TMF Awards Fourth Round of OneMPLS Pandemic Response Grants

The Minneapolis Foundation today announced an additional $453,000 in OneMPLS grants to 41 nonprofit organizations that are providing critical services during the COVID-19 crisis.

These grants support regional efforts to address the economic impact of COVID-19, providing flexible resources to local organizations that serve communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Thanks to the generosity of many, the Foundation has been able to give 147 organizations a quick infusion of nearly $2 million in OneMPLS grants in the past two months.

The grants announced today represent the final awards in the Minneapolis Foundation’s first phase of OneMPLS grantmaking in response to COVID-19. Details about the next phase will be announced in July.

“Our entire team is working hard to muster financial resources and make plans that will allow us to continue supporting our community with strategy and intention,” said Chanda Smith Baker, Senior Vice President of Impact at the Minneapolis Foundation. “There’s a long road ahead of us, but we will walk it together.”

Businesses and members of the public are encouraged to contribute to the OneMPLS Fund, a collective impact fund that was launched in 2018 to expand the Minneapolis Foundation’s capacity to respond to emerging community needs. Contributions are welcome in any amount and can be made online.

Organizations and individuals who would like to receive updates about OneMPLS grants and other funding opportunities at the Minneapolis Foundation can sign up for email notifications here.

The complete list of organizations that will receive the OneMPLS grants announced today is as follows:

• African Community Services. $10,000 to support individuals as they access unemployment assistance and other sources of income.
• Ain Dah Yung (Our Home) Shelter, Inc. $15,000 to provide direct financial support to Native youth in permanent supportive housing.
• Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals. $10,000 to support distribution of traditional medicines and food from a cultural garden.
• AL-Maauun. $10,000 for meal delivery and groceries for families in the Near Northside neighborhood of Minneapolis.
• American Indian OIC. $10,000 for basic needs for vulnerable students.
• Arena Dances. $10,000 to support 20 contracted artists impacted by the pandemic.
• Art is My Weapon. $10,000 to support the families of artists with children who do not qualify for unemployment.
• Asian American Organizing Project. $10,000 to provide microgrants to Asian American youth ages 18-24 who have lost work but don’t qualify for unemployment assistance.
• Asian Women United of Minnesota. $20,000 to support hazard pay and protective measures for staff and residents in an emergency shelter that serves victims of domestic violence.
• Bdote Learning Center. $10,000 to purchase and deliver food to students and families.
• CAPI USA. $10,000 to help immigrants and refugees navigate job training, unemployment, SNAP, and other government COVID-19 response programs.
• Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha. $15,000 to provide navigation and technical assistance to low-wage workers affected by the pandemic.
• City of Lakes Community Land Trust. $10,000 to provide housing assistance to low-income land trust owners.
• Collide Theatrical Dance Company. $10,000 to assist contract dancers, musicians, and artists affected by COVID-19.
• Emerge Community Development. $20,000 to maintain summer internships for youth ages 18-24 from North Minneapolis and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
• Guthrie Theater. $10,000 to support the launch of the Guthrie Family Fund for artists and staff in need due the closure and cancelation of contracts.
• In The Heart of the Beast Theatre. $10,000 to support artists in getting back to work.
• Jeremiah Program. $18,000 for groceries, diapers, and basic supplies for low-income families, and for operating costs to mitigate the impact of lost rent revenue.
• Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association. $10,000 to create a work loss fund for residents.
• Metropolitan Economic Development Association. $15,000 to provide technical assistance to minority-owned businesses in Minneapolis.
• Minnesota Africans United. $14,000 to provide food, rental, utility, and other emergency assistance to African immigrant front-line workers and their families.
• Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center. $10,000 for food, cleaning supplies, and rental assistance for clients.
• Mixed Blood Theatre Company. $10,000 to commission emerging artists in the Cedar-Riverside area to produce storytelling work related to health concerns.
• Model Cities of St. Paul. $10,000 for basic needs and rental assistance for Model Cities families.
• NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, Inc. $10,000 to provide flexible housing assistance to single adults affected by the pandemic.
• OutFront Minnesota Community Services. $10,000 for basic needs, rental assistance, utility payments, and other supports for low-income LGBTQ gig workers and survivors of violence.
• Pangea World Theater. $10,000 to pay artists and contractors despite cancellations, and to support the theater’s operating costs.
• Penumbra Theatre Company. $10,000 to support artists and staff members affected by the pandemic.
• Prepare + Prosper. $10,000 to help people file Economic Impact Payments remotely and connect to safe and affordable direct deposits.
• Seward Redesign, Inc. $10,000 to support 41 business tenants in the Seward neighborhood.
• Somali Community Resettlement Services. $10,000 to assist immigrants and refugees in Minneapolis with unemployment services, food, and transportation needs.
• Southern Anoka Community Assistance. $10,000 to support food shelf operations and delivery to low-income individuals and families in Northeast Minneapolis and Anoka County.
• The Bridge for Youth. $10,000 to offset the additional costs of providing shelter and ensuring the safety of homeless youth during the pandemic.
• Toward Renewed Unity and Service Together. $12,000 to provide meals, groceries, and chore assistance to seniors in South Minneapolis.
• Tubman. $10,000 for transitional housing, meals, and support services for youth who have experienced sexual exploitation and relationship violence.
• Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir. $10,000 to pay contractors affected by the cancellation of the choir’s Spring 2020 season.
• Twin Cities Recovery Project, Inc. $10,000 to provide additional financial support to those struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues.
• Urban Roots. $10,000 for internships for underserved youth to maintain urban gardens and farms on the East Side of St. Paul.
• Vietnamese Social Service of Minnesota. $10,000 to support Karen, Kareni, and Vietnamese refugees and immigrants in need of basic supplies and services.
• West Bank Business Association. $10,000 to help West Bank businesses navigate the pandemic.
• YouthLink. $14,000 for supplies to sanitize and maintain proper social distancing at the organization’s Minneapolis drop-in center for unsheltered youth.

To make a tax-deductible online donation to the OneMPLS Fund, go here.