Fund for Safe
Communities Awards
Grants to Prevent Violence

These awards will support seven organizations that are doing innovative work to prevent violence and promote healing in local communities. Funded projects range from mentor-mentee programming to activities that promote wellness and trauma healing, arts and sports programs, and services for justice-involved individuals as they re-enter the community.

This grant round was designed with the insight and recommendations of the Fund’s advisory committee, a group composed of emerging leaders who have personal experience with community violence.

“These individuals are deeply invested in preventing violence in our community,” said Sara Lueben, the Minneapolis Foundation’s Senior Director of Impact and Collective Giving. “This grant round was a great opportunity not only to listen, but to be led by community members who are close to the issues and have a deep understanding of what they see working for the people they care about.”

As advisory committee member Shakia McDavid put it, “Collaborating with passionate leaders to create safer communities and support violence prevention efforts has been both inspiring and impactful. I’m proud to be part of this important work.”

Members of the Fund’s advisory committee meet with Minneapolis Foundation staff.

This year, the Fund’s advisory committee sharpened its focus on violence prevention. Members highlighted organizations they saw making a real impact in local communities and decided which ones to invite to apply for funding. After they reviewed the resulting applications, the Foundation’s staff supported the committee as they discussed the applications, built consensus, and made tough collective decisions about how to invest the Fund’s resources in this important issue.

Based on the committee’s guidance, the Fund prioritized efforts that reflect the realities and needs of those most impacted by violence. These include supporting re-entry, promoting healing, addressing complex needs, and investing in proven prevention strategies. The grants also reflect the committee’s belief that effective violence prevention must be community-informed.

One grant will provide continued support to the Women’s Warrior Society, an initiative launched last year by the Indigenous Protector Movement (IPM) with help from the Fund for Safe Communities. “This grant is a powerful affirmation of our work,” said Rachel Thunder, a co-founder and board member of IPM. “This support will help the Women’s Warrior Society continue building a safe, healing, and empowering space for Indigenous women to lead violence prevention and community safety efforts from a culturally rooted foundation.”

Another grant will support Healing Vibrations Retreats hosted by Standard Edition Women, an organization that supports North Minneapolis families impacted by group and gun violence. “These transformative spaces guide grieving families from survival to healing,” said Princess Titus, the organization’s co-founder and Executive Director.

Princess Titus leads a program offered by Standard Edition Women.

B.E.S.T.: $30,000 for this culturally rooted violence prevention program, which supports young Black men ages 14-24 in Minneapolis through affirming after-school and summer programming. Grounded in mentorship, emotional resilience, and cultural identity, B.E.S.T. offers consistent, relationship-driven engagement that addresses the root causes of violence: Disconnection, trauma, systemic oppression, and lack of opportunity. Funding will support stipends for Black male coaches who provide life-saving guidance, model healthy masculinity, and mentor youth through critical life transitions—disrupting cycles of violence and helping young men build futures rooted in dignity, purpose, and peace.

Circle of Discipline: $30,000 to support this community-rooted violence prevention organization, which engages Minneapolis youth and families through mentorship, boxing, and holistic support. Its core programs—360 Advocacy, POD (Pursuit of Discipline), and Lifestyles FIT—use physical fitness, academic intervention, and personal development to reduce youth violence and delinquent behavior by offering consistent, positive alternatives. Funding will expand the Fresh Encounters program by equipping its camp in Barnum, Minnesota for overnight and summer sessions. This nature-based, trauma-informed setting provides a safe space for youth to disconnect from high-risk environments, strengthen protective relationships, and build life skills that prevent violence and promote long-term well-being.

Don’t Shoot Guns, Shoot Hoops: $30,000 to engage South Minneapolis youth impacted by gun violence through basketball, mentorship, and trauma-informed support. This program provides a safe, structured environment where youth build life skills, resilience, and confidence through athletic activities and trusted relationships with coaches and community leaders. Funding will support general operations to sustain this recreational violence prevention model, which offers leadership development, emotional support, and positive alternatives to community violence.

Indigenous Protector Movement: $30,000 for the Women’s Warrior Society, which empowers Indigenous women and girls in South Minneapolis—particularly within the Little Earth community—through culturally grounded violence prevention efforts centered on healing, safety, and collective resilience. The Women’s Warrior Society provides a safe space for those impacted by intergenerational trauma, domestic violence, trafficking, and systemic neglect, offering cultural teachings, peer mentorship, and community-led advocacy. Funding will expand this work by increasing participation, training peer mentors, and integrating restorative justice practices, while strengthening community patrols and cultural events that promote healing, protection, and long-term safety.

MAD DADS of Minneapolis: $30,000 to support this African American-led organization as it addresses community violence through street outreach, mentorship, and workforce support. Active since 1998, MAD DADS connects youth and families in Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center to trusted mentors who provide intervention, stabilization, and healing. Funding will support core programs that interrupt cycles of violence and offer pathways to opportunity for those most affected.

Standard Edition Women: $30,000 to support North Minneapolis families impacted by group and gun violence through trauma-informed coaching, emotional support, and peer connection. SEW partners with families who are navigating grief and trauma—whether as survivors or relatives of victims or offenders—to create healing-centered spaces grounded in community, stabilization, and personal development. Funding will expand the organization’s work to reduce generational adversity and promote long-term recovery and resilience in the face of violence.

T.O.U.C.H OUTREACH: $30,000 to support this community-driven violence prevention initiative in South Minneapolis, which supports individuals and families through healing, empowerment, and collaborative action. Grounded in the lived experiences of those most affected by violence, TOUCH provides workshops in conflict resolution, verbal de-escalation, and leadership development—equipping participants with tools to navigate and prevent conflict. Funding will support this comprehensive, culturally responsive approach, including access to mental health services and crisis support that address the root causes of violence and promote long-term community safety.

Established in 2018, the Fund for Safe Communities supports efforts to address and prevent community violence, defined by the Centers for Disease Control as violence that happens between unrelated individuals, generally outside the home. Examples of community violence include assaults or fights among groups and shootings in public places.

This year’s grants from the Fund for Safe Communities were made possible by the generosity of people across our community, from a donor who gives $25 per month to a Minneapolis Foundation fundholder who contributed $25,000.

Businesses and members of the public are encouraged to contribute to the Fund for Safe Communities. Learn more or make a tax-deductible online donation to the Fund for Safe Communities.