MINNEAPOLIS — The Woman’s Club of Minneapolis has released a reused statement via social media in the wake of recent news that their facilities face possible closure at the end of May due to a lack of finances and an aging building.
The statement, which the Club has released multiple times, continues to allude to the fact that the organization faces closure after operating for over a century.
Minneapolis’s historic Woman’s Club, located on the edge of Downtown in the Loring Park Neighborhood, announced that it could possibly close on May 31 without any significant financial donors.
Internal resignations have sparked external questions regarding the situation for such a historic neighborhood institution prompting many to wonder if there is more to the story.
The Daily Planet reached out for an interview earlier this month when the news initially broke and received a message containing the above statement from Bess Ellenson, a private contractor working with the Club. We continue to look into this developing story.
“For more than 100 years, The Women’s Club of Minneapolis has been at the heart of our community, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together,” said Woman’s Club Board President Lois Carlson in the released statement we received, which was reused on their recent social postings. “After years of extensive research, innovative fundraising efforts, and careful financial analysis, we’ve come to a critical juncture. The Club is no longer able to fulfill its financial obligations and will run out of operating funds by the end of May. Unless a major donor comes forward, the Club is considering closing. This means all programming and events may come to an end on May 31, 2025. We will work with all those who booked events at the Club after this date to find another venue. We want to thank all our members, staff, board members and other contributors who have believed in our mission and supported us over the years.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly labeled the organization as “Women’s Club,” when it’s actually “Woman’s Club.” We have corrected this error. The organization’s official Facebook statement still refers to it as “Women’s Club.”
First of all, it’s the Woman’s Club, not Women’s Club. The founder wanted it to be a place for every woman! I’m not a club joiner but I did join the Woman’s Club a few years ago because of its strong feminist history, dating back to a time when women had few outlets for their abilities. The founders were suffragettes, they lobbied for there to be a woman on the police force, they paid the salary of Eloise Butler (wildflower gardens in Wirth Park) for a year or two when the park board wouldn’t, they hosted Helen Keller as one of their first speakers and continued to hold luncheons for VIP’s (visually impaired people) for many years after.
It’s not a club in the usual sense, in that you don’t get any pickle ball courts! It’s like being a member of the Walker, or the MIA, you join to support it, not to get any perks. And it’s a very cool building with amazing facilities from a theater to a ballroom to an outdoor rooftop dining area.
The recent leadership has done an incredible job of trying to reinvigorate the club, making it more of a social service facility than simply a place to gather socially. During the pandemic they turned the kitchens over to Involve, an org founded by retired police officer Grant Snyder and his wife to provide meals to the unsheltered. Over 1000 meals a day were prepared in the club’s kitchens, something that continues to this day. (Or did, I’m not up to date on details.)
The leadership tried multiple ways to make the club relevant in today’s troubled times.
If there is a back story — as far as I know — it is that this old building is very very expensive to maintain and we’re out of money. There may be a small contingent of the old guard who wanted the club to continue as it once was, but there weren’t many of them and in any case, it’s not realistic. There simply weren’t enough members to sustain it.
The programming was excellent, the facility is incredible, and if it can’t be saved by some angel, it’s real loss .
Hello Susan! I appreciate you pointing out that labeling error. I noticed it’s still referred to as “Women’s Club” on the official statement. I corrected it on the article, though.
I also appreciate your comment about the club’s recent activities. What an achievement, and what an important organization to have in our neighborhood (I live across the street). I’d love to do a feature on the club’s importance and impact not only throughout the past century but in recent times. You can comment here if you’re interested in talking about this. Thank you, and have a great day.
I recently attended an ERA event there. A beautiful building and admiral mission and history. I’ve attended a few events there over the years. It would be very sad to see it go. It would be like erasing all of that as not important.
Thank you, Susan. Your comments were succinct and accurate. Closing the Woman’s Club would be a big loss to our community.