12 Local Groups Receive Grants for Climate Action

The fund, a partnership between the City of Minneapolis, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minneapolis Foundation, drives hyper-local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

One of the fund’s 2025 grants will support Twin Cities Maker, a creative community hub, as it launches an electronics repair and recycling education program. “We are so excited to be able to build on our existing fix-it clinics by creating inclusive curriculum around electronics recycling!” said Sage Kaplan-Goland, the organization’s President. “This program will allow us to share skills even more impactfully to build community resilience and connection with a broad group of local partners.”

Another grant will help the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota (BikeMN) install electric cargo bike libraries in two new locations. “The impact and potential of our Cargo Bike Library initiative to reshape transportation and connect our community is obvious—from trips to local businesses to bringing families to our park system,” said Michael Wojcik, BikeMN’s Executive Director.

A third award will enable the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy to deepen its work in south Minneapolis, said Byron Gudiel, the organization’s Executive Director. “This grant will contribute to CEED’s efforts to expand energy justice education and leadership development for residents of the South Green Zone, helping residents reduce their energy burdens and equipping emerging leaders with the tools and knowledge to build climate resilience and energy justice in Minneapolis.”

Photos courtesy of the Center for Earth, Energy and Democracy

Since the fund was launched in 2019, it has made more than $1.6 million in grants to 38 organizations.

In 2025, the fund received more than $2.5 million in funding requests from 59 applicants. A committee made up of community members from the City of Minneapolis’ North and Southside Green Zones, along with members of the Minneapolis Racial Equity Community Advisory Committee, joined representatives from the City of Minneapolis, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minneapolis Foundation to review applications.

The fund makes grants to place-based, community-driven initiatives and projects that result in a demonstrable reduction in local greenhouse gas emissions. These grants support proposals that advance one or more goals of the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan, which include:

• Increasing energy efficiency
• Encouraging the use of renewable energy
• Reducing vehicle miles traveled
• Promoting efforts to recycle, reuse, and otherwise reduce the community’s waste stream

Funded projects should also advance the City of Minneapolis’ Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan, which seeks to embed racial equity principles throughout the city’s work.

• BICYCLE ALLIANCE OF MINNESOTA: $50,000 to install two new electric cargo bike library locations.
• CENTER FOR EARTH, ENERGY AND DEMOCRACY: $25,000 to support the design and implementation of an Environmental Justice Leadership Development cohort.
• DREAM OF WILD HEALTH: $35,000 to work with Indigenous farmers and expand seed saving and sharing opportunities.
• MINNESOTA INTERFAITH POWER & LIGHT: $50,000 to support Masjid An-Nur and Al-Maa’uun in carrying out the planning process for a community-based resilience hub.
• NATIVE SUN COMMUNITY POWER DEVELOPMENT: $25,000 to support culturally relevant, community-based climate and green workforce education.
• PILLSBURY UNITED COMMUNITIES: $25,000 to expand access to healthy food and green career pathways.
• SEWARD REDESIGN, INC.: $20,000 to plan a community-governed, district-scale Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage system.
• TC FOOD JUSTICE: $37,000 to support and expand food rescue and delivery programs.
• TWIN CITIES MAKER: $20,000 to develop the curriculum for an electronics repair and recycling education program.
• WE ALL NEED FOOD AND WATER: $20,000 to support expanded environmental education and green workforce opportunities through the Clean Economy Educators program.
• WEST BROADWAY AREA COALITION: $25,000 to support corridor waste reduction, energy efficiency, and beautification efforts.
• WOMEN’S ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE AT AMADOR HILL: $38,000 to support community-led composting initiatives that convert local food waste into nutrient-rich soil.

The timing of the fund’s next grant round will be set soon. Sign up to receive email updates from the Minneapolis Foundation about upcoming grant opportunities. Businesses and members of the public can also be a part of this work by contributing to the fund.