The Opus Group® & Opus Foundation®:
Committed to Building Community for a Better Tomorrow
The events of 2020 have strengthened our resolve to make our communities better places for all people to live, work, play and raise families.
Working together, The Opus Group and the Opus Foundation are building community for a better tomorrow through thoughtful financial giving and volunteerism.
Check out our 2020 philanthropy annual report to see a summary of our philanthropy work.
Table of Contents
Opus Foundation® Grants
The Opus Foundation makes impactful grants to support early childhood education, youth development, workforce development, community revitalization and pressing/emerging needs. Learn more about the focus areas on our Giving page.
Featured Partners
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COVID-19 Emergency Response
With so many vulnerable communities impacted by COVID-19, the Opus Foundation® quickly mobilized an emergency response to fund nonprofits in all of our markets serving those communities and their people.
As nonprofits quickly pivoted their work to serve the greatest needs of their communities in the most efficient and safe ways, the Opus Foundation responded by broadening guidelines and expediting funding timelines to support these crucial efforts.
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Impact Investing
The Opus Foundation operates from a healthy endowment and has awarded more than $47.7 million in grants since its inception in 2000. Now, the Foundation is embarking on a long-term initiative to expand the impact of its resources. On top of granting more than $3 million each year, the Foundation will support qualifying organizations with impact investments.
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Our Associates Giving Back
Founder's Day
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Small Group Volunteering
The unusual year changed how, when and where we volunteered – and with whom.
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Individually Giving Back
Many associates continued to give back individually, and others found new ways to give back this year.
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Opus Volunteer Council
Launched in 2017, the Opus Volunteer Council was designed to engage associates who are committed to volunteerism. Office Champions plan volunteer activities throughout the year that improve the communities in ways personal to them.
Volunteer Time Off
Opus associates receive two days per calendar year to volunteer in ways that enhance and improve the communities in which we live and work. Associates are able to choose their own community initiative.
Working Together for a Greater Impact
Opus associates and the Opus Foundation take collaboration to a whole new level.
Gerry Rauenhorst Building Community Award
The Building Community Award honors and celebrates our founder's philanthropic legacy and our history. Gerry Rauenhorst was committed to finding a better way to build a business, community and value-centered life. With an enduring belief that business has a responsibility to strengthen society, Gerry ensured giving back was a cornerstone of our organization.
We recognize one winning nonprofit with a grant valued at $1,000 for each year of our organization's history and $5,000 to each of the remaining seven finalists.
Future Builders
Future Builders is our strategic focus on introducing and preparing youth for careers in the construction industry. A true partnership between the Foundation and associates, it pairs strategic grantmaking and hands-on activities planned and executed by associates
United Way Campaign
An unusual year didn't stop our annual United Way campaign. It may have looked a lot different, but it was still a success.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Recent tragic events have reinforced the urgent need to acknowledge racism and embrace diversity. We aren't just deeply concerned. Building off our strong core values of respect, stewardship, innovation and safety, we're taking thoughtful, deliberate steps to respond and encourage greater diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry and communities. We look forward to being able to share our actions and accomplishments in the future.
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2020 Opus Foundation Grantees
- A New Leaf
- ACE Mentor Program of St. Louis
- American Cancer Society, Inc.
- Arizona Helping Hands
- Ballard Center
- Better Futures Minnesota
- Beyond Ball
- Beyond Housing
- Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City
- Breck School
- Building Futures Design & Build Workshops
- Camp Fire Minnesota
- CAP Agency
- Cardinal Ritter Senior Services
- Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis
- Catholic Climate Covenant
- Center for Enriched Living
- Child Crisis Arizona
- Christ Community Lutheran School
- Christopher House
- Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
- Common Pantry
- CommonBond Communities
- Construction Careers Foundation
- Construction Education Foundation of Colorado
- Cookie Cart
- Cradles to Crayons Chicago
- Creative Visions Human Development Institute
- CU Real Estate Center, Leeds School of Business
- Denver Community Ventures
- Denver Inner City Parish
- Denver Kids
- DinoMights
- Dougherty Family College
- Downtown Tempe Foundation
- Dress for Success Twin Cities
- DuPagePads
- Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK)
- Food Bank of Iowa
- Food For Thought Denver
- Fourth Avenue Foundation
- Fraser
- Free Bikes 4 Kidz
- Freedom Farm
- Freedom for Youth Ministries
- Friends of Kids with Cancer, Inc.
