OVERVIEW: The Minneapolis Foundation supports arts and culture, economic vitality, environment and conservation, civic engagement, community health, and education in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
IP TAKE: This is one of the most well-established community foundations in the nation and also one that makes equity a priority in everything it does, especially after a strategic restructuring in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation accepts unsolicited applications and LOIs for most of its grantmaking programs as long as eligibility requirements are met. This is a highly transparent and communicative funder, so be sure to reach out to the organization directly during all stages of grantseeking. Grantseekers that prioritize and invest in racial equity are more likely to gain support here.
It’s worth noting that prior grantseekers have experienced some difficulties in navigating Minneapolis Foundation’s online portal, so last minute applications should be avoided. The Foundation’s grants overview and blog clearly convey open application periods for each program. This funder provides a range of support, from capital campaigns and continuing support to general support and advocacy work. MF typically offers cash grants, individual support, and program specific funding.
PROFILE: Established in 1915, the Minneapolis Foundation is a community foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. E. L. Carpenter is a founder of this philanthropic organization and also helped create the Minnesota Orchestra. Today, the foundation administers over 1,500 charitable funds and awards millions of dollars to community organizations each year. The Minneapolis Foundation aims to support a “greater Minneapolis that is vibrant, inclusive, and positioned to thrive locally and compete globally.” In addition to a large collection of donor-advised funds, the Minneapolis Foundation makes grants through the following programs: Racial and Economic Justice, Reimagine Education, OneMPLS Grants, Fund for Safe Communities, Main Street Economic Revitalization, Climate Action and Racial Equity, and Collective Giving opportunities.
Grants for K-12 Education
The Minneapolis Foundation supports K-12 Education via its signature educational grantmaking program, Reimagine Education, which “invests in community-led efforts to address systemic inequities, empower youth, and provide resources to educators dedicated to creating more inclusive schools.”
- This fund accepts unsolicited applications. Recent grantees include Outfront Minnesota, Legal Rights Center and Minnesota Public Schools, the latter having received an investment of $1.3 million in 2024.
- Outside of the Reimagine Education program, the Minnesota Foundation also develops various partnerships with organizations and institutions for education endeavors. In 2024, for instance, it partnered with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community “to award hundreds of small grants to support K-12 educators as they teach students about Native American culture, history, and modern tribal governments”
Grants for Violence Prevention
The Fund for Safe Communities “supports meaningful actions to address and prevent violence, promote healing, and address systemic inequities.”
- Funding prioritizes “direct service programs, communication, advocacy, and organizing led by community-based organizations,” as well as organizations with BIPOC leadership.
- This fund accepts unsolicited applications. Recent grantees include Indigenous Protector Movement, Somali Youth and Development Center and Urban Youth Conservation.
Grants for Reproductive and Public Health
Minneapolis Foundation also supports a wide swath of health nonprofits:.
- The WCA Foundation, originally its own charitable foundation and now a signature fund of Minneapolis Foundation, “makes grants to a diverse group of nonprofit human service agencies and programs, stewarding an endowment of approximately $18 million.”
- Grants from WCA address basic needs for Minnesota women as well as reproductive health through general operating support grants.
- Recent grantees include Beyond New Beginnings, Cornerstone Advocacy Services and Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery.
- While the Minneapolis Foundation does not feature a grantmaking program for public health endeavors, tax records indicate consistent giving to large institutions of public health, disease research, and mental health for Minnesotans.
- Notable grantees include The Children’s Cancer Research Fund, Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, Hennepin Health Foundation and the Mayo Clinic.
Grants for Climate Change and Environmental Conservation
As with its other areas of funding, the Minneapolis Foundation supports local and regional environmental conservation and sustainability efforts through an equity lens.
- Climate Action and Racial Equity makes grants for “place-based, community-driven initiatives, projects, and organizations, this fund strives for a demonstrable reduction in local greenhouse gas emissions.”
- The goals of prospective grantees must align with both the Minnesota Climate Action Plan and the Strategic Racial Equity Plan of Minneapolis.
- This program accepts unsolicited applications. Recent grantees include Midtown Greenway Coalition, TC Food Justice and Resilient Cities and Communities.
- The Great Lakes Environmental Justice Program, established in 2024, will give $40 in grants over the course of 3 years to organizations working in underserved Great Lakes communities and address one or more of the following areas:
- Air, soil, and water quality.
- Healthy homes.
- Access to healthy food.
- Stormwater and green infrastructure.
- Emergency preparedness.
- Disaster resilience.
- Environmental job training.
- This program accepts unsolicited applications from eligible organizations through 2026. For more information, please read the program’s FAQ.
Grants for Economic Development and Racial Justice
Minnesota Foundation invests in efforts to increase civic engagement among economically disenfranchised people, as well as support “community-led efforts to disrupt inequitable practices and systems, stabilize communities, and advance racial and economic justice.”
- One of its signature grantmaking programs, Racial and Economic Justice, funds local organizations “engaged in policy advocacy and movement building, working to build generational wealth in communities of color, and advancing narrative strategies focused on racial and economic justice.”
- The Foundation also contributes to the Minnesota Department of Employment’s Main Street Revitalization Project, which supports small businesses in key economic corridors of the state recovering from COVID-19 and destruction after the murder of George Floyd. See guidelines here.
Other Funding Opportunities:
In addition to its annual grant programs and many donor-advised funds, the Minneapolis Foundation’s OneMPLS Fund targets a series of “1-3 pressing issues in Minneapolis” per year via pooled funds from community partners. In a recent year, OneMPLS has supported fair and affordable housing initiatives around the city, but has also targeted COVID-19 business relief and nonprofit capacity building in prior cycles.
Important Grant Details:
Grants range between about $5,000 and $200,000, although donor-recommended gifts to pre-selected organizations can be upwards of $500,000. While grantmaking prioritizes organizations in Minnesota, funding goes all over the U.S. and even internationally to Canada, Israel, Kenya and Ukraine. Learn more about this funder’s local giving through its grantmaking overview.
- This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits through competitive annual cycles for most of its grantmaking programs. Each grantmaking program has its own guidelines page with clearly stated deadlines and eligibility requirements.
- The Minneapolis Foundation requires first-time applicants to register on its online system, GranteeView.
- The foundation recommends signing up for its newsletter or checking its blog for updates on open applications.
Direct general questions to the staff at info@mplsfoundation.org or (612) 672-3878.
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