2026 Reimagine Education Grants

Now through 1 p.m. on June 24, the Minneapolis Foundation is accepting applications for grants that help students transition from school to college and careers through practical training and workforce exploration.

Our 2026 Reimagine Education: Paving the Way to Prosperity grants will support public high schools, school districts, higher education institutions, municipalities, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations developing or expanding career pathway programs for students in grades 9–12.

This grant round builds on the Foundation’s 2025 Paving the Way to Prosperity: Insights Into the Twin Cities Youth Career Pathway Ecosystem report. Drawing on insights from existing programs, the report highlighted both the importance of these career pathways and the need for stronger investments, partnerships, and support systems for young people.

These grants will support:

• Public high schools to develop and enhance career pathway programs that provide students with high school or post-secondary credit AND paid work experiences.
• Partnerships and collaborations between school districts and organizations to increase access and strengthen career pathway programs.

“Career exploration and hands-on learning can change the trajectory of a young person’s life,” said Patrice Relerford, Vice President of Collective Impact and Giving at the Minneapolis Foundation. “We’re excited to deepen our investment in programs that prepare students for success in college, careers, and the workforce of tomorrow.”

Grants will range from $100,000 to $150,000 over a two-year grant period for implementation of your proposal. We will also be awarding $25,000 one-year planning grants for schools and organizations interested in developing a new youth career pathway program. We plan to award five to six implementation grants and five to six planning grants for a total of $875,000.

Paving the Way to Prosperity grants will fund proposals seeking to create new or expand existing youth career pathway programs for students in grades 9-12. The Minneapolis Foundation defines youth career pathways as a sequence of education, training, and activities that provide students with opportunities for career awareness, career exploration, job readiness, and skill development for successful entry into high-wage, high-demand career fields. Career pathway programs should provide students with high school course credit or post-secondary course credit AND paid work experience.

Here’s a non-exhaustive list of eligible grant uses:

• Credentials
• Access to college courses
• Student support services to complete pathway programs or accessing internships
• Student wages
• Equipment
• Materials
• Student skill and interest assessments
• Transportation
• Food
• Staff time
• Convening costs
• Basic needs

We are open to other ideas that advance equity in our community by helping youth from local Black, Indigenous, and communities of color develop post-secondary plans by graduation.

The focus of this grant program is on students in grades 9-12. Funding will be awarded to public high schools, school districts, higher education institutions, municipalities, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits and municipalities MUST partner with public schools, school districts, or higher education institutions in efforts to develop, enhance, or strengthen career pathway programs.

Applicants are only eligible to apply for either a planning grant or implementation grant, not both.

We will prioritize proposals that impact Minneapolis. However, we will also consider proposals that impact cities within Hennepin County.

Priority for funding will be given to eligible applicants that:

• Propose programs or projects that are focused on developing, enhancing, or strengthening career pathway programs for youth and students in grades 9-12.
• Partnerships and collaborations between school districts and organizations to increase access and strengthen career pathway programs.
• Offer programs that are based in and will serve 51% or more of students from Minneapolis or cities within Hennepin County.

All applications must be submitted through our online portal. We will begin accepting applications on May 19, 2026. The deadline to submit your application is 1 p.m. on June 24, 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. Please do not submit multiple applications; only one application per organization will be reviewed.

We recommend that you download this preview document to review our 2026 application questions and draft your responses before submitting them online.

We moved to a new portal in June 2025. If you have not applied for funding from the Minneapolis Foundation since then, you will need to register in the new portal.

We encourage you to log in to our application portal well before the deadline to ensure you have access to it and that your organization’s contact information is current. For assistance with our online portal, including help with your username and/or login information or updating your contact information, please contact our Grants Administration team at impactgrants@mplsfoundation.org. Please include “2026 Paving the Way to Prosperity” in the subject line of your message.

Funding decisions will be made by a review committee in August 2026. We do not accept late applications or applications submitted via email. All applicants will be notified of funding decisions by late August. Funding will be awarded in early to mid-September.

The grant period for planning grants is September 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The grant period for all other grants is September 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028.

If you have questions about your organization’s eligibility or the content of your proposal, please email Patrice Relerford at  prelerford@mplsfoundation.org AND Kenneth Eban at kenneth@mkeconsultinggroup.com and include “2026 Paving the Way to Prosperity” in the subject line of your message.

If you have technical questions about this process, please contact our Grants Administration team at impactgrants@mplsfoundation.org or 612-672-8665. Please allow 1-2 business days for responses.