Laura “Lenny” Jones brings to MCN over 25 years of experience in grantwriting, program development, and awards management through her work with nonprofits in Chicago and Minneapolis/St Paul. Before becoming MCN’s Development Manager, she served as Grants & Contracts specialist for the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center in Minneaoplis’s Phillips neighborhood, procuring and managing and over $3 million annually in government, foundation, and corporate awards and contracts. Prior to her tenure at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, Laura was involved in program development and fundraising in the areas of HIV/AIDS, midwifery, community health, and reproductive justice in Chicago.
She has gained the majority of her advocacy, program development, and fundraising skills through direct service in community organizations, and also has a B.A. in Creative Writing and Philosophy from Hamline University and a Masters of Science in Sexual Health Promotion from the University of Sydney in Australia. She and her three dogs live in Northeast Minneapolis.