Our History

It all started in 1998 with 5 friends and family members.

Inspired to reduce violence in the world, in 1998, five households started Peace Maker Foundation with $8,181. The private foundation provided scholarships to University of Minnesota students conducting peacemaking research.

Wanting to do something more, in 2000, we changed our focus to strengthening school-based violence prevention programs. Seeing the community need and the opportunities for helping youth learn positive relational skills, Peace Maker Foundation changed its by-laws, board membership, name, and legal status to that of a public charity —PeaceMaker Minnesota — to involve more people in the mission.

Since 2000 thousands of people and organizations have made financial contributions to help youth learn positive relational skills and to stop bullying. Donors have helped youth in more than 200 schools and have developed permanent funding streams for services in more than a dozen communities. Services provide schools with funding, classroom presentations, staffing and books.

You and your friends and family members can determine what violence prevention education looks like in communities throughout Minnesota. You can determine the scope of violence prevention education today and in the future. You can be a peacemaker. Please contact us.