FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2024
Amid Political Uncertainty, The Black Collective Foundation MN Invests over $1 Million to Strengthen the Durability of Black-led Organizations Across Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS –The Black Collective Foundation MN (The Collective), Minnesota's first Black community foundation and a pioneer of culturally specific philanthropy nationwide, has announced over $1 million in grants to support Black-led organizations, leaders and initiatives across the state. This funding includes a targeted effort to strengthen the organizational capacity of groups driving transformative change within their communities, along with investments in proven leaders engaged in community-centered civic action.
“Our social change partners—nonprofits, advocacy organizations, social impact businesses, and community leaders—witness the needs of our neighbors firsthand. They put everything on the line to fill in gaps, take on work that the government often cannot or will not do, and scale solutions through policy change,” said Lulete Mola, President and Co-Founder of The Black Collective Foundation MN. “The results of the federal elections further prove that the need for transformational change from the 2020 uprising for racial justice still reverberates today. To achieve the visionary change we seek, we must nurture an ecosystem that supports Black-led change beyond election cycles, harnessing civic engagement year-round so we can better shape the next five years – and our collective futures.”
The 2024 investments include grants to changemakers committed to advancing the social, political, and economic interests of Black people across Minnesota. These partners are driving transformative change in critical areas such as culture, education, community safety, environmental justice, and tech equity. Together, these organizations are addressing systemic disparities, building resilience, and laying the foundation for lasting change across Minnesota. Among other issues, their work spans:
leadership development and mentorship programs for Black girls;
community-centered environmental justice efforts;
initiatives that promote economic self-sufficiency through workforce development;
support for Black identity and storytelling;
and vital assistance for families impacted by violence and systemic inequities.
The 2025 grants were designed and decided through The Collective’s participatory grantmaking approach. Throughout the year, leaders from Black communities across Minnesota came together to actively shape The Collective’s investments. These Community Builders, trained in philanthropy, grantmaking, and racial justice, bring their diverse lived experiences and visions for change to the table. Their wisdom ensures that The Collective’s strategies, programs, and narratives are deeply grounded in the needs, aspirations, and dreams of people across the state.
Through one of its strategic funds, The Collective awarded grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 each to 25 organizations to strengthen their infrastructures and sustain, scale, or deepen their impact. These grants will help organizations enhance areas such as strategic communications, financial management, governance and compliance, and digital equity. Additionally, some of the investments include planning and visioning grants for emerging organizations, enabling them to build strong systems from the outset.
Grantees include several arts-centered institutions and production companies, the leader of the first Black woman owned brewery in Minnesota, and a first-of-its-kind Black liberation theology Montessori. Grants were awarded to change makers in the Greater Twin Cities, and in places across Minnesota, including Moorehead and Rochester. The full list of grantee organizations can be found here.
Through another strategic fund, The Collective awarded $10,000 to 10 proven organizers and leaders who are engaged in community-centered civic action.
While Black-led change continues to prove its impact and necessity, historically, Black-led systems have been targeted, under-resourced, and under-recognized. The Black Collective Foundation MN’s research found that only less than 4% of $3.5 billion of funding for Minnesota nonprofits was focused on racial equity, and about 0.5% was focused on racial justice. These disparities are even starker than at the national level, where 6% of all grant dollars were focused on racial equity and 1% was focused on racial justice.
About The Black Collective Foundation MN
The Black Collective Foundation MN is Minnesota's first Black community foundation using philanthropy as a tool to fuel a thriving ecosystem of Black-led change. Together, we are
advancing the genius of Black-led change and building a community where all Black people are holistically well, living in dignity and prosperity. www.mnblackcf.org