The Minneapolis Foundation

What is environmental justice all about?   Eartha Borer-Bell, Director of the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, gave a powerful answer to that question at the 2024 Minnesota Meeting, which we hosted earlier this month.   Eartha joined other leaders from NDN Collective, the RE-AMP Network, and the Minneapolis Foundation for a panel discussion on environmental justice and the movement’s future. Watch the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/gNZ77qJT

Do you know any youth or young adults with strong ties to North Minneapolis? Would they be interested in helping award $180,000 in grants to Northside youth programs? Could they use an extra $750? If so, please share this opportunity with them. This has been a great youth-led grantmaking effort for the past two years. This year it will be event better. Here's the application link: https://lnkd.in/g_RmHCjk Thanks for spreading the word!

North Minneapolis businesses and nonprofits play an important role in the prosperity of communities throughout the metro area, and the Minneapolis Foundation has a long track record of investing in projects that leverage the Northside’s many assets to fuel economic growth. On Monday, we partnered with Natalie Johnson Lee and the Destination Northside Coalition to offer our fundholders and partners an up-close look at some of the exciting work that is happening there today. Thanks to everyone who joined R.T. Rybak and our team on this journey! We’re especially grateful to the community leaders who shared their expertise with us, including Warren McLean of Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON), Alfred Bangoura, CPRP of the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, Roger Cummings of Juxtaposition Arts, Frank Brown of Minuteman Press, Malik Rucker of V3 Sports, Anthony Taylor of RiverNorth, Sophie Weber of New Rules, Kenya McKnight Ahad of ZaRah, and Anissa Keyes, MA, LMFT, LICSW, RYT of Northside Epicenter. And huge thanks to the Capri Theater, Jesse Ross at Proximity North, and the team at TAP IN for hosting us!

As you get ready to vote early (🗳 you could cast your ballot today!) or on Election Day, remember that all Minnesotans will have a chance to vote YES to keep lottery funds working our Great Outdoors. Every year, lottery proceeds fund over $80 million in projects—from the river restoration highlighted in this Star Tribune story, to protection of endangered species in Voyageurs National Park, to pollinator-friendly lawn grants to homeowners. Let’s keep it going by voting YES! 🛶🐺🌲🐝

Election Day is approaching and early voting is well underway! If you live in Minneapolis, remember that your ballot will give you an important opportunity to vote YES for kids by approving much-needed funding for Minneapolis Public Schools. In line with our long history of investing in our community, schools, and students, the Minneapolis Foundation enthusiastically supports the school district's levy request. Now go vote, y'all!

In its nearly 40 years in Minneapolis, the Indigenous Peoples Task Force has grown to become an important place of wellness for the Native community in Minnesota. Last week, the organization held a groundbreaking for its latest endeavor – a new center for culture, arts, and wellness that will be called Mikwanedun Audisookon, or “remember our teachings” in Ojibwe. Part of the building’s funding came from a $750,000 Main Street Economic Revitalization grant administered by the Minneapolis Foundation. Our Senior Vice President of Impact, Jo-Anne Stately, took part in the groundbreaking. We’re honored to have played a small role in helping make this important new resource a reality!

Few issues have greater potential to shape the future than today's environmental challenges and how we respond to them. That's why we relaunched the Minnesota Meeting this fall with a special event focused on the environment. Watch this 90-second video to get a taste of what this convening was all about—then dive into our full event playlist.

Congratulations to these Press Forward grant recipients! We're especially excited for the Minnesota newsrooms that received funding, including BLCK Press, ITASCA COMMUNITY TELEVISION INC, Pine Knot News, Project Optimist, SPEAK MPLS, Swift County Monitor News, ThreeSixty Journalism, and WTIP North Shore Community Radio. All are doing important work to fill coverage gaps, inform readers, and tell the stories of communities that are too often underserved. We believe that communities are stronger when everyone participates in our democracy, and that local journalism plays a critical role in promoting civic engagement. That's why we are honored to be part of Press Forward Minnesota, and why our colleague Patrice Relerford, our Vice President of Collective Impact & Giving, serves on its Host Committee. Watch their page for more big news this fall! https://lnkd.in/g3NPT73J

Congratulations to NACCE's 2024 award winners, especially our President and CEO, R.T. Rybak! R.T. received NACCE's 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors a person who has played a pivotal role in philanthropy and civic life. NACCE paid special recognition to R.T.'s decades of work to expand equitable career pathways for young people. From Step Up and Urban Scholars to ConnextMSP and Generation Next, the programs to which he has dedicated his time and talent over the years have made a difference for thousands of youth in Minnesota and beyond. It was an honor to connect with the many local and national leaders at NACCE's conference, including Sharon Pierce and Dr. Rebecca Corbin (pictured below), and Minnesota Sen. Zaynab Mohamed, who among many other things is a Step Up alum. Read NACCE's full announcement: https://lnkd.in/e3NNCDTs

"Literacy matters and merits maximum investment." In today's Star Tribune, editorial columnist Denise Johnson dives into our recent commitment of more than $1 million for Minneapolis Public Schools' work to strengthen student literacy. She writes, "Minneapolis school leaders wisely intend to use the new funding to support 10 reading specialists in 16 elementary schools this school year. Those additional educators can help accelerate implementation of Minnesota’s new required phonics-based approach to reading." We are honored to partner with the school district on this important work, and we are deeply grateful to the donors with charitable funds at the Minneapolis Foundation who have joined us in supporting it. Read the full column: