More than $35,000 will be awarded to local nonprofits, government agencies, and community groups producing equitable projects and programs in Minneapolis parks

Minneapolis, Minn. – The Minneapolis Parks Foundation today invited submissions for the 2022 cycle of the People for Parks Fund grants program. The People for Parks Fund Advisory Committee authorized a minimum of $35,000 for distribution in 2022, the second year of grantmaking through the Fund. Applications are due by March 15, 2022.

The People for Parks Fund exists to advance under-supported projects and programs in Minneapolis parks and serves as the catalyst for connecting community-driven ideas and funding that nurture stewardship, community, and enjoyment of Minneapolis parks. The Parks Foundation first introduced the grant program in 2021, awarding six grants totaling over $34,000 to Heritage Youth Sports Foundation/Twin Cities Sol Futsal Academy, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, The Loppet Foundation, and Urban Bird Collective. Stories from these grantees can be found on Common Ground, the Parks Foundation’s blog.

“The Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s mission is to align philanthropic investment with community vision, and the People for Parks Fund was created to support the immediate and unique needs of our city’s diverse neighborhoods and communities,” says Tom Evers, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

About the 2022 Grant Cycle

The 2022 People for Parks grant period is May 1 – December 31, 2022. Most grants will be between $1,000 and $10,000 and will be awarded to 501c3 and 501c4 organizations, government entities, community groups, and others that have a fiscal agent. Applicants can submit their applications February 10-March 15, 2022, via MplsParksFoundation.org/PFPFund, where formal Grantmaking Policies & Criteria can also be found. Applications and FAQs are available on the website in English, Spanish, and Somali. Applicants will be notified about their status on or around May 9, 2022.

In evaluating grant applications, the Fund’s Advisory Committee will prioritize alignment with the Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s “guiding themes,” especially equity and cultural inclusion, as well as resilience to climate change, community health and wellbeing, connections to the natural world, and economic vitality.

Origin of the People for Parks Fund

The People for Parks Fund carries forward People for Parks’ 42-year legacy of supporting community-grown parks projects. Founded in 1977, People for Parks identified and directed $2.5 million to Minneapolis parks through grant making, fundraising events, and fiscal agency. Its work included support for the Lake Harriet Bandshell rehabilitation, Wabun universal access play area (the first of its kind in Minneapolis) and the nature playscape at North Mississippi Regional Park, as well as numerous neighborhood park projects throughout Minneapolis.

About the Minneapolis Parks Foundation

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation mission is to transform lives through parks and public spaces by aligning philanthropic investment and community vision. Since 2003, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation has raised more than $26 million for transformative parks and programming in Minneapolis Parks by aligning philanthropic investment and community vision. Today, the Parks Foundation champions equitable investments in Minneapolis parks with Reimagining the Civic Commons, the North Commons regional vision, and the RiverFirst Initiative, through which Water Works and Great Northern Greenway River Link projects were made possible. The Parks Foundation also supports community-based parks projects with the People for Parks Fund, and explores the intersection of public space with the key issues of our time by presenting the Next Generation of Parks™ Event Series. Learn more and become a supporter at MplsParksFoundation.org.