Just take a look at the photo gallery on the Minn website to get a sense of the passion and energy and commitment of the people who are part of MINN. Our world needs the innovative thinkers and doers!

This year MINN is celebrating its 10th year. It is time for its website to represent the community it has built.

MINN boasts a community of over 1500 Minnesotans here and abroad and represents hundreds of international humanitarian organizations, workers and volunteers who call Minnesota home.

By promoting the MINN website you aren't only promoting the association of international nonprofits in the state (and all the important professional learning opportunities), but also gaining additional visibility for all the wonderful efforts these organizations pursue abroad, such as heart surgeries for sick kids in developing countries (Children's HeartLink); agricultural training to dairy farmers in Mozambique (Land O'Lakes International Development Division); community led projects in Sierra Leone (OneVillage Partners) and on and on and on...literally hundreds of important international humanitarian efforts all with a tie back to Minnesota.

MINN is a great organization that brings together a vibrant community of globally-minded volunteers, professionals and students. Its educational and networking events are very well attended and executed due to the passion of so many committed volunteers. A new website will help strengthen the community and make sure MINN continues to thrive well into the future.

MINN is my people! Everyone else yawns when I tell my work stories about grant proposals to USAID or assessment trips to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Most people cannot comprehend why I would work for an organization named the Center for Victims of Torture. But MINN people get it. It can be lonely working for an international NGO in Minnesota, but MINN gives me a place to learn, share, and just plain socialize and have fun.

MINN creates a space for over 100 international NGO's to come together. This space is a place for sharing ideas, best practices, and networking for people from a wide range of backgrounds. It provides an opportunity for organizations to share and acquire much needed resources, for highly valued activities both domestic and abroad. An investment in the MINN website means so much more than a make-over - it means increased opportunities for information sharing and networking for hundreds of Minnesotans and their international partners!

MINN provides so much value to the community of international development work in the Twin Cities. It engenders new conversations, connections, and ideas for innovative programs and progressive outcomes; it provides networking and educational opportunities to its Members and to the greater Twin Cities; it makes the most out of NGO resources by sharing them; and it does all of this with an unpaid, working team of board members, committees, and devoted volunteers! Given all of this incredible work that MINN does, it is looking to improve the quality and professionalism of its website and it is SO deserving of a little push in the right direction--please help MINN turn its incredible mission into action with the Nerdery's creativity and expertise!!

From the first interest luncheon I attended; I knew MINN was the fit I was looking for! Little did I know that it would become a large part of my life for the next few years as I encountered valuable opportunities to expand my knowledge base in the international non-profit sector, as well as develop professionally and meet some amazing new professional colleagues and friends.

The volunteers I’ve met are amazing and extremely dedicated. MINN has been flourishing the last several years thanks to volunteers who have dedicated their time and talents. This organization has brought together international practitioners and organizations for several years now, but we have really been ramping up our educational and networking offerings in recent years. We are becoming the vital resource for NGOs that Minnesota and the region needs. Having a website to reflect our offerings and growth is key to our continued development and support for our audience. Vote MINN for the Nerdery Website Challenge!

MINN is such a wonderful community of individuals dedicated to international development. The way its members regularly volunteer to support fellow practitioners speaks to the quality of the organization. By being a MINN member, I have been able to grow in my career and meet incredible people along the way.

It would be such a wonderful gift to have our website renovated. MINN is as good as the people who join us, and a stronger platform could help us reach a larger audience. Many thanks to The Nerdery for supporting this challenge!

When I first heard about a nonprofit that connected international organizations in the state of Minnesota, I had no idea what to expect. I had never really thought of the Twin Cities as a place for international players...I sure was wrong!

This organization brings together nonprofits, university students, professionals, the private sector, and others, to engage around international issues. This includes international development, relief, funding, networking, travel, study, and more.

One of MINN's strongest assets is the ability to connect people at multiple life stages. There are opportunities for young students and professionals to network. Mid-career development workers can connect with their counterparts in other organizations to share best practices. And those at senior levels have an opportunity to teach from their experiences.

MINN builds networks, holds educational sessions, and provides a platform for people to learn and engage. Please help us continue to grow Minnesota's impact in the world!

MINN is such a great organization! Coming back from the east coast, I was so excited to find an organization that was dedicated to being volunteer based,and encouraged networking between organizations in Minnesota.

