$300,000 in Grants Awarded for Hyper-Local Climate Action

“Receiving this grant means that we can collaboratively create equitable renewable energy opportunities in the Central, Bryant and Lyndale neighborhoods that go beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kyle Samejima, executive director of Minneapolis Climate Action. “It means barrier-free community solar, a resilience hub, climate justice remediation, awareness and action, and deeper connections between community members.”

The charitable fund, a partnership between the City of Minneapolis, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minneapolis Foundation to drive hyper-local work, awarded a total of $300,000 to these organizations:

• Comunidades Organizando el Poder y la Accion Latina: $25,000 to support organizing in Black and Indigenous communities and communities of color to advance equitable environmental impact.
• Environmental Initiative: $25,000 for a community air monitoring project that will target emission reduction for specific pollutants and other sources of pollution.
• Lake Street Council: $25,000 to ensure that redevelopment and recovery efforts along Lake Street and other corridors will incorporate energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable building design.
• Lao Assistance Center: $25,000 to train Green Ambassadors and increase awareness of the importance of reducing the environmental impacts of greenhouse gases and pollution.
• Minneapolis American Indian Center: $10,000 to develop the leadership skills of Indigenous youth, and to educate, advocate, and implement strategies to address climate change.
• Minneapolis Climate Action: $40,000 to partner with Beacon Interfaith Housing in lowering energy costs by enlisting residents to join cooperatively owned community solar projects.
• Native Sun Community Power Development: $40,000 to support a Residency Fellow who will focus on solar storage and energy infrastructure at Little Earth of United Tribes Housing Complex.
• Pillsbury United Communities: $40,000 to support five farm sites and a solar-powered hydroponic Freight Farm that produces 3,000 pounds of healthy produce annually.
• Sabathani Community Center: $40,000 to support sustainability measures and retrofitting of the building, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs.
• Women’s Environmental Institute: $30,000 over two years to partner with Nawayee Center School and provide youth and adults with training and experience in urban farming and indoor aquaponics.

Overall, the Fund received requests for $698,000 from 19 applications in 2021. A committee comprised of community members from the City of Minneapolis’ North and Southside Green Zones, along with members of the Minneapolis Racial Equity Community Advisory Committee, joined representatives from the City of Minneapolis, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minneapolis Foundation to evaluate applications.

The fund offers grants for place-based, community-driven initiatives and projects that result in a demonstrable reduction in local greenhouse gas emissions. Funding supports proposals that further one or more goals of the Minneapolis Climate Action Plan, which include:

• Increasing energy efficiency
• Encouraging the use of renewable energy
• Reducing vehicle miles traveled
• Promoting efforts to recycle, reuse and otherwise reduce the community’s waste stream

Funded projects should also advance the City of Minneapolis’ Strategic Racial Equity Action Plan, a four-year plan to embed racial equity principles throughout the city’s work.

The timing of the fund’s next grant round will be determined soon. Sign up to receive email updates from the Minneapolis Foundation about grant opportunities. Businesses and members of the public can contribute to the fund by going to www.climatempls.org.