2026 Winter
This is why we give: The Sauer family
Safety, nurturing families, and permanent connections are essential to a child’s well-being, and supporting community-based initiatives toward preventing child abuse and neglect is critical.
Gary and Patricia Sauer
The Sauer Family Foundation has partnered with programs across Minnesota to address needs in child welfare and well-being, including settings that serve children who are at-risk of experiencing abuse or neglect and those exposed to toxic stress or trauma.
The Sauer Family Foundation provides funding to efforts focused on building strong family relationships, supportive environments, and educational success for children, as well as racial equity in career pathways for aspiring professionals in child welfare, education, and children’s mental health. Its work has been recognized with the 2023 Casey Family Programs Excellence for Children Award for Leadership, the 2025 FamilyWise Services Buron-Campbell Innovation Award, and the 2025 CASCW Child Welfare Change Maker Award.
Patricia Sauer and her husband Gary created the Sauer Family Foundation in 1996 in honor of their 30th wedding anniversary; their four adult children and nine grandchildren continue to be closely involved. Their mission is to invest in strengthening the well-being of children so they thrive in their families and communities, and they have found many partners to advance that work at CEHD.
Pat says, “It’s hard to see the difference we are making, because we are working in prevention. But that’s a good thing, because that means the prevention is working, and the bigger issues are decreasing.”
One current project focuses on understanding mental health needs in schools. Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement Research Associate Alyssa Parr and her team are consolidating and analyzing large datasets collected from a variety of sources. Next, they will collaborate with community partners to understand what new data and qualitative information would be most helpful for them as they seek to improve school mental health care and access for students. “We want this to be actionable and help us address some of Minnesota’s greatest challenges,” Parr says. “We are hopeful that the result of this work will have a real impact on kids. The funding from the Sauer Family Foundation to do this kind of deep community partnership work is really meaningful.”
Last year, the Sauer Family Foundation announced it would be sunsetting by the end of 2027, with the intention of putting assets in the community to make a difference today. Pat says, “We want to help children and families that need help now. It has been an honor to witness so many wonderful people doing amazing work in our communities.”