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Our 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.
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Our Vision
By deliberately and thoughtfully engaging the communities of Saint Paul’s East Side, building on the innovation and entrepreneurship already there, partnering with others to build capacity, and investing with revolutionary tools and resources, Rooted Philanthropic will be an innovative leader in philanthropy in the Twin Cities and beyond.
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East Side Born and Raised
Charles (Chuck) Runyon and Shannon Runyon have deep roots on Saint Paul’s East Side. They both grew up on the East Side to working class families. Shannon graduated from Hill-Murray High School and Chuck graduated from Johnson High School. They both have fond memories of the East Side as a diverse neighborhood where kids could play freely and neighbors cared for one another. This nurturing spirt of the East Side remains with Shannon and Chuck today. In 2002, Chuck and his business partners founded Anytime Fitness. Over the last two decades, they have grown their franchising businesses under the umbrella company, Self-Esteem Brands. Today, Anytime Fitness is the world’s largest fitness club brand.
Rooted Philanthropic was founded 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. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the Runyons decided they could and should do more to support their community. They made a commitment to expand the work of the foundation and increase their annual grantmaking.
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Our Values
Equity – We recognize that social and economic imbalances require intentional inclusion where all can participate and prosper.
Community-Led – We engage with and listen to community because the solutions to community needs are best addressed by those most impacted by these issues.
Sustainability – We invest in people and organizations with the belief that it creates exponential opportunities for sustainable and generational asset building.
Entrepreneurial – We believe that people have the power to create their own destinies.
Outcome Learning – We recognize that to improve the lives of individuals and community, we must track outcomes, learn from our grantmaking activities and regularly adjust strategy.
Generosity – We believe that the urgency of the moment requires we give more of our time, talent and treasure than is legally required.
The Rooted Philanthropic Team
Our Staff
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Patrick J. Troska
Executive Director
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Vong Thao
Program Officer – Entrepreneurship & Small Business
Rooted Philanthropic is governed by a Board of Directors that are primarily members of the Runyon family. An Advisory Board of representatives from the community who bring lived experience of the East Side, content expertise of the funding areas and/or knowledge of philanthropic practices, supports the Board of Directors but functions with a separate charter and operating practices. Board members and Advisory Board members cannot be members of or connected to an existing or future grantee or recipient of Rooted Philanthropic funds.
We are inspired to do our part to uplift and strengthen the East Side of Saint Paul, a place where we grew up, attended school and visit frequently when visiting our parents and enjoying the trails, food and diversity of the East Side. We will always be proud of and grateful for our East Side roots, and we’re committed to investing in the areas of entrepreneurship, health, education and opportunities for women that will make the East Side even stronger.
Foundation Grants and Annual Reports
The foundation respectfully shares these yearly grantmaking lists and annual reports for your download and review.
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2023 Impact Report
Rooted Philanthropic is pleased to present our 2023 Impact Report on the work of the foundation in 2022.
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2023 Grants
A complete list of all grants made in FY2023 with links to each organization.
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2022 Grants
A complete list of all grants made in FY2022 with links to each organization.
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Foundation Annual Financial Documents
The foundation respectfully shares these financial statements for your download and review.
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2022 – 990PF
Our FY2022 year-end financial statements
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2021 – 990PF
Our FY2021 year-end financial statements
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2020 – 990PF
Our FY2020 year-end financial statements
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2019 – 990PF
Our FY2019 year-end financial statements
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2018 – 990PF
Our FY2018 year-end financial statements
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