MINN has allowed me to take leadership opportunities, have discussions about current events, and share new ideas with others. Through all this, I have been encouraged to know that it is possible for me to peruse my purpose of international relations in Minnesota.

Go team MINN! As the 2015 MINN President of the Board I have been engaged with this organization at every step of the process. In 2010 I arrived back in MN after having worked at a school in Cameroon. I wanted to stay involved in the nonprofit community and was passionate about global work. I found MINN through an informational interview; the current MINN President of the Board, in fact. I started getting involved through the Social/Networking Committee and took on greater leadership roles as I learned more. Now, here I am, helping to continue the fun I've had since being introduced to MINN. I meet new people and learn about a new internationally-focused nonprofit in the area at every event I attend--that's a lot of people and a lot of organizations!

But how can we make sure other new and veteran professionals who want to stay in touch with the international community know who we are and where to go? I'm glad you asked. Help us create a website that reflects our fun, culturally conscious, globally-minded, thoughtful AND highly professional constituency so that others want to join in!

MINN is a local organization that creates impact on an international scale. MINN brings together people doing relief work in Haiti; individuals working on health needs in rural Uganda; organizations doing food security in Afghanistan and more. MINN acts a forum for these individuals, organizations and others interested in the greater global good to network, collaborate, innovate, learn and inspire to support transformational change in some of the most impoverished communities around the world.

I have been in this field of work for over five years and have been involved with MINN for over three years. Because of MINN, I've networked and connected with other development professionals in MN who I've been able to learn a great deal from and also problem solve serious challenges while doing work in some tough environments. I also have attended many MINN education sessions and annual Summit where I've been able learn from experts and professionals about current innovations in this field; best practices; tools and resources to be more effective and much more. I truly believe that MINN has allowed me, and many others, to do good on an international scale, better.

MINN is incredible! There is no other organization like MINN. MINN provides an innovative platform to connect those based in Minnesota and across the globe facilitating communication, collaboration and effectively help solve the worlds most pressing international development issues in health, education, agriculture nutrition, security and beyond. As a former Board member, I have seen the powerful and lasting impact MINN has had across our global community.

MINN is successful because of our impressive volunteer Members, Board, Committees, Advisory Board and Event Participants from the largest global companies to small NGOs. We would be thrilled with the opportunity for new online tools to more effectively communicate across our global community. With a new website we are confident we will more directly be able to serve and communicate with a greater constituent and more diverse organizational audience.

Thank you MINN!

I am a supporter of MINN by way of my friend Sara Stalland McGarraugh (President of the Board)...what an incredible organization! I have seen Sara's passion and involvement grow over the past five years, which speaks to MINN's ability to inspire its members, encourage learning and engagement, and bring people together in so many ways.

As a graphic designer, I know how important it is to have a strong web presence. MINN does so much for the community and has a lot to share with the world...but their current website just isn't doing it for them. I'd love to see a site revamp to reflect their awesome personality, professionalism and all the joy they put into their work. Their growth is important to so many and a rockin' new website is a vital part to their success!

MINN fills a much needed niche in the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area, a community that is full of internationally minded change-makers. But where to go? How to connect?

MINN's presence on the internet and social media has grown exponentially over the past 10 years, as have our activities, our organization and our impact community impact. However, it's long overdue for an upgrade. A newly designed website, CRM management system and easily up-date-able calendar tool, will increase our reach and our effectiveness for members and volunteers.

When I moved from Washington DC, I wasn't sure where I would find a new international development community, focused on foreign aid, community development and humanitarian assistance. Luckily, I stumbled upon MINN. Instantly, I recognized myself amongst them, and have formed long lasting friendships and professional connections along my career path. A new digital footprint for MINN will ensure more people will find their path, too.

Meredith Kruger, Former MINN President (2012)

MINN is an excellent organization that has helped change the face of Minnesota, into a place that supports and promotes international non-profit work. It fills an incredibly important need of so many individuals and organizations in Minnesota - helping them successfully navigate the world of international development work, and providing a forum for learning, connection, support and exchange.

