February, 2024
For the 2024 Good Neighbor Fund grant cycle, the University of Minnesota announces the availability of up to $90,000 in funding through the U of M Good Neighbor Fund endowment.
COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges to communities around the world, and our University community is not the exception. Since its inception, the Good Neighbor Fund has supported grants that bring people together and highlight the vibrancy of our neighborhoods. While there is still uncertainty ahead, there are also untapped opportunities. The Stadium Area Advisory Group encourages all qualifying organizations to think creatively about projects that promote these values.
The original Good Neighbor Fund was created on July 1, 2007, by the University of Minnesota through consultation with the Stadium Area Advisory Group, which included representatives from local governments, neighborhoods, and business associations adjacent to the Twin Cities campus of the University.
Purpose of the Fund: The long-term purpose of the Good Neighbor Fund is to enhance and protect the beauty, stability, vitality, and security of the communities adjacent to the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus.
Eligible applicants must be member organizations of the Stadium Area Advisory Group, must be duly organized and incorporated, and must have systems in place to ensure financial accountability. Member organizations of the Stadium Area Advisory Group include the West Bank Business Association, the Dinkytown Business Alliance, the South East Business Association, the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association, the Prospect Park Association, the Saint Anthony Park Community Council, Towerside Business Alliance, Cedar Riverside Community Council, the South East Como Improvement Association, the City of Falcon Heights, the City of Minneapolis, the City of Saint Paul, Hennepin County, Ramsey County, the Minnesota State Fair, and the UMN Student Neighborhood Liaisons program.
Eligible applicants may partner with or sponsor activities to be undertaken with other organizations, but the applicant organization is ultimately accountable for execution of the Grant Agreement, implementation of the grant, all reporting and documentation, completion of the project, and the administration of the funds. It is suggested that those working with a 3rd party to implement the grant, have an agreement in place so projects and documentation are completed in a timely way.
Please remember, that the applicant organization, otherwise known as the Grantee, is ultimately responsible to the U of M Good Neighbor Fund for completion of all aspects of the grant.
Please note that, depending on the Grantee’s arrangement with any third party partners or vendors, it may be necessary for the Grantee to cover costs and then be reimbursed from the payout of grant funds. It is the responsibility of the Grantee to manage the cash flow of the project.
Consideration of progress on past grants: In 2024 while considering applications for new funding, the Stadium Area Advisory Group may consider the progress on past due U of M Good Neighbor Fund and U of M Good Neighbor Fund/Vikings Partnership Fund grants.
Allowable activities, and evaluation criteria: Activities must be in, and benefiting, an area directly impacted by the stadium (in general, this will mean within the general boundaries of the campus-adjacent neighborhood communities), must be consistent with the stated purpose of the Fund, and must be consistent with applicable laws and regulation and University policies.
Applications should be for projects that
Most effectively carry out the purposes of the Fund;
Mitigate direct stadium impacts;
Are for “projects”, instead of ongoing operations;
Leverage the contribution of other resources;
Have a broad and long lasting impact;
Enhance, not duplicate, current efforts;
Promote a consistent identity or approach across some or all of the neighborhood communities; and/or
Have a means to demonstrate and document successful results.
This is not a list of the minimal requirements for the selection of projects, but these are among the factors that will be considered. Applications have included activities that improve the physical conditions or quality of life in the community; improve business districts; strengthen relationships or community identity; and/or engage community members to become more civically involved. These are examples only, and are not intended to limit the ways that applications may express the purposes of the Fund.
Applications will be selected for funding on their merits. There is no guarantee that funds will be distributed equally or proportionally among organizations or geographic areas. If there are not a sufficient number of applications of sufficient merit, all funds in the grant cycle may not be awarded.
Minimum and maximum grant amounts: There are no minimum or maximum grant limits, however applicants are advised to keep in mind the total amount of funding that is available in this cycle for consideration of award to applicants from the eligible areas.
How to apply for funds:
Read the Policy Statement and Operations Plan and the Application Form, available January 2024.
Submit the Application Form and any other required documents in digital PDF format by the end of the day on Saturday, March 30th, 2024 to: [email protected].
Applications should be limited to no more than 6 pages in length, plus any necessary attachments.
Incomplete applications, applications received after the deadline, or applications from ineligible applicants may be returned without review.
Requirements of awardees: Organizations with applications approved for funding will be expected to execute a grant agreement, the provisions of which will include, among other requirements, reports to be submitted with drawdown requests and at the completion of the project, or annually, whichever comes first.
Disbursement of funds to Grantee: Once submission of the Check Request Form is complete, and the project is $5,000 or under, one check will be issued with a final report and invoice of expenses due 21 days following the submission of a final Grantee Report. If the project is over $5,000, two checks will be issued with 1/2 of the amount issued within 21 days of the initial Check Request Form and the final 1/2 issued within 21 days of the final Grantee Report.
Questions may be directed to: [email protected].
Thank you for your interest in the U of M Good Neighbor Fund.
2024 Good Neighbor Fund Application