The NORTHSIDE IMPACT FUND existed to identify urgent needs in the community, find local partners who can meet those needs, and immediately get funds into the community. The Minneapolis Foundation provided the donor infrastructure, and each recipient organization and program tracks the impact of all funds received.

 

The Northside is the heart of Minneapolis––a community that has been underserved for years. The death of George Floyd–a black worker who lost his job as a result of the pandemic, after that dying in the hands of the Minneapolis Police–ignited the world's most massive international protests, outrage, and unrest since the civil rights era. Unfortunately, Minneapolis's black and brown residents who already faced tremendous daily struggles now face the harsh reality of a grim future due to mass riots and looting, which came externally from the peaceful protests. Due to the recent course of events, the black community has encountered the following: 

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• Trauma black parents are feeling in North Minneapolis as their kids grapple with the fact that they watched a cop killing a black man, again, for more than eight minutes replayed across all broadcast and social platforms again and again.

• The black unemployment rate rose to 16.8%, up 0.1% since last month. 

• Children in North Minneapolis experience stark educational disparities. Minnesota's achievement gap ranks among the nation's worst. The negative indicators that produce this gap are most pronounced in North Minneapolis. 

• Only 29% of entering kindergartners living in North Minneapolis are ready to learn. 

• Just 37% of African American youth graduate on time from Minneapolis Public Schools. 

• Only 16% of African American youth graduate prepared for college, and 13% of those who attend a public university graduate in 4 years. 

• All public K-12 schools in Minnesota were closed on March 18, 2020. With no summer schools, open park buildings, and summer programs, 10,000 Northside kids are left on their own to find safe activities. 

• A Pew study conducted in April found 48% of black Americans reporting trouble with paying bills–more than any other ethnic group. 

• Because of the global pandemic, many of the stores and shops in Minneapolis were closed. Moreover, due to looting that was caused by outside forces during peaceful protests, many of the shops and stores in North Minneapolis no longer exist. 

• The economic gulf between black and white families is higher in Minneapolis than almost anywhere else in America.

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