Minnesota Engagement on Shelter and Housing
Improving Minnesota’s Response to Homelessness & Housing
Minnesota Engagement on Shelter and Housing (MESH) assists regions, communities, and organizations in designing strategic, evidence-based solutions to end homelessness, drawing on nearly two decades of expertise and a broad network. Their approach focuses on ensuring that solutions are tailored to each community’s needs, recognizing that one size does not fit all.
In 2024, there were more than 9,000 people experiencing homelessness in Minnesota according to the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count conducted by Minnesota’s 10 Continuums of Care and reported on by the State of Minnesota Interagency Council on Homelessness. Since it was founded in 2000, MESH has expanded its services to serve all of Minnesota through:
- Education & Training
- Research & Assessment
- Policy Advisory & Advocacy Work
- Technical Assistance & Collaboration Support
MESH’s value and expertise lie in their commitment to ensuring those with lived experiences are a part of program design, implementation, and decision making.
Due to an increased demand for services, MESH has grown their statewide training program and now provides an average of 40 trainings per year. Additionally, they helped serve as fundraisers and as a fiscal host for the SMAC Directors Council (a group entirely comprised of people with lived experience of homelessness) and for the Minnesota Tribal Collaborative (10 tribes from across Minnesota who work together to end homelessness). They often support lived experience groups across the state— and this year they provided compensation to 22 individuals with lived experience of homelessness.
“At MESH, we’ve always aimed to be responsible stewards of the funds entrusted to us. As we grew rapidly in 2022, we recognized the need to
– Mike Manhard, Executive Director of MESH
strengthen our accounting systems. Propel and John Skillings guided us through this transition, helping us improve our practices and become a stronger agency. Propel’s support has been invaluable.”
Propel’s Work with MESH
Executive Director Mike Manhard worked closely with Propel Senior Accounting and Finance Consultant John Skillings through Propel’s Financial Insights Coaching. Through his monthly engagement, MESH transferred their accounting systems from cash to accrual-based systems and prepared for and completed two successful audits with no major findings.
John’s partnership with the organization has also inspired Propel to explore new products and services to further support clients who need financial management capacity building.
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This story was originally published in Propel’s Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report
Featured photo: Suburban Metro Area Continuum of Care (SMAC) members pose for a
photo, courtesy of MESH
Staff Authors
Andrea Sanow
Andrea is the Marketing & Communications Director at Propel Nonprofits. She’s worked in the nonprofit sector for almost 15 years and serves on two nonprofit boards. She holds a BA and an MFA in Creative Writing from Augsburg University.
Read Bio
John Skillings
John has over 30 years of experience in finance and accounting, working with nonprofits of various sizes and sectors. He is passionate about helping nonprofits achieve their goals and build their capacity through sound financial management and reporting. He loves to volunteer, and sits on two nonprofit boards as Treasurer.
Read BioStaff Authors
Andrea Sanow
Andrea is the Marketing & Communications Director at Propel Nonprofits. She’s worked in the nonprofit sector for almost 15 years and serves on two nonprofit boards. She holds a BA and an MFA in Creative Writing from Augsburg University.
Read BioJohn Skillings
John has over 30 years of experience in finance and accounting, working with nonprofits of various sizes and sectors. He is passionate about helping nonprofits achieve their goals and build their capacity through sound financial management and reporting. He loves to volunteer, and sits on two nonprofit boards as Treasurer.
Read Bio