The Minneapolis Climate Action and Racial Equity Fund offers grants for place-based, community-driven initiatives and projects that contribute to a reduction in local greenhouse gas emissions and increase the livability and resiliency of local communities.
Donor Name: Minneapolis Foundation
State: Minnesota
City: Minneapolis
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/28/2022
Grant Size: $5,000 and $50,000
Grant Size: 2 years
Details:
Priority will be given to projects that are led by and serve Black or Indigenous communities, people of color and/or immigrants.
Projects should encompass the following racial equity focus areas:
- Workforce/Team Structure: Assess organizational workforce and/or project team composition to ensure it reflects the diversity of the community your proposed project aims to benefit. Describe the current make-up of the team/organization that will be focused on this project. If your current team does not reflect the racial and ethnic make-up of the community your project will serve, describe the strategies you will implement to address that gap.
- Spend: A key mechanism to advance racial equity is through spending organizational funds with businesses owned by Black or Indigenous communities, people of color and/or immigrants, particularly in industries where these businesses are underutilized. Describe your current organizational/team philosophy and experience supporting businesses of this nature and your commitment to doing so with funds acquired through the Climate Action and Racial Equity Fund.
- Racially Disaggregated Data: It is impossible to address issues of racial inequity without first naming the nature of disparity through the use of data that is disaggregated by race. Community-level data of this nature is available from many sources to describe the disparities that exist in housing, health, education, sustainability, employment, and more. Where it isn’t available, organizations and individuals need a strategy to capture this data through community engagement, particularly with the communities most impacted by systemic and institutional racism. Please describe how you are using racially disaggregated data in defining your planning
project proposal, establishing success factors, and assessing the impact of your work. - Community Engagement: Initiatives focused on reducing and/or eliminating racial disparities are only effective when they are informed by the communities they are designed to benefit. Describe the means by which you will implement community engagement through the life of your project. Whether you are conducting the engagement yourself or through trusted partners, how will you ensure these engagements are culturally responsive? Based on the International Association of Public Participation’s Spectrum, which category or categories will your engagement with BIPOC and/or immigrant communities fall into?
Plans
- Minneapolis Climate Action Plan: Projects should further one or more of the four key goals of the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan related to reducing green house gas emissions. These goals include:
- Energy Efficiency: Significantly improve the energy efficiency of the commercial, residential, and public buildings.
- Renewable Energy: Increase the use of local, renewable energy.
- Reduction in Vehicle Miles Traveled: Reduce vehicle miles traveled in Minneapolis.
- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Shrink the waste stream by reducing waste, encouraging reuse, and increasing recycling of both organic and inorganic material.
- Minneapolis Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan
- Projects should also advance the Minneapolis Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan.
- The City of Minneapolis defines racial equity as the development of policies, practices, and strategic investments to reverse racial disparity trends, eliminate institutional racism, and improve outcomes and opportunities for all people.
Grant Types
- Planning Grant or General Operating Grant: To create a plan for a project or general operating support.
- Implementation Grant: To implement a project.
Funding Information
- The fund will grant between $250,000 and $300,000 in 2022, with awards expected to range between $5,000 and $50,000.
- Grant Term 1 year 1-2 years.
Eligibility Criteria
- This funding opportunity is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, churches, neighborhood organizations, business associations, and charitable/grassroots organizations with a fiscal agent.
- Eligible Locations: All projects must happen within the City of Minneapolis; preference given to projects serving Green Zone residents
For more information, visit Minneapolis Foundation.