COMMUNITY IMPACT
Learn more about leaders from around the state who are making Minnesota a great place for us all to age.
2023-2024 GRANTEES
Learn more about the exciting work underway in the first round of Age-Friendly Minnesota grants here!
A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
My Fellow Minnesotans,
Thanks to the support of the Minnesota State Legislature, our Age-Friendly Minnesota Council and community partners are working hard to invest in powerful public and private partnerships that engage older people and our communities in advancing the social, economic, environmental and lifestyle changes needed to influence health and longevity for us all.
In our first round of grantmaking, Age-Friendly Minnesota Community Grants were awarded to 91 entities. Their work is making Minnesota a better place for us all to grow older. I invite you to learn more about their efforts. Keep reading!
Sherrie Pugh, Chair
Age-Friendly Minnesota Council
GRANTS BY REGION
STATEWIDE REACH
72% of applications were funded and grantees span all regions of the state, including several statewide projects and efforts for multiple counties. In total, 56 counties and 7 tribes are specifically represented in this first round of grants.
GRANTEE PROFILES
The 91 grantees include 56 non-profit organizations (such as faith communities, foundations and school districts), 18 cities (including 8 with populations under 1,000), 13 for-profits, two counties, and one Tribe.
GRANTS BY COUNTY
TYPES OF GRANTS
Grantees are working on a variety of different projects, such as
14
targeted community planning efforts,
14
that are investing in outdoor spaces,
10
investing in buildings,
9 in developing new services or programs,
6 engaged in broad community planning efforts, as well as
6 targeting housing,
6 working on social connection,
6 efforts to develop new systems, as well as
5 capacity-building efforts,
4
vehicle purchases,
3 projects looking at training, and
2 projects focused in the arts.
Learn more about these programs below.
FOCUS ON DEIA
The Age-Friendly Minnesota Council is committed to making sure that diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are core to the foundation of our grantmaking. Grants awarded serve a diversity of communities. For example, you'll see our work span Hmong, SE Asian, and Korean communities or in projects that seek to target challenging issues like hearing loss, vision loss, and mobility.
GRANTEE STORIES
WONDERLUST PRODUCTIONS
Based on true stories and featuring performances from a mix of actors and real caregivers, the production brings forward the unseen and undervalued labor of caregiving.
WHAT'S NEW?
As an Age-Friendly Minnesota grantee, Wanderlust Productions is offering sold-out shows for their production Thank You For Holiding: The Caregiver Play Project.
As the culmination of two years of intereviews and story circles involving nearly 150 caregivers from a diverse mix of communities across the twin cities, this productuion explores questions of what community looks like, and how as a society we care.
For over a decade, Wonderlust has used their creative design process to help complex communities share and connect through stories. This production run is October 18 - November 3, 2024.
LEARN MORE
WHAT'S NEW?
Keystone Community Services worked to develop a community engagement approach for the Karen, Latino, and Ethiopian/Eritrean communities. They worked to identify barriers, perceptions and insights to make improvements in their older adult programs and events. With an Age-Friendly Minnesota grant and the help of consultants, translators, and key staff, they took great caution in extrapolating findings for these communities through community dialogue sessions and individual interviews. Participants reported feeling honored that Keystone valued their insights and in having their voices influencing future decisions. Valuable recommendations included ideas for enhanced social and recreational activities, addressing transportation barriers, the accessibility and affordability of programs, improved awareness and outreach, enhanced cultural competency and inclusivity, tailored supports and services, and accessible gathering spaces.
KEYSTONE COMMUNITY SERVICES
Ensuring cultural relevance and building authentic and enduring relationships with under-represented community members.
LEARN MORE
WHAT'S NEW?
The group Cycling Without Age Alexandria proved they could make a lot of impact from a little seed funding. With a modest $9,100 Age-Friendly Minnesota grant, they kickstarted efforts to bring trishaw bikes in from Denmark. With a cost of $10,000-15,000 per bike, our grant wasn't enough to launch the effort, but that support got partners like
Big Ole Bike Club
and
Alexandria Mountaineers
to the table to help raise a total of $61,379.96 and get their region moving! Their effort included 12 pilots that included 140 volunteer pilot hours, 8 support volunteers, and 300 hours of administrative volunteer hours.
They're going places!
FRIENDS & CO
"We are excited to report that based on initial program data, a stunning 97% of participants reported that their experience in Community Conversations was worthwhile."
WHAT'S NEW?
As an Age-Friendly Minnesota grantee, Friends & Co held Community Conversations at 11 locations across the state, including their first Spanish-speaking event. Conversations in Spanish revealed specific needs of older adults, and in response, Friends & Co. partnered with DARTS to pilot Café, Pan y Conexión - an initiative providing Spanish-speaking older adults with new opportunities for connection, and helping communities drive their own solutions for reducing isolation throughout the metro.
An additional five more conversations are planned by end of June 2024, including a series engaging members of the LGBTQ+ community. In June, overall findings will be summarized into an open report that can inform programming throughout Minnesota.
LEARN MORE
WHAT'S NEW?
First-time grant writer Renee Ehlenz submitted an Age-Friendly Minnesota grant application, and teamed up with Prairie Eco-Links, a local environmental advocacy group that she is a part of, as well as the Lac qui Parle Soil and Water Conservation District, Heather Nursery, and the Youth Eco Solutions team for planning and planting efforts.
In this city of about 1,500 in western Minnesota, hundreds of trees had been lost over the years to disease and storms. Now, thanks to this modest grant, 150 new trees have been “adopted” by residents, local organizations, and businesses. Through a gorgeous planting day, community members came together to share knowledge, work together in service of strengthen community bonds and build new intergenerational relationships!
LAC QUI PARLE SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT/CITY OF MADISON
Spearheaded by an older resident, the city of Madison planted 150 large new trees through an intergenerational community project.
BACKGROUND
Learn more about our Technical Assistance Grants.
Learn more about our Community Grants.
Do you want to share your story? Contact Adam Suomala to schedule an interview.
Do you have questions about Age-Friendly grants? Contact Age-Friendly Minnesota.
To learn more about Age-Friendly MN Council work, including our grants and priorities, visit our full website.
In 2023, the Age-Friendly Minnesota Council asked MN Leadership Council on Aging to create and
maintain this site to promote events, disseminate resources, and showcase age-friendly activities.