The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation today announced that Mai-Anh Kapanke has joined the organization as associate vice president of Philanthropic Services. Kapanke joins the philanthropic services team with more than 24 years of experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, donor relations and communications.

Kapanke most recently served as executive director of The Sanneh Foundation, a charitable organization serving youth and families on Saint Paul’s East Side and throughout the state. Prior to that position, Kapanke spent 13 years as the executive director of MENTOR Minnesota, a network of 200 youth mentoring programs.

“We are thrilled to have Mai-Anh join the philanthropic services team at the Foundation,” said Jeremy Wells, senior vice president of Philanthropic Services. “She brings a wealth of experience and will be an incredible asset to the organization, our fund holders, and our many community partners.”

A well-respected leader in the field of mentoring and youth development, Kapanke is highly regarded for her leadership skills, innovation and collaborative spirit. She was instrumental in the development and launch of a statewide online quality assessment tool for mentoring programs, which was later used as the national model for program quality assessment. She has also provided executive leadership and management consulting on fundraising campaigns and served as a lobbyist for positive youth development funding priorities.

“I am humbled and excited to join the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation, an organization that is deeply invested in shining a light on individuals and communities and providing opportunities for both to do their best, be their best and show up for others,” said Kapanke. “As an immigrant from Vietnam, I am proof that when we see value in all people and invest in their well-being, they can do great things. I look forward to paying it forward.”

Kapanke is a graduate of Michigan State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism. After graduating, she worked as a journalist and television news anchor in several Midwest markets. She is a former Humphrey Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota and completed the Executive Director Leadership program at the University of St. Thomas’ Institute for Executive Director Leadership. Kapanke and her husband, Nick, reside in Rosemount with their two daughters.

Founded in Saint Paul in 1940, the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation is Minnesota’s largest community foundation and the partner of choice for thousands of donors, professional advisors, nonprofits and community organizations. The Foundation supports more than 2,000 charitable organizations and donor funds and manages nearly $1.5 billion in assets, including F.R. Bigelow Foundation and Mardag Foundation.

The Foundation's impact is broad. In 2018 alone, in partnership with donors, the Foundation made nearly 8,300 grants to support community needs in 71 of 87 Minnesota counties. Additionally, the Foundation supports 17 affiliate community foundations—from Hibbing to Waseca—which provide regional granting strategies and local donor involvement opportunities.