MINNEAPOLIS PARKS FOUNDATION

RAISE FUNDS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE PARK INITIATIVESAS THE PRIMARY PHILANTHROPIC PARTNER OF THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD ("THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD"), THE MINNEAPOLIS PARKS FOUNDATION RAISES FUNDS FROM INDIVIDUALS, FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATIONS, AND OTHER PARTNERS TO SUPPORT CAPITAL AND PROGRAMMATIC EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD. THESE FUNDS ARE OFTEN HELD BY THE FOUNDATION AND DISTRIBUTED TO THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD IN ADVANCE OF CONSTRUCTION AND PROGRAMMING. THE FOUNDATION WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD TO DETERMINE THE TIMING AND FLOW OF FUNDING. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)CURRENT EXAMPLES: TO DATE, THE FOUNDATION HAS RAISED OVER $12M FOR ITS TRANSFORMING NORTH COMMONS CAMPAIGN THAT WILL BE GRANTED DIRECTLY TO THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD. THESE FUNDS ARE CURRENTLY BEING HELD AND INVESTED BY THE FOUNDATION AND WILL BE GRANTED TO THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD AS PROJECT CONSTRUCTION GETS UNDERWAY, BEGINNING IN 2025. THE FOUNDATION ALSO CONTINUES TO STEWARD OVER $200,000 FROM ITS RIVER FIRST CAMPAIGN, WHICH WILL BE GRANTED TO THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD AS FUTURE RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT IS CONCEIVED.ADDITIONALLY, THE FOUNDATION HOLDS NEARLY $1M IN FUNDS FOR SPECIAL INITIATIVES. THIS INCLUDES FUNDS FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS SUCH AS NATIVE SPECIES PLANTING AND ASH TREE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT, AS WELL AS DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS AT SITES LIKE THE JIM LUPIENT WATERPARK, THE ELOISE BUTLER WILDFLOWER GARDEN, AND MORE. THE FOUNDATION WILL GRANT FUNDS TO THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD FOR EACH PROJECT AT THE REQUEST OF THE PARK & RECREATION BOARD.MULTI-YEAR CAPITAL INVESTMENTSNORTH COMMONS PARKTHROUGH A LONG-RANGE MASTER PLANNING PROCESS, NORTH COMMONS PARK HAS EMERGED AS A TOP PRIORITY FOR BOTH THE NORTH MINNEAPOLIS COMMUNITY AND THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK AND RECREATION BOARD. AFTER ENTERING INTO A FUNDRAISING AGREEMENT WITH MPRB TO SUPPORT FUNDING FOR THE NORTH COMMONS PROJECT WITH A $20M COMPREHENSIVE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN IN 2023, OUR WORK CONTINUED IN 2024 AND INCLUDED 1) SECURING ADDITIONAL FUNDING; 2) PLANNING AND HOSTING ENGAGEMENT EVENTS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND THE YOUTH COUNCIL; 3) HOSTING DONOR TOURS AND FUNDRAISING HOUSE PARTIES; AND 4) PROMOTING ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY AND AMPLIFYING PARK AND PROJECT AWARENESS. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT AND ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT MINNEAPOLIS PARKSGREAT PARKS MAKE GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND GREAT NEIGHBORHOODS WEAVE TOGETHER INTO GREAT CITIES. THE MINNEAPOLIS PARKS FOUNDATION CELEBRATES ALL THE VARIED BENEFITS OF MINNEAPOLIS' NATIONALLY RENOWNED AND LOCALLY TREASURED SYSTEM, WHILE FOCUSING ON EXPANDING THE BENEFITS OF GREAT PARKS TO ALL MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. THE FOUNDATION COLLABORATES WITH COMMUNITY AND THE MINNEAPOLIS PARK & RECREATION BOARD TO SUPPORT PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE ENJOYMENT AND OPPORTUNITY ACROSS THE ENTIRE MINNEAPOLIS PARKS SYSTEM. PEOPLE FOR PARKS FUNDCREATED IN 2020 THROUGH OUR CONSOLIDATION WITH PEOPLE FOR PARKS, THIS FUND CARRIES FORWARD A 40-YEAR LEGACY OF GRANT MAKING FOR SMALL NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS IN MINNEAPOLIS PARKS. IN 2024, WE (1) INITIATED THE FUND'S FOURTH GRANT CYCLE, DISTRIBUTING GRANTS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS AND AGENCIES; (2) DOCUMENTED THE OUTCOMES OF 2024 GRANTS WITH PROFILES ON OUR BLOG; (3) HOSTED THE POSTERS FOR PARKS SHOW, A FUNDRAISING EVENT WITH PROCEEDS SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE FOR PARKS FUND; (4) PARTNERED WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES FOR DINE-OUT NIGHTS AND COMMUNITY RUNS WITH PROCEEDS SUPPORTING THE FUND; AND (5) ADMINISTERED THE FUND UNDER GUIDANCE FROM THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, CONSISTING OF MPF BOARD MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMUNITY.FOSTERING ENGAGEMENTMPF WORKS TO BRIDGE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS AND NATURE THROUGH PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES. IN 2024, WE (1) HOSTED FOUR NEW WALK & TALKS FOR MORE THAN 115 PARTICIPANTS AND PUBLISHED COORDINATING SELF-GUIDED TOURS; AND (2) ENGAGED COMMUNITY AT A NEXT GENERATION OF PARKS EVENT AT THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART FOR MORE THAN 100 ATTENDEES, (3) RE-STOCKED 50+ LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES WITH MORE THAN 580 FICTION AND NON-FICTION BOOKS, AND (4) CO-HOSTED AN EARTH DAY CLEAN-UP ENGAGING MORE THAN 50 VOLUNTEERS TO CLEAN UP MINNEHAHA FALLS PARK.EVENTSNEXT GENERATION OF PARKS EVENT SERIESTHROUGH MPF'S ALWAYS-FREE NEXT GENERATION OF PARKS EVENTS, DESIGNERS, OUTDOOR ADVENTURERS, PARK LEADERS, AND MORE DEMYSTIFY THE INTERSECTION OF PARKS AND IMPORTANT COMMUNITY ISSUES, INCLUDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCY, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, LAND USE DEVELOPMENT AND VALUE CREATION. IN 2024, MPF HOSTED ONE IN PERSON NEXT GENERATION OF PARKS EVENT, WHICH FEATURED A SCREENING OF BLACKWATERS, FOLLOWED BY AN INSIGHTFUL PANEL DISCUSSION LED BY ANTHONY TAYLOR WITH TWO OF THE FILM'S CREATORS, DUDLEY EDMONDSON AND JAMES EDWARD MILLS, WHO TALKED ABOUT THE POWER OF BIPOC INDIVIDUALS IN WILD PLACES, THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF RACE AND GENDER, AND WALKING THROUGH STRUGGLE.POSTERS FOR PARKSPOSTERS FOR PARKS IS AN ANNUAL FUNDRAISING EVENT THAT SUPPORTS THE PEOPLE FOR PARKS FUND. IN 2024, 41 ARTISTS CREATED ORIGINAL WORKS OF ART WHICH WERE SOLD AT AN IN-PERSON GALLERY EVENT ON OCTOBER 19, FOLLOWED BY A WEEK OF ONLINE SALES. NEARLY 1,000 POSTERS WERE SOLD, WITH HALF OF EACH SALE GOING TO THE ARTIST AND PROCEEDS FROM THE REMAINING HALF SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE FOR PARKS FUND.SUNRISE ON THE MISSISSIPPIOVER 200 PARK ENTHUSIASTS GATHERED TO CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUNRISE ON THE MISSISSIPPI, FEATURING AN INSIGHTFUL TALK BY AWARD-WINNING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST AND FOUNDER OF FRIENDS OF ANACOSTIA PARK, AKIIMA PRICE. DURING HER PRESENTATION, AKIIMA PRICE HIGHLIGHTED HER IMPACTFUL RESTORATIVE PARK ENGAGEMENT WORK IN WASHINGTON D.C., SHARING POWERFUL INSIGHTS ABOUT THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CONSERVATION.