Community Fund

A Response to Community Need

The American Swedish Institute’s Community Fund is a collective impact fund designed strengthen service-oriented organizations or initiatives that benefit ASI’s neighbors, primarily in Minneapolis’ Phillips West community.

The Community Fund is designed to be nimble and responsive to emerging neighborhood needs in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing. With the Fund, ASI seeks to listen to our neighbors and support them as they build, invigorate and reimagine our shared community.

If you represent, or know of an organization primarily in the Phillips or adjacent neighborhoods of south Minneapolis 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.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Fund Amounts and Application Deadlines 

• Gift amounts will generally range from $500 to $3,000.

• The next deadline to apply will be Monday, August 1.
• Applicants are only eligible for funding once in a 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 serving primarily Black, Indigenous and/or People of Color residing in Phillips or adjacent neighborhoods.  
• Priority will be given to projects or organizations addressing immediate needs.   
• Priority will be given to projects or organizations that 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  

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-to-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 also 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:

 ASI Community Fund Recipients for Winter/Spring 2022: 

• The Phillips West Neighborhood Organization’s mission is “to engage the diverse voices of all those who live, learn, work and play in Phillips West in order to advocate for greater individual well-being and community empowerment.” An award from the ASI Community Fund will support capital and infrastructure needs for the Phillips West Food Forest Initiative in PWNO’s community garden at 28th Street and Oakland Avenue, which will be planted and managed using Afro-Indigenous, Indigenous and sustainable gardening principles.

• Banyan Community is rooted in the Phillips Neighborhood to transform lives by developing youth, strengthening families, and creating community. An award from the ASI Community Fund will support program materials, training, space and staffing for Banyan’s Lighthouse Network, a community-led initiative consisting of block clubs working to create a block-by-block, communitywide network of trained leaders who lessen crime by building community in the Phillips neighborhood.
• Ebenezer Senior Care serves seniors throughout Minnesota from different backgrounds, faiths, cultures and beliefs. Ebenezer’s Minneapolis Campus serves nearly 600 seniors across a continuum of care in the heart of the Phillips neighborhood. An award from the ASI Community Fund will support the Life Long Learning program, one of the cornerstones of Ebenezer’s care model, which brings seniors in the community engagement and programming opportunities that focus on arts and educational experiences.
• The Corcoran Neighborhood Organization unites neighbors to strengthen the community, envisioning Corcoran as a place that fosters leadership, engagement, and a sense of belonging. The organization leads and operates the Midtown Farmers Market and hosts weekly community conversations around race and politics. An award from the ASI Community Fund will support the purchase of items, including food, laundry soap and reusable bags, for CNO’s food and life resource center, known as the C-Spot.

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 and the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization. Earlier initial donations also went to PICA Head Start and Open Arms of Minnesota. 

 

Donate to the Community Fund today!