ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Eligible activities must include efforts to improve social, economic, and racial equity in the Twin Cities Metropolitan region by transforming education, promoting economic vitality, or building social capital.
Applications must address at least one of The Minneapolis Foundation's focus areas, key results, and one of the fundable activities. See What We Fund.

Our funding preferences:
In addition to the required fundable activities, we highly value organizations/efforts that:

• Clearly state intended measurable outcomes that are aligned with the fundable activities and equity framework.
• Demonstrate that the organization can successfully execute the proposed activities.
• Address the structural causes behind key issues of equity.
• Work collaboratively.
• Involve the affected constituencies in organizational leadership, decision-making, program development and implementation.
• Are based on best practices and evidence-based research.
• Lead to long-term, sustainable results.
• Demonstrate a commitment to social, economic, and racial equity in all aspects of the organization's operations.
• Build on community assets and utilize a strength-based approach.
  
  

Eligible organizations include:

*501(c)3
*Some (c)4 nonprofits
*Governmental or tribal organizations
*Groups organized for nonprofit purposes (informal, emerging or collaborative groups).

Nondiscrimination Policy The Minneapolis Foundation's resources are available to organizations that serve the public without discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or national origin. It is expected that organizational and program facilities will be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

Organizations (or the programs for which funding is requested) are eligible to apply for funding only if they can clearly document their ability to produce outcomes that directly benefit Minneapolis residents.

The Minneapolis Foundation will place a priority on leveraging its unrestricted assets in initiatives and grants both regional and statewide that improve social, economic and racial equity in Minneapolis by transforming education, promoting economic vitality and/or building social capital.  

• Organizational grants are for support of the core, mission-related activities of an organization.
• Program/project grants are for specific activities with a targeted outcome in a defined time frame.
• We are not making Capital grants.
• In rare circumstances, multi-year grants may be considered.
  
  

The Minneapolis Foundation will not be accepting grant proposals in February, 2013. We will spend the next few months assessing and refining our grantmaking strategy and will share next steps on our website in the spring. 

All community grant applications must be submitted online using an application based on the Equity Framework. We do not use the Common Grant Application Form.

You do not have to obtain a username and password if you already have one for a previous application.

Proposals are accepted year-round and reviewed on a continual basis. All proposals must be submitted online by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the deadline. Decisions about funding will be made twice a year, in June and December. We will keep you updated on the status of your proposal.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered for review. To view information about the deadlines please see How to Apply.

AMOUNT & SOURCE OF FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY GRANTS

Funds Available

Each year the Minneapolis Foundation has approximately $4 million available for Community Grantmaking. One-year grants will be made of various sizes. Grants approved in the last grant round ranged from $20,000 to $50,000.