Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation

The Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation, is an independent, 501c(3) nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to strengthening public safety by partnering with the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.

The Foundation supports volunteer groups and other programs within the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, assists youth programs such as the Boys and Girls Club, funds scholarships to support those seeking a career in law enforcement and support with financial or program assistance, members of the law enforcement community and their families who are experiencing difficulties due to death, injury, illness or hardship associated with the inherent dangers of policing. While independent of the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Foundation collaborates with the Sheriff and her staff to identify and prioritize special needs that are not funded through the Hennepin County Sheriff budget.

Your contribution will help us support our Explorers and Special Deputies.  

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Explorer Post #3744 is a youth organization sponsored by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and the Boy Scouts of America. The objective of the Explorer Post is to provide young men and women (ages 14-20) an opportunity to learn about the law enforcement profession through training and volunteer service to the community. The post advisors are members of the Sheriff’s Office who oversee the operation of the post and act as liaisons between the Sheriff’s Office and the Explorers. The Explorers continually train for competitions with other Explorer posts from law enforcement agencies across the region. The competitions cover topics such as crime scene search and accident investigation.

Contact Deputy Brian Owens (Brian.Owens@hennepin.us) about requirements and any inquiries you might have.

Whether on land or water, Special Deputy Volunteers supplement the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office law enforcement work force.  Their dedicated service helps to enhance the community outreach efforts of the Sheriff's Office.  They provide safety education and are an important part of emergency preparedness.  In the event of a large scale emergency, Special Deputies are ready to assist and serve.  They put in thousands of hours annually as volunteers with the Water Patrol, Mounted Patrol, Emergency Squad, Mobile Amateur Radio Corps, and Underwater Recovery Team.  

These volunteers do more than just give their time; they also incur out-of-pocket expenses for uniforms, equipment, training and other related expenses. These costs may be hundreds of dollars per person. One of our Foundation goals is to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for volunteer deputies and to provide recognition for their volunteer public service. Retention and recruitment of volunteer deputies has significant financial value to the Sheriff’s Office and to the taxpayers of Hennepin County.

Make a gift TODAY to support these amazing programs!