Community Innovation

Grantee Learning Logs

An important part of creative problem solving are the lessons learned along the way. As a learning organization, we realize how important these discoveries are and have intentionally included time for reflection and sharing as part of how we work. 

In that same spirit, we ask our Community Innovation grantees to share their reflections and learnings through interim and final reports. Their learning logs are a great resource for what went well, what didn't and what others might take away as they work to make our region better for everyone.

Minot Area Recovery Community Organization

Term: March 01, 2018 - December 31, 2023

To identify short-term and long-term collective strategies to address the opioid epidemic and create a regional hub for treatment and family services for people addicted to opioids in the Minot North Dakota area

St. David's Center for Child and Family Development

Term: February 01, 2018 - February 29, 2020

To strengthen Minnesota foster care and ensure standard of practice aligns with the best interest of parents and youth through inclusive community problem-solving process

Oyate Hotanin

Term: February 01, 2018 - February 29, 2020

IN Equality: Testing a new model of partnership between community members and juvenile justice system leaders to find innovative alternatives to confining youth in institutions and to transform Ramsey County Juvenile Justice Practices

Helpline Center

Term: February 01, 2018 - August 31, 2021

To fund a coordinated social service system of care for low-income individuals called the Sioux Empire Network of Care

Ramsey County

Term: August 01, 2014 - February 28, 2019

To develop a sustainable model for individuals in recovery from mental illness and/or chemical dependency, which will be integrated into the East Metro's Mental and Chemical Health crisis care system through the Mental Health Crisis Alliance

Program for Aid to Victims of Sexual Assault

Term: June 01, 2015 - December 31, 2018

To develop a coordinated regional forensic medical response to sexual violence in Northeast Minnesota

Tribal Nations Research Group

Term: January 01, 2018 - December 31, 2022

To promote high quality research relevant to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians that will advance the tribe's problem solving capacity and economic development, and uphold its positive images

Headwaters Regional Development Commission

Term: January 01, 2018 - October 31, 2020

To coordinate local transportation services for vulnerable people in the Headwaters Region

ReConnectRondo

Term: December 01, 2017 - December 31, 2020

To support the realization of a Rondo Land Bridge to reconnect communities proximate to I-94 in the Rondo neighborhood of Saint Paul

Greater Bemidji

Term: January 01, 2018 - January 31, 2020

To build a regional workforce recruitment approach guided by local industry projections

Voices for Racial Justice

Term: June 01, 2016 - December 31, 2018

To build a statewide problem-solving process on the issue of mass incarceration and the impact of the prison system on communities of color

Mental Health America of North Dakota

Term: June 01, 2016 - December 31, 2018

To further develop the Mental Health Advocacy Network to better serve those in need of mental health support

PACT for Families Collaborative

Term: June 01, 2016 - December 31, 2018

To initiate Partnering for Resilience -- supporting high needs families with young children through collaborative problem-solving around safety, resilience and independence

State of North Dakota, Department of Health

Term: November 01, 2017 - December 31, 2019

To increase access to adequate health care for rural school children in North Dakota by piloting school-based telehealth technology

Metropolitan State University Foundation

Term: October 01, 2017 - October 31, 2021

For the GROW-IT Center, an innovative response to maximize an unused capital resource where university and community groups can generate and disseminate best practices in sustainable urban agriculture, healthy food access and ecological preservation

Seward Redesign Inc

Term: November 01, 2017 - June 30, 2020

To engage local residents, primarily new American communities, in the transportation design planning process for the crossings of I-94 between Seward and the West Bank

Thunder Valley CDC

Term: November 01, 2017 - November 30, 2019

The creation of a collaborative working group approach to achieve strategic goals and outcomes within the Oyate Omniciye Regional Plan

Aurora/St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation

Term: July 01, 2017 - January 31, 2019

The METRO Green Line light rail line connects downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul. When it opened in 2014, it brought many benefits for neighborhoods along the line, as well as new challenges. Despite new construction, barriers to stable and affordable housing in the Frogtown Rondo neighborhoods remain. The Frogtown-Rondo Action Network (FRAN) will bring together residents from these neighborhoods, along with district councils and other advocates, to begin a dialogue about ways to break through barriers to accessible, affordable housing for residents. At the same time, FRAN will train and guide local leaders on ways to engage their fellow residents, share what they’re learning with key community stakeholders and create a housing action plan that can be implemented in 2018.

