What if an intermediary organization works across your core areas within your strategic plan? Who should we contact to discuss opportunities to best engage the Foundation? *
Choose an area where the key result most closely matches the work of your organization and start there by contacting the community philanthropy officer assigned to that area. Know that all of the community philanthropy officers have knowledge about the other areas of the strategic plan and can discuss cross-cutting issues with ease.
Do you fund health, the environment or arts and culture?
Our Community Grantmaking Guidelines are focused on promoting social economic and racial equity by achieving key results in three strategic focus areas: Transforming Education, Promoting Economic Vitality and Building Social Capital.
As we consider proposals, including those that address health concerns, the environment or arts and culture, based on the guidelines we want to know how well the proposed activities:
- Will help bring about the key results as demonstrated by measurable outcomes.
- Utilize the identified strategies.
- Are aligned with the proposal requirements.
- Benefit residents of Minneapolis.
Will you fund proposals from charter schools? *
Charter schools that can demonstrate outcomes that directly benefit Minneapolis residents are eligible to apply for the competitive pool of dollars available for our unrestricted grantmaking, and must demonstrate a close fit with the proposal requirements, key results, etc.
Will you fund schools directly? *
Individual Minneapolis Public Schools will not be funded directly. In general, our support of the Minneapolis Public Schools will be at the District level for system-wide initiatives. Non-Minneapolis Public Schools that can demonstrate outcomes that directly benefit Minneapolis residents are eligible to apply for the competitive pool of dollars available for our grantmaking, and must demonstrate a close fit with the proposal requirements, key results, etc.
Why did you not include gender equity in your new focus? *
While not specified, gender equity and programs aligned with our goal to promote social, economic, and racial equity, may apply for funding. Also, our nondiscrimination policy states that 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 Disability Act.
Can you be more specific about results you want to see; maybe with some examples of indicators? *
Under each focus area, key results and what we fund are identified. Your proposals should address how your organization will measure or report indicators toward supporting the goals of the Foundation. You may also review the
recent grants approved by the Foundation and find examples of what we fund.
How does The Minneapolis Foundation define "social capital?"
Social capital is considered the non-monetary value of interdependent relationships between communities and within communities; it refers to the value of personal relationships and the expectation that people in these social networks will respond to each other in kind. Social capital is the glue that holds a community together.