Group Of Businesses Help Give Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Office A Makeover

This story is from March 2020

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Dozens of businesses banded together to transform a nonprofit. It started with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

A personal connection fostered the idea to give to those who always give to others. WCCO reveals the makeover and shares why the collective group wants to continue to pay it forward.

Step into the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation office in downtown Minneapolis and you know right where you are.

"Our space before really could have been housed anything, any nonprofit, any organization. Now when you come in, it really speaks about our mission," executive director Joe Schwei said.

That's to find a cure.

"What's really neat about the entire space is the continual messaging throughout whatever room you're in you have the continual reason you're here," Anton Newman with Fluid Interiors said.

Newman sparked the movement to transform the space once described as tragic.

"Our collective that came together saw such a huge need in the nonprofit world they're generally folks that are underserved from a capacity of their environment. They work so hard for us," Newman said.

And he recognized how a better space could propel the mission. He's invested: his 3-year-old Bailey has CF. Dozens joined forces to donate time, labor, services and materials. The difference is dramatic.

"We have the huddle room, we have the conference room. There's areas around where we've got chairs grouped. In any kind of business we're trying to strip down silos, so collaboration is key and we've got a space that really enables a lot more collaboration," Schwei said.

The makeover is designed to increase morale, productivity and retention. That can translate into dollars raised to fulfill the mission. But this is only the beginning for charities in Minnesota.

"We would love to continue to affect one a year but what if it turns into 2, 3, 5 That would be amazing," Newman said.

The CF Foundation is grateful to be the first recipient of such a gift.

"You start thinking about what a great legacy for these companies to have that they helped the nonprofit community of a major city like Minneapolis," Schwei said.

The CF Foundation staff looks forward to moving back into their newly transformed office space, when it's safe to do so.

Nonprofits can apply online to become the next space selected. Click here to learn more. Here's more on the Minnesota Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.