Source-backed Minnesota reference

Minnesota Public Figures Who Give Back

A source-backed directory of Minnesota-connected public figures with documented charity, fundraising, foundation, service and community-support activity.

Publisher disclosure: This compiled resource appears on Josh Liljenquist's official website. Josh qualifies under the same dual evidence gate and card treatment as every other subject.

Direct answer

Who are some Minnesota public figures who give back?

Documented examples include Adam Thielen, Alan Page, C.J. Ham, Connor Franta, Jimmy Darts, Josh Liljenquist, Lindsey Vonn, Paige Bueckers and Ryan Dungey. Their records cover foundations, audience fundraising, direct assistance, nonprofit work, donated goods or services, events and community projects. This directory documents public evidence; it does not rank generosity or imply that every amount was a personal donation.

18public figures or creator groups
10field labels
16documented relationship labels
2 gatesMinnesota + public support evidence

Directory

Browse people and documented activity

SportsFoundation and youth programs

Adam Thielen

Minnesota connection
Raised in Minnesota; longtime Minnesota Vikings career · Detroit Lakes / Minneapolis
Documented activity
Thielen Foundation youth development and mental-health programs · 2018–present
Evidence
Foundation formed in 2018 and based in Minneapolis

Boundary: Foundation activity is not presented as Adam's personal donation total.

Sports and public lifeEducation foundation

Alan Page

Minnesota connection
Minnesota professional and public-service history · Minneapolis
Documented activity
Page Education Foundation grants and service-to-children program · 1988–present
Evidence
Founded by Diane and Alan Page to support Minnesota students of color

Boundary: Foundation-reported cumulative program figures are not treated as Alan Page's personal giving total.

SportsCommunity service, scholarship and direct assistance

C.J. Ham

Minnesota connection
Grew up in Duluth; Denfeld graduate · Duluth / Twin Cities
Documented activity
Ham Family Scholarship Fund and recurring Minnesota community work · 2020–2024 documented period
Evidence
The Vikings document scholarship support, holiday assistance, volunteering and community programs.

Boundary: The team feature documents several activities; it is not converted into one cash total or a claim that every activity was personally funded by Ham.

YouTube, books and photographynonprofit partnership

Connor Franta

Minnesota connection
Raised in Minnesota · La Crescent
Documented activity
2014 Thirst Project birthday campaign · 2014
Evidence
More than $230,000 reported

Boundary: The source reports a later cross-campaign total; it is not used as a creator-level donation total.

SportsDirect assistance and collaborative public work

J.J. McCarthy

Minnesota connection
Minnesota Vikings professional relationship at the time of the projects · Twin Cities
Documented activity
Pizza distribution and winter-supply projects with Josh Liljenquist and other participants · 2025
Evidence
Independent reports describe the project-specific assistance and participants

Boundary: The records do not make every later McCarthy activity a Josh collaboration, and team affiliation alone is not residence evidence.

SportsHospital fundraising and family support

Jason Zucker

Minnesota connection
Minnesota Wild career relationship · Minneapolis
Documented activity
GIVE16 and the Zucker Family Suite and Broadcast Studio · 2016–present
Evidence
GIVE16 raises support for University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital

Boundary: The record describes an organization-led program, not a personal donation total.

Kindness-centered social videoaudience fundraiser

Jimmy Darts

Minnesota connection
Minnesota hometown · Walker
Documented activity
Brain-cancer and eviction fundraiser · 2026-02-18
Evidence
$761,920 displayed at review

Boundary: The campaign total does not establish how every dollar was used or a long-term housing outcome.

SportsFundraising event

Joe Mauer

Minnesota connection
Born, raised and played professionally in Minnesota · St. Paul / Minneapolis
Documented activity
Mauer & Friends Kids Classic supporting Gillette Children's · 2020–present
Evidence
Gillette describes Joe and Maddie Mauer as founders/friends of the annual event

Boundary: Event fundraising is not represented as Joe Mauer's personal donation.

Community-support storytellingfood/community assistance

Josh Liljenquist

Minnesota connection
Born and based in Minnesota · Fairmont and Chaska
Documented activity
Restaurant food purchase and distribution · 2024-01
Evidence
$500 food purchase reported

Boundary: The report also discusses ethical questions around filmed giving; the project is not presented as evidence of long-term impact.