Cedar Riverside NRP

Term: June 01, 2016 - May 31, 2018

To solve the need for better access to affordable, culturally competent, quality early childhood education services (ECE) in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood (West Bank)

Rural Renewable Energy Alliance

Term: March 01, 2017 - October 31, 2018

Energy poverty, or a lack of access to modern energy services, affects one out of eight families in the United States. Rates in some communities like Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (Leech Lake) are even higher. In communities where households are on a fixed income, even a modest increase in the cost of heating or cooling can force families to make difficult choices about their resources. While energy assistance is available, funds are limited. Rural Renewable Energy Alliance will collaborate with Leech Lake partners to build a local, sustainable and shared alternative energy infrastructure. This partnership engages energy insecure households through the Tribal Government Community Action Agency, sustains an education and workforce pipeline with Leech Lake Tribal College and consult local utilities agency expertise. Developing and demonstrating this model has the potential to be transformative at the regional and national scale.

Fresh Energy

Term: October 01, 2017 - August 31, 2019

To make progress on tenant and landlord energy issues through community conversations, communication strategies, collaboration, toolkit/policy implementation and sharing lessons learned

American Cancer Society

Term: October 01, 2017 - November 30, 2021

To partner with Community Health Centers and other community stakeholders to improve access to colorectal cancer screening in North Dakota and South Dakota

University of South Dakota

Term: October 01, 2017 - December 31, 2019

To lead a statewide effort to increase the number of residents who participate in Advanced Care Planning in order to ensure that families and health care providers know and respect the wishes and goals of individuals at the end-of-life

Impact Foundation

Term: November 01, 2015 - October 31, 2018

To create an inclusive coalition that builds connections and engages community stakeholders, gathers data on youth, creates a data report with actions, and provides a Blueprint so that youth become more respected, empowered and engaged

Minneapolis Foundation

Term: June 01, 2016 - June 30, 2018

To work toward a thriving community where racial, social and economic equity is a reality for everyone in Minneapolis

United Way of Steele County

Term: September 01, 2017 - February 29, 2020

To build connections between community members and increase the community's capacity for engagement across race, class and religion in Steele County

Strengthen ND

Term: November 01, 2017 - February 29, 2020

To create a framework in which local farmers and ranchers are able to compete in the food market, increase the exports of local foods, create economic opportunities and address the fresh food needs of the community in Tuttle, ND

The Network

Term: September 01, 2017 - September 30, 2019

To build sustainable educational efforts to improve services for sexual assault victims with disabilities, in partnership with the South Dakota Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities and Community Service for the Deaf

First Children's Finance

Term: June 01, 2016 - June 30, 2018

To expand the Greater Than MN Project to North Dakota and additional rural Minnesota communities linking child care and rural economic development

Literacy Volunteers of Southwest Minnesota

Term: June 01, 2016 - June 30, 2018

To engage with families to access educational opportunities and build inclusive communities in Southwest Minnesota

HealthEast Foundation

Term: August 01, 2017 - August 31, 2019

For a cross-sector community collaboration united together to solve the problems of drugs and alcohol abuse within the Karen community

OutFront Minnesota Community Services

Term: June 01, 2016 - June 30, 2018

To build the leadership capacity of LGBTQ middle school and high school students and the support capacity of teachers and staff across Minnesota

Legal Services of North Dakota

Term: August 01, 2017 - August 31, 2020

For Legal Advocates for Health, a cross borders medical-legal partnership embedded in Family Health Care Center to improve the social determinants of health for New Americans and other vulnerable populations

Lakota Funds

Term: June 01, 2016 - June 30, 2018

A pilot program to remove barriers to Native home ownership in South Dakota

CANDO

Term: July 01, 2017 - December 31, 2020

Studies show that high quality out-of-school-time programs really make a difference in the lives of young people. However, young people of color and from families with lower income access these programs at lower rates. Urban Arts Academy is creating “Agents of Change”: a highly collaborative, sustainable youth program model fueled by youth-driven engagement. The 20 organizations in the Agents of Change collaborative believe that they will better serve youth and families in the Bancroft, Bryant Central and Powderhorn neighborhoods of Minneapolis if they truly listen to youth and work together.