OneMPLS Grants Surpass $2.8 Million to Support Local Families

Thousands of Twin Cities families continue to struggle to pay rent, buy groceries, and meet basic needs as the impacts of Operation Metro Surge persist across Minnesota. In response, the Minneapolis Foundation has distributed more than $2.8 million in OneMPLS grants to community organizations supporting those most affected. 

Including the latest round of funding—$1,065,000 announced today—these grants are supporting 23 local nonprofits and churches as they provide emergency housing assistance, food, and other critical services to families across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and surrounding suburbs. 

The OneMPLS Fund pools contributions from people and businesses to respond to urgent local needs. Its 2026 grantmaking was made possible by contributions from 70 fundholders at the Minneapolis Foundation as well as donors in 39 states, Australia, and Germany. In less than two months, the OneMPLS Fund exceeded the Foundation’s initial pledge of $2 million in responsive funding for affected communities impacted by the surge in immigration enforcement. 

“In Minnesota and beyond, people are stepping forward to show what it means to neighbor,” said R.T. Rybak, President and CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation. “We are deeply grateful to the donors who responded so quickly and generously.” 

Even as federal officials scale back the surge, its effects continue to be felt statewide. The City of Minneapolis recently estimated the economic impact of Operation Metro Surge at more than $200 million.  

“As this phase of OneMPLS funding wraps up, we’ll be listening closely to community partners to understand the evolving needs and determine how the Foundation can best support our community in the next stage of recovery,” said Patrice Relerford, the Foundation’s Vice President of Collective Impact and Giving. 

Many of the grants announced today address housing needs, responding to community reports of rising requests for rental assistance and mounting concerns about an impending spike in evictions. 

Funded partners were selected for their deep ties in the communities most affected by the immigration enforcement surge, their experience delivering services such as food and rental assistance, and their ability to reach households that may struggle to access public systems. 

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota will use a OneMPLS grant to sustain and expand critical rental and utility assistance for the most vulnerable refugee families—those who have arrived in the past two years—at a moment of heightened need. “Partnering with the Minneapolis Foundation enables us to respond quickly and effectively, ensuring families remain safely housed as they work toward longer-term stability,” said Alexis Oberdorfer, the organization’s Senior Vice President, Services. 

Another grant will enable the Whittier Alliance to provide rental assistance for 40 to 50 households in Minneapolis. “Last week, a family came to pick up their rent check at our office. They shared that this trip was the first time they had left their apartment in three months,” Anna Schmitz, Executive Director of the Whittier Alliance, said earlier this month. “These funds are going directly towards ensuring neighbors with similar stories are able to stay housed and rebuild their lives as our city recovers from Operation Metro Surge.” 

Photos courtesy of ACER, Diaper Bank, Hmong American Partnership, Lutheran Social Service, and Whittier Alliance.

• African Career and Education Resources, Inc. (ACER): $140,000 to provide emergency rental and mortgage assistance, culturally specific food packages, basic needs items, legal resources, and case management for African immigrant families in Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, and surrounding northwest suburbs. ACER has already provided housing support to about 120 families and expects to support 50-60 more with housing assistance, food, and related legal services in the coming months. 
• Church of the Ascension: $85,000 for groceries, food delivery, and rental assistance for mostly Spanish-speaking families connected to the church, its North Minneapolis Catholic school, and other local schools. The church’s mostly volunteer-run food program served more than 300 families per week this winter as heightened concerns about immigration enforcement led many families to shelter at home. 
• Comunidades Organizando El Poder Y La Accion Latina (COPAL): $125,000 for case management and rapid response services for immigrant families in Minneapolis, including assistance with rent, utilities, and basic needs such as food and hygiene items.
• Diaper Bank of Minnesota: $100,000 to distribute diapers and wipes to Hennepin County families through a network of partner organizations. Demand has surged, with more than three dozen organizations requesting supplies in recent months. 
• The Food Group: $100,000 to partner with Iglesia Dios Habla Hoy to provide culturally specific food for immigrant families across Minneapolis and Hennepin County. In recent months, the church has mobilized hundreds of volunteers to deliver more than 14,000 food boxes to Minnesotans sheltering at home and continues to receive requests for assistance. 
• Hmong American Partnership: $175,000 to provide emergency rental assistance, housing stabilization support, culturally specific food packages, and case management for immigrant and refugee families experiencing sudden income disruption. The organization has seen a sharp increase in requests for help from community members and partner organizations serving Asian communities across the metro area. 
• Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota: $140,000 to provide one to two months of rental and utility assistance to 25-30 refugee families affected by the ICE surge. The organization will leverage existing case management and employment relationships to coordinate with landlords and prevent evictions. 
• St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP): $100,000 for housing assistance and case management for families that live in or have children attending school in the St. Louis Park school district. STEP anticipates supporting 45 to 60 families with rental, mortgage, and utility assistance for one to three months based on their unique needs.
• Whittier Alliance (fiscal agent: Family Housing Fund): $100,000 to provide rental assistance to 40-50 Minneapolis households. Since last month, the Whittier Alliance and Family Housing Fund have distributed more than $280,000 in rental assistance. 

The grants listed above build on nearly $1.8 million already distributed this year to 14 organizations in the OneMPLS Fund’s first and second rounds of funding for basic needs. 

Each year, the Minneapolis Foundation identifies 1-3 emerging local needs and directs support through the OneMPLS Fund to address them, with over $9 million distributed to more than 170 nonprofits since 2019.