Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant to Bolder Options in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS – The Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to Bolder Options, a nonprofit organization in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bolder Options provides wellness-based mentoring for middle school youth, ages 10-14.

“We are committed to providing intensive, long-term support to young people in our communities,” said Ryan Foss, donor relations director at Bolder Options. “After completing our year-long, one-on-one mentorship program with a caring adult, mentees are invited to continue with our organization as alums. We are grateful to Barnes & Thornburg and the Racial and Social Justice Foundation for this grant as we expand our alumni, I Believe I Achieve program, which provides intensive, hands-on support over an additional two years to help create a strength-based pathway to college, and a career that is grounded in self-awareness and knowledge of processes and resources.”

Bolder Options was founded in 1993 in response to a community needs assessment that identified a pressing need for mentoring programs in the Twin Cities. Over the years, the organization has expanded its reach, answering the call to bring its unique brand of supportive mentorship to new Minnesota communities, including St. Paul in 2007 and Rochester in 2010.

“We are proud to support an organization that prioritizes mentorship for young individuals with an emphasis on the physical, emotional and social facets of wellness,” said Connie Lahn, president of the foundation and managing partner of the firm’s Minneapolis office. “Bolder Options works hard to make mentoring fun and meaningful, and we are delighted to contribute to bettering the lives of young people in our communities.”

Established in 2020, the Barnes & Thornburg Racial and Social Justice Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fueled entirely by personal contributions from attorneys and business professionals across the firm’s offices. Dedicated to advancing racial and social justice both locally and nationally, the foundation has, to date, awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to organizations in the communities where Barnes & Thornburg has offices.

With more than 800 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Philadelphia, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, South Florida, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us at www.btlaw.com.