Contact Us

To learn more about how The Minneapolis Foundation can help you serve your clients, please contact any of the following individuals.

Don Taylor
Vice President, Development and Client Services
(612) 672-3820

Don joined the Foundation in March 2008 as an experienced fundraiser and manager. In his former position at Courage Center, he was responsible for a development program that raised $10-12 million annually. With community volunteers, he recently completed a $17.5 million capital campaign, and also overssaw the vehicle gift program and a volunteer program with 2,500 volunteers. In other past positions, Taylor helped secure funding for the Carlson School of Management’s building, and developed an alumni relations program and annual fund and capital campaign program for the University of St. Thomas, School of Divinity.

Taylor is the former chair and current board member of AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) US Foundation, and was awarded the 2005 “Professional Fundraiser” of the year by the AFP/Minnesota Chapter. He is an active community volunteer as a board member of Patchwork Quilt and has acted as volunteer consultant with West Hennepin Community Services, Minneapolis Urban League, Mental Health Association of Minnesota, and the Minnesota AIDS Project. Taylor received his B.A from the College of St. Theresa, Winona, Minnesota and an MBA from The University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN.

Dan Berg
Senior Asset Development Officer
(612) 672-3828

Sine 1998, Dan has worked with families who are organizing their charitable giving by creating named, component funds at The Minneapolis Foundation. For the previous thirteen years he was head of development at The Minnesota Opera, where he directed successful capital and endowment campaigns as well as annual fund growth averaging over 10% per year. He spent several years as Finance and Development Director at the Loft literary center and five years in the 1970s as Operations Manager of the Guthrie Theater.

Dan grew up in northeast Minneapolis and graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee with a degree in Speech Communications. Dan serves on the Parent Advisory Council for Concordia Language Villages, and the Boards of Directors of the China AIDS Orphan Fund and Parents United for Public Schools.  He is a southwest Minneapolis resident, where he lives with his wife, Welcome Jerde, and daughter Hannah.

Mary Ellis Peterson
Gift Planning Officer
(612) 672-3859

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2002, Mary Ellis was on the Planned Giving team at The University of Minnesota Foundation, editing its publication, Making a Difference , and managing estates and bequests. She has been active in probate, tax, and estate planning for many years, and was an estate planning and tax paralegal at Dorsey & Whitney LLP from 1988 through 1999, specializing in business succession planning, gift and generation-skipping tax issues, and complex estate planning strategies.

Mary Ellis earned a B.S. from the University of Minnesota with highest distinction, is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and has served on the boards of North Hennepin Writers Guild, Guild Press, Larry Brown Youth Education Corporation, Minnesota Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and Sing Heavenly Muse! She is a member of the National Committee on Planned Giving, the Minnesota Planned Giving Council, and the Minnesota Bar Association and is a published author and owner of Balance Beam, Inc., a consulting company. She loves creative writing, sea kayaking, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

William M. Sternberg
Professional Advisor Development Officer
(612) 672-3825

Bill joined The Minneapolis Foundation in 2002. His professional experience includes sixteen years in business development and relationship management roles with Citicorp Private Banking, Piper Jaffray & Co., and Fisher Investments. Bill is active in philanthropic and community organizations. He has previously served on the Boards of several non-profit and educational organizations, in addition to co-founding a private foundation.

Bill earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Entrepreneurial Studies from Babson College in Wellesley, MA. He has also completed coursework in Fundraising at U.C.L.A, as well as participated in the Leadership Southern California program and the Arts Inc. Leadership program in Los Angeles. Bill is a native of Minneapolis, but spent 13 years living in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. He now lives in Plymouth with his wife Manon and their children, Noah and Emma.