Home > About > Our Home

Our Home

The Land We’re On

The offices of Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies sit on the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary homelands of the Dakóta people. U.S. Government treaties of 1837 and 1851 appropriated Ojibwe and Dakóta land across Minnesota, resulting in pioneer settlement west of Haȟáwakpa/Wakpá Tháŋka (commonly known as the Mississippi River) in what is now Eden Prairie. MACP is honored to work on this land, and we continue to build enduring and respectful relationships with Native peoples and organizations in all the places we work.

A home that reflects our mission

With one of our key philanthropic priorities centered on the environment, our headquarters was a chance to lead by example. In 2016, we completed a building expansion. Through sustainable design practices we tripled our building’s size while reducing its environmental impact.

A sustainable model

Our building is among the greenest in the country, using 95% reused or recycled materials and designed to the platinum LEED standard for energy conservation and sustainability.

Recycling our water

The project includes Minnesota’s first greywater drip irrigation system and 19 water storage tanks, which store 55,000 gallons of rainwater to sustain the native landscape, vegetable gardens, and orchards on our property.

Here comes the sun

Our rooftop photovoltaic and solar thermal panels provide 15% of the electricity to operate our facility and 70% of the energy to heat our water.

Harnessing geothermal energy

The building has an extensive geothermal system that uses the earth’s constant underground temperature for heating and cooling the building. This innovative system is estimated to reduce energy costs by 60-70%.

Preserving our backyard

With a protected wetland adjoining our property, and regional parks nearby, we designed our landscaping with water quality in mind. An extensive rain garden, native landscape, and permeable pavers will help ensure effective water management in these sensitive natural areas.