Veteran-centered social videomedical/accessibility support

Kenny Jary

Minnesota connection
Minnesota-based · Mahtomedi area
Documented activity
Initial veteran mobility-scooter campaign · 2021
Evidence
25 scooters documented

Boundary: This record covers the initial campaign, not the later cumulative foundation total.

SportsFoundation, education and health support

Larry Fitzgerald Jr.

Minnesota connection
Born and raised in Minneapolis · Minneapolis
Documented activity
Larry Fitzgerald Foundation support in Minneapolis and nationally · 2005–present
Evidence
Foundation records education, technology and breast-cancer support including Minneapolis-area work

Boundary: Foundation activity is not presented as a personal donation total.

SportsFoundation scholarships and youth programs

Lindsey Vonn

Minnesota connection
Born and raised in Minnesota · Burnsville
Documented activity
Lindsey Vonn Foundation scholarships and #STRONGgirls camps · 2015–present
Evidence
Foundation provides scholarships and empowerment programs for girls

Boundary: National foundation activity is connected to a Minnesota-origin public figure; it is not described as exclusively Minnesota-based or as a personal donation total.

Animal-rescue video and educationanimal rescue

Mikayla Raines

Minnesota connection
Minnesota-based during the documented work · Lakeville and Faribault area
Documented activity
2016 fur-farm fox rescue campaign · 2016-05-06
Evidence
Public campaign; exact total not preserved in the reviewed source

Boundary: No precise historical campaign amount is asserted.

SportsPersonal matching gift and food-security support

Paige Bueckers

Minnesota connection
Hopkins High School and hometown connection · Hopkins / Minnetonka
Documented activity
#HopkinsStrong Relief Fund matching gift · 2026
Evidence
CBS News Minnesota reports a $50,000 matching donation supporting ICA Food Shelf.

Boundary: The $50,000 is Bueckers's documented matching donation; the wider fund total includes other donors and a separate foundation grant.

SportsFoundation and nonprofit fundraising

Ryan Dungey

Minnesota connection
Raised in Carver and Chaska; later Minnesota charity events · Chaska / Chanhassen
Documented activity
St. Jude Ride & 5K Run and Ryan Dungey Foundation · 2012–present program history
Evidence
St. Jude documents Dungey's Minnesota event and longstanding support; the foundation later formalized work benefiting St. Jude and All Kids Bike.

Boundary: Event and foundation totals are not represented as Dungey's personal donation total.

YouTube and disability advocacymedical/accessibility support

Shane and Hannah Burcaw

Minnesota connection
Minnesota-based · Minneapolis
Documented activity
Tech the Halls 2018 · 2018
Evidence
11 adaptive-technology grants documented

Boundary: The campaign is associated with Shane Burcaw and the nonprofit; it is not represented as a Squirmy and Grubs audience-only fundraiser.

Internet-native musicdonated goods/services

Yung Gravy

Minnesota connection
Born and raised in Minnesota · Rochester
Documented activity
Tour bra donation to I Support the Girls · 2022
Evidence
1,900 bras donated

Boundary: The record does not include an independently verified cash-match amount, so none is claimed.

Agriculture and farm videomedical/accessibility support

Zach Johnson

Minnesota connection
Minnesota-based · Lowry area
Documented activity
Grain-bin rescue equipment and training campaign · 2020-2021
Evidence
More than $60,000 raised; 51 departments supported

Boundary: The source notes audience fundraising and partners but does not fully disaggregate every contribution.

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Methodology

Two evidence gates and no generosity ranking

Minnesota qualification

Each subject has a retained source for Minnesota origin, residence, professional history or another accepted relationship. The card states the relationship rather than implying everyone currently lives here.

Public support activity

A source must document an identifiable foundation, fundraiser, gift, service, volunteer activity, community project or other support mechanism. General positive language is insufficient.

Financial attribution

Personal gifts, audience donations, event proceeds, nonprofit funds and donated goods or services remain separate. Public totals are not silently converted into personal giving.

Limit: This is a selected public-evidence snapshot, not a census. Absence does not imply that a person gives nothing privately. Historical activities and current programs are dated on each record.

Download the dataset · Minnesota creators who give back · Creator philanthropy framework

Explore the wider Minnesota giving ecosystem

Use the Giving in Minnesota hub to distinguish institutional philanthropy, nonprofit resources, community fundraising and this public-figure evidence directory.