Investing in the Environment in 2024

Through investments ranging from grants to convenings, we support community-led efforts to address our region’s biggest environmental and public health challenges.

Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grants – In December, we began accepting grant applications through a $40 million, federally funded program that will support environmental justice and public health projects across a six-state region. The Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities grantmaking program serves Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and 36 federally recognized tribal nations. It empowers local communities to address the environmental priorities that matter to them, from clean air and water to equitable access to healthy food. Learn more.

Minnesota Meeting – In October, we relaunched the Minnesota Meeting with a special event focused on the environment. This convening drew more than 250 community members to hear from local and national leaders in the environmental justice movement. Explore our event playlist.

Focus on Water – Minnesota’s celebrated water bounty now faces escalating demands for immediate action. Our efforts in 2024 focused on getting everyone who cares about our water—leaders in science, academia, government, business, and across our community—to shape bold strategies for sustainability. The Minneapolis Foundation incubated this collaborative effort in partnership with the Harris family and Imagine Deliver. Conservation Minnesota is partnering with us to carry it forward in 2025. Take a closer look in this 90-second video.

Climate Action and Racial Equity Fund – This fund, a partnership between the City of Minneapolis, the McKnight Foundation, and the Minneapolis Foundation, drives hyper-local efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2024, we distributed $300,000 in grants to nine local organizations doing innovative work on climate change. See who we funded.

A Vote for Our Great Outdoors – With Minnesotans statewide, we celebrated the passage of a ballot question asking voters to keep state lottery proceeds flowing to conservation activities. Since the program started more than 30 years ago, it has invested more than $1 billion to help restore and protect our water, land, and wildlife. In 2024, we supported a nonpartisan media campaign led by Conservation Minnesota to raise awareness about the importance of renewing this funding. In November, Minnesotans overwhelmingly voted “yes” on a ballot question that received 250,000 more votes than any amendment in the state’s history.

We relaunched the Minnesota Meeting to create a space where people across the region can come together to learn, share ideas, and get inspired to act on our community’s greatest needs. Watch this 90-second video for a glimpse of our Fall 2024 convening focused on the environment.

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Learn more about our work in 2024 by exploring our year in review.