The Community Engagement Team is now accepting applications for Outreach and Engagement grants. The deadline to apply is 4 p.m. on Friday, June 1, 2012.
What are Outreach and Engagement grants?
The Corridors of Opportunity Outreach and Engagement grants are intended to support innovative and effective placed-based initiatives that engage and involve underrepresented and marginalized communities (low-income, communities of color, immigrant communities, persons with disabilities) in participation, decision-making, and leadership roles around transit corridor planning and implementation. This funding does not replace existing efforts, but is intended to supplement them with increased community capacity. We estimate that we will make 8 – 10 grants of an average of $30,000 in this first round of grant funding.
Last year, grants were awarded to 10 community organizations working along four transit corridors.
Who is eligible and how do I apply?
Community organization(s) applying for an Outreach and Engagement Grant must include a resident-driven organization or initiative serving a geographic or cultural community, and be a registered 501(c)(3) or have a partnering 501(c)(3) fiscal agent, and target transit corridor related development opportunities. We encourage and give additional consideration to strategies that build bridges and create cross sector relationships between stakeholders, such as residents, nonprofits, businesses, philanthropic, and government entities.
To see if you are eligible to apply for an Outreach and Engagement Grant, please read the grant guidelines carefully. Once you have determined you are eligible, please refer to the application packet for all the materials you will need to submit your grant proposal.
Who makes the decisions about what proposals are funded?
All applications will be reviewed by a committee made up of people from community-based organizations, with the support of Community Engagement Team members. All committee members are required to abide by a conflict of interest policy and a confidentiality agreement. This proposal review committee will make grant award recommendations to the Corridors of Opportunity Policy Board, which makes the final decision.
2012 Proposal Review Committee:
Ann Beuch, Blake Road Collaborative [Hopkins], Southwest Corridor
Isabell Broyld, Neighborhood Development Center [Minneapolis-St. Paul & suburbs], Central Corridor
Monica Bryand, Headwaters Foundation for Justice [Minneapolis-St. Paul & suburbs], multiple corridors
Veronica Burt, Just Equity [St. Paul], Central Corridor
Ariah Fine, northside Minneapolis community advocate, Bottineau Corridor
Becky Fink, Anoka County community advocate, North Star Corridor
Katie Hatt, Metropolitan Council [7-county region], multiple corridors
Malik Holt-Shabazz, Harrison Neighborhood Association [Minneapolis], Bottineau & Southwest Corridors
Julia Kong, Asian Economic Development Association [Minneapolis-St. Paul], Central & Bottineau Corridors
Irna Landrum, Summit-University Planning Council [St. Paul], Central Corridor
Wynfred Russell, African Career, Education & Resource, Inc. (ACER) [Brooklyn Park], Bottineau Corridor
Daniel Yang, Native American Community Development Institute [Minneapolis], Hiawatha Corridor
What if I have questions?
The Community Engagement Team will have two Outreach and Engagement Grant Information Sessions to help grantseekers learn more about the grant application process.
Grant information session - REGISTER
Tuesday, May 8
6 – 7:30 p.m.
University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center
2001 Plymouth Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55411
See Map
Grant information session - REGISTER
Tuesday, May 15
10:30 a.m. – noon
Central Corridor Resource Center
1080 University Avenue West
St. Paul, MN 55104
See Map
If you have further questions or would like more information about applying for an Outreach and Engagement Grant, contact Margaret Kaplan at mkaplan@umn.edu or (612) 624-2300.
