Community Fund

A Response to Community Need

The American Swedish Institute’s Community Fund began in 2020, in response to the seismic impact of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil uprising that followed the murder of George Floyd. The Fund was designed to be nimble and responsive to emerging neighborhood needs in the aftermath of these events. Five years since the fund began, the needs of the community have evolved. As our neighborhood gains its footing and re-anchors, ASI is committed to welcoming our neighbors onto our campus, to being a resource for community builders and cultural keepers, and a place for generations of families to gather in every season. We look to partner and strengthen our ties with organizations of all kinds that serve our neighborhood.

If you represent, or know of, an organization in the Phillips West, East Phillips, Phillips Midtown, or Ventura Village neighborhoods that meets the following criteria and might benefit from access to the ASI Community Fund support, we encourage you to apply or share this information.

The Community Fund has paused grants for Fall 2025 as ASI’s Community Fund Committee evaluates how best to support community needs. Guidelines from previous grant cycles are included below as a reference.

Process

The ASI Community Fund starts with $10,000 each fiscal year, which forms the bulk of the grants given out. The Community Fund committee is made up of a rotating group of staff volunteers for each granting cycle. As a non-profit that also applies for several grants throughout the year, we want to get to know and support as many of our neighbors as we can in the Phillips West Neighborhood and beyond. We encourage all applications that fit our criteria, including from organizations that have already received a Community Fund grant, but keeping in mind the committee’s goal of enabling a multitude of projects and activities.

• Gift amounts will generally range from $500 to $3,000.
• Applicants are eligible for funding only once per calendar year.

Focus Areas 

The American Swedish Institute is a gathering place for all people to share experiences around themes of culture, migration, the environment and the arts, informed by enduring links to Sweden. Funding priority will be given to projects or organizations working in or across three focus areas that connect deeply to ASI’s organizational history and mission, including:

•  Projects or organizations that are immigrant-led and immigrant-serving.
•  Projects or organizations that support and uplift cultural keepers and creators.
•  Projects or organizations that center on environmental stewardship.

Criteria  

• Project or organization connects deeply to one or more of the three focus areas listed above.
• Project or organization has a clearly articulated and resonant mission.
• Priority will be given to projects or organizations that:
  • Serve primarily Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color residing in Phillips or adjacent neighborhoods.
  • Address immediate needs.
  • Demonstrate the impact of a small-scale gift on their work.
• Applicant confirms that funds will be used only for charitable purposes and not for lobbying or political activities.

Other Support Available  

If you do not receive a grant, there may be other ways ASI can support your initiative. In addition to fiscal support via the Community Fund, ASI hopes to support neighborhood and partner organizations or projects by offering free use of the grounds and campus on a case-by-case basis. ASI has several classrooms, conference rooms, and larger halls that are well-suited for hosting meetings or public events. We also have an extensive courtyard and parking lot area for outdoor programming or events. If your project or organization is seeking an event or meeting venue, please send inquiries to [email protected].

ASI is glad to offer guest passes redeemable for museum admission upon request and discuss possible programmatic partnerships.

The most recent round of ASI Community Fund recipients includes:

Summer 2025

Whittier Community Education: Whittier Elementary School’s After School and Natural Leaders Summer Camp programming includes the “Outstanding Whittier Leaders in Service,” or “O.W.L.S.,” a group of dedicated second, third, and fourth grade student leaders. With support from mentors, these students will plant gardens, care for trees, explore nature, and design their own projects to beautify the school and park. The ASI Community Fund will support more than fifty students as they engage in hands-on nature and gardening activities. Together, students and mentors are expected to log over 300 hours caring for Whittier’s gardens. Mentors will contribute at least 50 hours of leadership support, developing their own skills alongside the students. The community garden spaces will be maintained throughout the season, and students will have the opportunity to cook with the produce they harvest. By the end of the program, students will design and create a unique OWL garden inspired by their own imaginations.

Minnesota Council of Churches: Since 1984, Refugee Services has been a Minnesotan Council of Churches (MCC) program, providing a welcoming foundation for persecuted individuals and families starting new lives in Minnesota. This grant will support two key initiatives: community navigation assistance and immigration legal services. First, the funds will provide continued support to refugees in Minnesota who face resource gaps in completing their resettlement process. This includes help securing stable housing and accessing essential services during a critical adjustment period. Second, the funding will enhance immigration legal services for refugees, asylees, and other eligible individuals in the Twin Cities. With increasing demand, this support will help MCC meet the legal needs of these communities more effectively, ensuring access to the protections and benefits to which they are entitled.

Previous recipients include Tamales y Bicicletas, the Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts, the Somali American Women Action Center, Alley Communications, the English Learning Center, Joyce Preschool, the Phillips Community Free Store, Sisters’ Camelot, the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization, Banyan Community, Ebenezer Senior Care, the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization, the Bilingual Education Collective, the MN Urban Debate League, and the Semilla Center for Healing and the Arts. Earlier initial donations also went to PICA Head Start and Open Arms of Minnesota. 

 

Donate to the Community Fund today!