After working overseas and out of Minnesota for many years, I am so grateful to have a place to connect with others who understand this work or have a passion to learn more about it. I have been incredibly impressed with the work that MINN has carried out, and the talented and dedicated individuals who so generously give of their time, energy and expertise to put MINN, and Minnesota on the international development map. An upgraded website will allow MINN to reach and support an even larger constituency!

MINN is a wonderful organization that inspires many volunteers every year, to donate countless hours of their time. The passion of MINN members is infectious, and the value that MINN brings to our community, through events that shed light on some of the many issues that our plaguing our society here at home and around the world is truly invaluable. But even more important, MINN brings people from all walks of life together.Love MINN!!!!

After moving back to Minnesota from overseas, I was thrilled to have a network to connect with immediately. Through attending educational and networking events and by engaging in MINN as a volunteer, I was able to grow my professional network and learn about all of the wonderful opportunities there are right here in Minnesota! I even credit my MINN connections in helping me to land two jobs. As a fellow international development practitioner, I am incredibly grateful to have found my community and to have connected with such a talented network of individuals and organizations!

Further, as a former Board President, I have heard no shortage of stories about how MINN has helped other individuals to connect, collaborate and inspire one another. Minnesota is truly an international hub, and it is wonderful that those interested in global causes can not only seek professional development opportunities but also meet so many like-minded individuals right at home.

MINN is an incredible organization that facilitates connections between international NGO's and professionals who are interested in international development work. What truly amazes me is the hard working individuals who have managed to create such an expansive network with so little resources.

Working in Marketing and Communications for MINN's Summit, it is my hope that MINN can continue to grow by increasing its web presence and render it more accessible for international development workers who would benefit greatly from it.

After returning to the Midwest from the East Coast (where int'l NGOs are plentiful), I was thrilled to discover the MINN community. Like others have said, I found "my people" who are making significant investments in the global community in MN and beyond the US. The level of commitment and generosity of MINN's volunteer leaders, facilitators, program managers, consultants, and individual contributors is second-to-none. MINN has been incredibly resourceful - it goes to great lengths to be responsive to member needs and the diverse constituencies it seeks to serve. As it expands its offerings, resources, and networks, it needs an engaging website design and strong virtual presence to support their "next gen" goals. I'm thrilled to be on the journey with such extra-ordinary leaders and human beings!

I was excited to find MINN after moving back to Minnesota from the DC area. There’s a lot of international work happening in the Twin Cities, and is in the center of it, bringing together professionals, academics, nonprofits, and more to further this work. As a volunteer run organization, I am inspired by all of the people who dedicate their time and talents to help MINN provide its high-caliber programs and resources. A new MINN website will help us better serve and stay connected to the MINN community, allowing MINN and MINN members to have a greater impact in the great work we all do.

Anytime I meet someone in the Twin Cities interested in international development, my first suggestion is for them to look up MINN and connect with the amazing network of individuals and organizations in the area. I am continually blown away by the number of organizations in the Twin Cities working all around the world. MINN is the connector! MINN brings the community together to share ideas and best practices, network, and highlight the work happening around the world from Minnesota.

It is imperative that the online presence of this impressive organization is strong and allows the community to connect, network and highlight their work virtually as well. As a volunteer run organization, the site needs to be easy to update with new content so it doesn't become stale and outdated. Hopefully when I direct people to MINN in the future, it will be to a website that shows everyone how international the Twin Cities are and how thoughtful and wonderful our community is.

I was excited to find MINN after moving back to Minnesota from the DC area. There’s a lot of international work happening in the Twin Cities, and is in the center of it, bringing together professionals, academics, nonprofits, and more to further this work. As a volunteer run organization, I am inspired by all of the people who dedicate their time and talents to help MINN provide its high-caliber programs and resources. A new MINN website will help us better serve and stay connected to the MINN community, allowing MINN and MINN members to have a greater impact in the great work we all do.

It is truly inspiring to see the impact MINN has made in the Twin Cities' NGO community over the past decade.

The best part about MINN is the active participation it encourages and expects from the members. MINN is not simply a source of information but rather, it is a platform for best practice sharing, innovation, development and refinement of ideas.

I am especially thankful to those MINN volunteers who secured Jacqueline Novogratz as the keynote speaker at the 2014 MINN IDEA Summit. What an honor to hear from Ms. Novogratz and be able to engage with her in a Q&A session!

