KARE 11 Awards $70K In Grants To Community Organizations Across The State

KARE 11 Awards $70K In Grants To Community Organizations Across The State

The KARE 11 Community Team chose 18 organizations to support in 2024, spreading the funds across the state from Crosby to Bloomington.

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — In partnership with the Tegna Foundation, KARE 11 had the honor of awarding $70,000 in grants to community organizations across the state of Minnesota.

The KARE 11 Community Team chose 18 organizations to support in 2024, spreading the funds across the state from Crosby to Bloomington.

Each grant recipient was strategically selected to support a wide array of communities. KARE 11 chose organizations focusing on holistic well-being, health, education, and essential needs. These organizations will use the grant funding to support thousands of Minnesotans, centering both their dignity and their dreams.

Education

Five of the grant recipients provide specialized education and training for different communities, spanning from trades to arts.

Elpis Enterprises

Elpis Enterprises provides job training, work experience, and employment placement services for young people experiencing homelessness. The program enables young people to explore their aptitudes and step into their power. Elpis will use the grant funds to support its employment readiness and career pathway program, providing more young Minnesotans with the opportunity to shape their own futures.

Girls Dream Code

Girls Dream Code empowers girls of color to pursue their aptitudes in technology through educational programming. The organization provides free technology and computer-based science programs to young women.

Grant funds will support Girls Dream Code’s on-site education and sustainable support network for its participants.

East Side Learning Center

The East Side Learning Center supports literacy development for young readers in St. Paul with the help of senior volunteers. The grant award will fund the organization’s tutoring program in east St. Paul, reaching more students in schools with low literacy rates.

Step with Soul

Step with Soul empowers students through creative expression and leadership development. Using dance and movement, they build stronger communities through the art of step.

The grant will support Step with Soul’s expansion into St. Paul schools, providing more young Minnesotans with an opportunity to immerse themselves in communal and cultural traditions.

Minnesota Urban Debate League

Minnesota Urban Debate League is a program at Augsburg University that empowers students to become critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and active global citizens.

Through engaging debates, program participants gain invaluable skills in communication and research. Grant funds will support the costs of the debate league’s Spanish program, connecting Spanish-speaking high school students with the benefits of speech and debate.

Health and Wellness

Each of these health-focused grant recipients provides care to communities who endure unjust barriers to care.

The Aliveness Project

The Aliveness Project supports people living with and at the greatest risk of HIV through transformative resources and direct services. The nonprofit provides vital gender-affirming care and multi-faceted support for Minnesotans.

Grant funding will support the organization's Tea Time program, a peer support network for trans-femme-identifying individuals living in Minnesota.

Magnus Veterans Foundation

The Magnus Veterans Foundation works to heal and honor veterans and their families using a holistic wellness approach to restoring body, heart, mind and spirit. All services are provided at no cost and veterans have an open invitation to the organization’s wellness center.

Magnus will use the grant funds to upgrade their mental health room, improving the comfort of the people it serves.

Annex Teen Clinic

This low- and no-cost health clinic has provided services for young people since 1971. Annex programs are dedicated to helping youth take charge of their health and well-being.

The grant funds will enable Annex Teen Clinic to expand its life-saving education and resources in additional public schools in Hennepin County.

Essential Needs

KARE 11 selected five organizations providing essential needs — from transportation to culturally relevant food.

Douglas County Car Care Program

The Douglas County Car Care Program provides free car repair and donates cars to individuals and families. It has donated over 1,500 vehicles, helping our neighbors meet vital needs.

The grant funds will support free car repairs for those in need and an education program teaching local high school students automotive mechanics.

Rebuilding Together Minnesota

Rebuilding Together Minnesota has proudly provided no-cost critical repairs to low-income homeowners since 1997. The program enables our neighbors to maintain independence, dignity, comfort and safety.

The grant will help the organization fund community engagement, learning, and leadership development to facilitate stronger community-led collaboration.

BrainPower in a Backpack

BrainPower in a Backpack is a youth-powered food program for students and their families. Burnsville High School students work to ensure their classmates have food on the weekends.

Grant funds will enable students to purchase more food for their peers.

Small Sums

Small Sums empowers over 1,000 workers experiencing homelessness each year by providing the essential tools, work gear and transportation they need to secure and sustain employment.

The grant award will directly support programs that provide essential work gear and transportation assistance.

Appetite for Change

Appetite For Change is a nonprofit that uses food as a tool to build health, wealth and social change in north Minneapolis.

The community-led organization brings people together to learn, cook, eat, grow food and strengthen community in Minneapolis. This grant will help fund culturally tailored meal box and cooking programs.

Holistic Care

Youth require a comprehensive support system to succeed, and KARE 11 selected five organizations that serve the multi-faceted needs of Minnesota’s young people.

Ampersand Families

Ampersand Families connects youth with the most essential elements of life — family and community. The nonprofit has helped over 500 youth join or rejoin safe, loving, permanent families.

Ampersand will use this grant to invest in technology that helps youth in foster care find kinship.

Cuyuna Range Youth Center

The Cuyuna Range Youth Center is a leadership and personal development space for youth in Crow Wing County.

Student participants shape the programming at the youth center, fostering community in their own collaborative vision.

Grant funding will provide the organization with the ability to introduce new youth-directed initiatives and opportunities.

True Friends

True Friends provides adaptive horseback riding and other outdoor adventures for people with disabilities. The nonprofit provides transformative experiences that enhance independence, self-esteem and physical coordination.

True Friends will use the grant funding to strengthen its adaptive riding program and outdoor experiences like ziplining and climbing.

MAD DADs

MAD DADs works to combat violence and uplift communities through outreach, mentorship and programs that inspire youth and families to make positive choices.

Their presence in the community is transformative and authentic.

The grant will fund the MAD DADs' healing, mentorship, and entrepreneurship programs.

Hope 4 Youth

Hope 4 Youth provides pathways to end youth homelessness in Minnesota.

The organization opened the first drop-in center for youth experiencing housing instability in the north metro over a decade ago.

Hope 4 Youth will invest the grand funds in wrap-around support programs, rapid rehousing, and on-the-ground outreach efforts.

SOURCE: KARE 11