2026 Economic
Mobility Grants

The Minneapolis Foundation announces a call for proposals from organizations that advance economic mobility.

Our 2026 Economic Mobility grant guidelines reflect important updates designed to meet evolving community needs—particularly challenges stemming from Operation Metro Surge. This year’s funding will focus on nonprofit organizations that provide small business support and play a vital role in strengthening entrepreneurship and the local economy. To deepen our impact, we will concentrate investments in a smaller cohort of grantees, offer larger awards, and extend the grant period to two years.  

These grants to nonprofits are designed to complement the resources we are distributing to small businesses through our Economic Response Fund, ensuring a coordinated approach to stabilization and growth.

“In this critical moment, we’re strengthening our commitment to a regional economy where everyone can thrive,” said Jo-Anne Stately, Senior Vice President of Impact at the Minneapolis Foundation. “These grants support nonprofit partners that are increasing the resilience and vitality of key commercial corridors and small businesses throughout our community.”

Background
Our Economic Mobility grants support organizations working to build a more sustainable and resilient economic landscape—one in which communities and businesses can thrive, and individuals have greater economic mobility. This work is guided by extensive community input and builds on more than five years of investment in small business development and key commercial corridors. We are committed to supporting those most impacted by economic inequities and to advancing community-led solutions.   

Our 2026 grantmaking reflects shifting realities on the ground. Recent federal immigration enforcement activity has created uncertainty for many small businesses, particularly those owned by or employing immigrants and people of color. Business owners and the organizations that support them have reported workforce disruptions, reduced customer activity, and increased hesitation among entrepreneurs to seek technical assistance or capital due to fear and instability. These challenges threaten business stability and slow growth, especially in commercial corridors where small businesses are central to local economic vitality.

Funds Available to Grant
We have approximately $2 million available to grant. Average grant amounts will range between $50,000 and $100,000 per year over a two-year grant period. The maximum grant over two years will be $150,000. Organizations awarded a two-year grant in 2026 will not be eligible to apply for funding in the 2027 grant cycle, as they will already be receiving support through this grant program.   

What We Will Fund
We will support organizations that play a vital role in supporting small businesses located in historically underinvested areas, helping them grow and strengthen the local economy. Grants will provide general operating support, offering flexibility to organizations as they build strong, sustainable infrastructure and respond to the evolving needs of the entrepreneurs they serve. Funds may be used to strengthen service delivery, expand access to capital and technical assistance, invest in staffing and systems, or deepen partnerships across the ecosystem of services and support for small businesses. Strengthening the ecosystem is essential to maintaining resilient local economies, expanding entrepreneurial opportunities, and fostering long-term economic mobility. 

Eligibility
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits that primarily support small businesses. 

Organizations should demonstrate a track record of supporting the small business ecosystem through equitable capital deployment (access to capital, grants, and loans), technical assistance, and strategies that expand entrepreneurship opportunities, create jobs, and generate lasting economic mobility. We will fund organizations that support small business development and growth through efforts and initiatives that include, but are not limited to: 

• Technical assistance and small business support: Comprehensive and culturally relevant business development services that increase the business readiness, revenue growth, and long-term viability of small businesses (e.g., business strategy and planning, financial management and capital readiness, procurement and contracting, etc.). 
• Expanding access to capital: Flexible and responsive capital solutions that expand access to financing for small businesses, particularly those facing systemic barriers (e.g., small business loans, direct grants, alternative financing models, refinancing options, etc.).

Priorities for Funding
Priority for funding will be given to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that:  

• Are based in and serving Minneapolis communities and the inner-ring suburbs of Hennepin County (Brooklyn Center, Edina, Golden Valley, Richfield, Robbinsdale, and St. Louis Park). 
• Provide multiple services and support to small businesses, with the majority of the organization’s programming focused on technical assistance, business development, access to capital, or other initiatives that strengthen and sustain the local small business ecosystem. 
• Support entrepreneurs who face systemic barriers to business ownership and growth, including but not limited to businesses located in historically underinvested communities (e.g., areas experiencing higher poverty rates, limited access to capital or financial services, lower small-business density, and/or higher commercial vacancy rates).  
• Support small businesses located along key commercial corridors that have experienced historic disinvestment or barriers to capital and resources.
  • Examples in Minneapolis include Lake Street, West Broadway Avenue North, and Central Avenue Northeast. We recognize that there are many key commercial corridors throughout Minneapolis and the inner-ring suburbs.

Application Process and Deadline
All applications must be submitted through our online portal. We will begin accepting applications on April 15, 2026. The deadline to submit your application is 1 p.m. on May 15, 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. Please do not submit multiple applications; only one application per organization will be reviewed. 

Download this preview document to review our 2026 application questions and get a head start on your proposal.

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 “Economic Mobility” in the subject line of your message. 

Funding Decisions and Terms of Grant
Funding decisions will be made by a review committee in mid-June 2026. 

The grant period for this opportunity will be from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028. Grant recipients will be required to submit an interim report after the first year of the grant period, and a final report 60 days after the conclusion of the second year of the grant period. Grants will be distributed in two separate transactions. 

Information Session
We recorded an information session about this grant round. Review the slide deck or watch the full recording.

Further Assistance
Please contact Program Officer Josh Johnson at JJohnson2@mplsfoundation.org and include “2026 Economic Mobility” in the subject line of your message. Please allow 1-2 business days for responses from our staff.