our Grantees

Grantee: Future Leader Scholarship

Hill-Murray High School

We provide scholarship funding to Hill-Murray to support 80 East Side students in grades 9-12 to develop and advance their leadership skills.

Learn More about Future Leader Scholarship

Grantee: Fight For Your Dreams

Saint Paul, MN

We funded Fight for Your Dreams to hire a Youth Development Director to provide out of school services for youth at SIR Boxing Club in order to meet their social and educational needs.

Learn More about Fight For Your Dreams

Grantee: Latino Economic Development Center

Saint Paul, MN

We provide funding to Latino Economic Development Center to increase their capacity to provide Commercial Real Estate redevelopment services to local developers and small business owners.

Learn More about Latino Economic Development Center

Learn More About Grants

News & Happenings

Vong Thao Joins Our Team

Vong Thao brings over 15 years of experience to Rooted Philanthropic as Program Officer-Entrepreneurship & Small Business. He joins the team on September 18, 2023.
Read More
Rooted Philanthropic Expands to Focus on Saint Paul’s East Side

Originally founded in 2014 as Runyon Family Foundation by Shannon Runyon and Chuck Runyon, Rooted Philanthropic will focus on Saint Paul’s East Side neighborhoods. The foundation will make grants and engage in other philanthropic activities in support of its mission: Rooted Philanthropic supports the people of Saint Paul’s East Side communities to unlock their potential by investing in their capacity, growth, and innovation.
Read More
Meet our Inaugural Advisory Board

Rooted Philanthropic is excited to announce its inaugural Advisory Board of five members. This group of individuals brings extensive experience in small business development, community organizing, capital activation, East Side knowledge, and philanthropy.
Read More