The Minnesota International NGO Network (MINN) is an incredible organization that is bringing together international practitioners working in and around Minnesota who in turn are helping others from around the world. Since it inception it has provided the space for collaboration, learning, and an exchange of ideas for those working in International Development and Humanitarian work in countries around the globe.

Working in Minnesota and volunteering for MINN enriched my life and provided me with the opportunity to meet and collaborate with new people and organizations not only around Minnesota but also led to programmatic collaboration in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.

MINN would benefit from an updated web presence that would fully capitalize on its ability to connect the world to Minnesota and Minnesota to the world.

Michael Gerba
COO, International Potato Center
Lima, Peru
Former MINN President

MINN's progress over the years to become a platform for local NGO's to learn and leverage one another has been nothing short of amazing. For me personally, I have been able to connect with other development practioners locally to make me more effective at my job. Specifically, I have leveraged connections through MINN that has helped my organization figure out a complex country registration issue we faced. Previously I would have had to reach out to contacts in D.C. and with MINN I am able to do this within the metro area.

MINN was a welcome surprise when I returned from Liberia in 2010, because it offered a place to connect and network with like-minded individuals and organizations. During my nearly five years with this organization, I have watched it grow into a vital resource for international development practitioners in Minnesota.

The Heartbeat of MINN is its volunteers. This all-volunteer force for a better world was able to simultaneously launch a membership program and MINN IDEA Summit in 2013. Our dedicated volunteers reach for the stars to provide top-notch programming such as networking and education events.

MINN is where you want to be if you are seeking to enter or transition into international development. It also provides space for Minnesota-based NGOs to showcase their good works around world at our annual summit. Most importantly, MINN is a community of great people!

As MINN’s new volunteer Communications Manager, I have come to see the fantastic network this organization and its supporters have built as well as the plethora of information, educational events, and career development resources MINN provides the international development community in Minnesota. MINN is that resource and connection so many globally focused professionals rely on for networking, learning, and for the sharing of their experience and expertise.
MINN has a great foundation and is a superb organization, and I am extremely grateful to be volunteering with such a dedicated and passionate group. But I also know that MINN’s efforts and successes can be amplified with a more streamlined and effective website. Help us grow MINN’s impact in our community by harnessing our online potential, and in turn you’ll impact those individuals and organizations that are doing incredible development and humanitarian work around the world!

MINN is truly a unique organization. Before its founding, there was no place, forum or community specifically for GLOBAL practitioners in the nonprofit arena to come together for learning and support. Like many associations, its purpose is to convene and facilitate. It is run almost exclusively by volunteers fueled by passion. All of them are wise and experienced in their respective fields, but have little time or extra funding to create a new website. The collective good work done by all of MINN's members would be impossible to measure. It would be wonderful for MINN to have a website that functions better for its own members and presents a modern, brand look worthy of the positive and innovative global work that is represented.

MINN is an organization that brings together a very important group of Minnesotans, people dedicated to reaching into out to make the world a better place! MINN's website connects our members and member organizations to each other and to MINN’s diversity of education programs, networking events, among many others. A more effective communication center will improve the support that we can provide Minnesotan’s working with international development work.

MINN’s 10th anniversary is the perfect occasion to redesign our public presence on the web, by improving the user experience and by adding new interactive features. Enhancing MINN’s ability to communicate within Minnesota and with practitioners around the world will strengthen our ability to achieve MINN’s mission!

MINN is such an important organization within Minnesota. It brings an unique level of exposure and networking focused on global issues, through a dedicated group of non-profit organizations. This organization has brought together non-profits, philanthropists, businesses, and universities in the Twin Cities much greater than the sum of their parts. There is no other organization that offers a similar forum.

Key to the sucess of this organization is a reliable flow of timely information on global international development issues and trends - to which a dynamic website would add much value.

What many people may not know is that when people who have worked and lived in developing countries move to the Twin Cities, MINN is often a landing place for many. People network to find jobs, to find common interests, to promote a thoughtful global community in Minnesota.

The people who participate in MINN are passionate and make the cities an increasingly dynamic place to live, embracing the value of a broad cultural lens.

I have attended several MINN events and the diversity of topics shows their commitment to engaging various demographics within the Twin Cities to discuss global issues. They are a growing non-profit and need a strong virtual presence to further their mission. With the help of the Nerdery, MINN can attract additional non-profits looking to connect, donors wanting to invest, and community members to get involved.

