Eric J. Jolly, Ph.D.

Eric J. Jolly, Ph.D. is the President and CEO of the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation — an organization working to create an equitable, just, and vibrant Minnesota where all communities and people thrive.

With roots in Saint Paul since 1940 and partners across the state, the Foundation is Minnesota’s largest community foundation, stewarding nearly $1.5 billion in charitable assets, including the work of F. R. Bigelow Foundation, Mardag Foundation, and a statewide network of more than 2,000 charitable organizations and donor-advised funds. Each year, the Foundations and its donors make over 8,500 grants to agents and agencies of change.

Jolly joined the Foundation in 2015. As a lifelong educator and scientist, Jolly’s signature leadership style has been to listen deeply to those in the community. As a result, Jolly has focused the Foundation on three distinct strategies: inspiring generosity, advancing equity, and investing in community-led solutions. The consistent thread woven throughout Jolly’s vast career is the belief that all humans deserve a life filled with dignity and opportunity.