- Fueled for School
- Gateway Region YMCA
- Giving the Basics, Inc.
- Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana
- Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana
- Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota
- Great River Greening
- Greater Chicago Food Depository
- Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity
- Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity, Inc.
- Greater Twin Cities United Way
- Green Beret Foundation
- Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona
- Habitat for Humanity Chicago
- Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City
- Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver, Inc.
- Habitat for Humanity Saint Louis
- Hands That Serve
- Hart Pantry
- Harvesters—The Community Food Network
- Hispanic Chamber Education Foundation
- Home Sweet Home
- Hope Academy
- Hope Community, Inc.
- Horizon House
- i.d.e.a. Museum Foundation
- Indianapolis Parks Foundation
- Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners
- Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation
- Joseph's Coat, Inc.
- Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis
- Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest, Inc.
- Lake Street Council
- Lattof YMCA
- Lewy Body Dementia Association
- Loaves & Fishes Community Services
- Lutheran Child and Family Services of Indiana/Kentucky, Inc.
- Marquette University Center for Real Estate
- Meals from the Heartland
- Metro Caring
- Metro Meals on Wheels
- Mile High United Way
- Mile High Youth Corps
- Minneapolis Recreation Development, Inc.
- Minnesota Brownfields
- Minnesota Teen Challenge
- National Outdoor Leadership School
- New Pathways for Youth
- NEWSED Community Development Corporation
- North Side Community School
- Northern Star Council
- Operation Breakthrough, Inc.
- Our Savior Lutheran Church
- People Reaching Out to Other People, Inc.
- Progress Valley Inc.
- Project for Pride in Living, Inc.
- Project IOWA
- Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago
- Rebuilding Together Twin Cities
- reStart, Inc.
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of St. Louis
- Safehome
- Saint Clare's Tahoe: A Mountain Montessori School
- Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation
- Saint Thomas Academy
- Second Harvest Heartland
- Second Helpings, Inc.
- Society of St. Vincent de Paul
- Southwest Lending Closet
- Special Olympics Minnesota
- St. Cloud State University Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate
- St. Louis Area Foodbank
- St. Louis Children's Hospital Foundation
- St. Mary's Child Center
- STEP - St. Louis Park Emergency Program, Inc.
- Summit Academy OIC
- Tempe Community Action Agency
- Tenants to Homeowners
- The Knothole Foundation, Inc.
- The Link
- The Upper Room
- The Warming Shelter
- Tree Trust
- Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity
- Twin Cities R!SE
- United Way of Central Indiana, Inc.
- United Way of Central Iowa
- United Way of Greater Kansas City
- United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Inc.
- United Way of Greater St. Louis
- United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
- University City Children's Center (LUME Institute)
- University of Denver - Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate
- University of Minnesota Urban Studies Program
- University of Notre Dame
- Urban Boatbuilders, Inc.
- Urban Land Institute
- Valley of the Sun United Way
- Van Go, Inc.
- Wheeler Mission Ministries
- YMCA of Greater Birmingham
- YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago
- YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities
- Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS)
- Youth Frontiers, Inc.
- YouthLink
2020 Opus Foundation Board of Directors
- Jeff Rauenhorst, Chair
- Joe Downs
- Dave Menke
- Tim Murnane
- Kim Noonan
- Anne Peacock
- Kristine Rauenhorst
- Carolyn Roby
- Mary Weber
- Ian Widmer