MINN fills an important space. It’s a unique connection point for Minnesotans with a deep exposure, knowledge and experience with global issues. This organization has brought together local individuals, non-profits, philanthropists, businesses, and universities for learning, networking, and sharing through numerous events. There is no other organization that offers a similar forum and represents such diversity that is greater than the sum of its parts. MINN could benefit immensely from an improved web presence that would fully capitalize on technology available to serve its mission and its ability to connect the world to Minnesota and Minnesota to the world.

MINN offers an open, welcoming forum for people new and "established" to the international development community so they can connect, exchange practices, and foster ideas for greater impact. It is inspiring to see how the community of international development-aimed organizations has grown in Minnesota. As this continues, MINN will increasingly be seen as a critical resource to be drawn upon for talent, knowledge, and connections to vital resources. A fresh website with enhanced functionality, SEO, and social integration will help MINN serve as an online forum in a way that compliments its success and vitality as an in-person community. This has the potential of further extending the conversations and learnings gained through participation in MINN events into the daily work of practitioners around the globe.

I began attending MINN events early last year, as I was looking to meet other professionals in the international development community and gain a better understanding of the role and work of international NGOs outside of the classroom. MINN’s networking and social events were obviously of great help to me as I expanded my professional network and connections, but I also learned a lot from the two educational events I attended as well. I wholeheartedly support MINN’s bid for a new website as I know it will help them reach more students and early career professionals looking to be part of the international practitioner community in the Twin Cities!

Minnesota has an incredible amount of people who have dedicated their lives to working for the betterment of society on a global scale. NGOs are often criticized for being redundant and not sharing information well with each other--MINN is doing an incredible job of reversing this trend by connecting like minded people in the Twin Cities. It deserves a web home that makes this hard work easier by facilitating more connection, generating greater awareness, and allowing MINN to stand out online!

MINN is run by a cohort of many extremely committed, hard-working, intelligent, savvy, and worldly volunteers who have contributed thousands of hours towards building the organization and filling an incredible need for the Minnesota community - the need for professionals in the international development arena to network, to learn, and to share experiences and resources, both within Minnesota and throughout the world. The programming that MINN produces is of the utmost quality and integrity, and I can think of no organization more deserving of a well-made website that would reflect the integral nature of its work in the community.

With a visually compelling, savvy, and easily navigable website, MINN will be better positioned to continue to draw new individuals into its network of committed and talented volunteers. A new website will also convey MINN's considerable capacity to provide valuable programming and fill an important need in the local and international community.

I have been attending MINN events for several years and have been volunteering with the organization since 2011. I am consistently impressed by the high quality and forward thinking of MINN programming, events and the broader MINN network of professionals. MINN is breaking ground to support the growing leadership of our state and its organizations on an international scale.

A redesigned website would greatly assist MINN in better communicating and serving the community which it supports. As a largely volunteer-led organization, increased ease of access would help streamline onboarding and training of volunteers to manage updates to the website. An enhanced website would also ease the facilitation of resource-sharing and exchange of ideas and best practices. This is an important tool to enable international practitioners to seamlessly maintain contact and contribute to building the MINN community, not skipping a beat while working in Minnesota or traveling for work, as many in our field do. The Nerdery's assistance in enhancing MINN's website will not only support the international practitioners who MINN serves, but in doing so, will also help further Minnesota's positive impact across the world.

MINN is an absolutely essential part of the Twin Cities International NGO landscape! Among its many roles and purposes it brings people together who are passionate about social justice, humanitarian and development issues both local and global.
As an individual passionate also about these areas of work, this organization gives me a space to meet similarly motivated individuals! One of the main ways that we as an organization build awareness about the work that we do among both our local and more global actors, is through our website. A redesigned website would enable us to have an even broader and more extensive reach to potential beneficiaries of MINN's work.

MINN is a wonderful community of dedicated and giving people. Better improved website will help MINN to reach out to more people and fulfill it's mission.

MINN is an organization made up of passionate volunteers which has created an incredible forum for networking , education, and collaboration amongst International NGOs and development professionals operating in Minnesota. A new website would enable MINN to better serve its members and connect more people with its mission.