In 2017, Rev. Dr. Curtiss DeYoung and Imam Asad Zaman were brought together in action and solidarity in response to the horrific bombing of the Dar Al-Farooq mosque in Bloomington. Their respective organizations have been in interfaith partnership since 2005. Over many conversations about the rise of hate, the scourge of white supremacy, and the vulnerability of houses of worship, they began to envision ways to widen the conversation. They saw an opportunity for foundations to find and tap into their power to counter hate at the intersection of religion, politics, and philanthropy. In creating this space, the two leaders found that Minnesota’s philanthropy community was hungry for the conversation.

The first event, held in 2019, was sponsored by the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation. In 2020, the Minneapolis Foundation sponsored the second gathering. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no gathering in 2021. For 2022-2024, the Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundation agreed to partner with MCC and MAS to co-host the annual gathering.

Learnings from each gathering