Grants awarded to support youth development and unite communities



The Carlson Family Foundation is pleased to announce 2022 grants awarded for:

  • Constellation: K-12 Schools, Out-of-School and Parents & Caregivers
  • Vibrant Communities: Youth Access, and Economic and Social Health
  • Special Opportunities

Constellation seeks to surround young people with a constellation of caring adults to help them realize their dreams. Out-of-School grantmaking focuses on providing access to high-quality out-of-school programs centered on young people’s development and agency.

Vibrant Communities seeks to bring peoples’ collective assets together to unite, enhance and inspire the community. Youth Access grantmaking supports inclusive access to arts, culture, and environmental experiences that affirm their identities. And our Economic and Social Health grants support arts, culture, and environmental experiences that contribute to the economic and social health of the community and shine a light on Minnesota.

Special Opportunities grants address unique opportunities to meet immediate needs in the community.

Constellation Grants

Out-of-School

30,000 Feet

$25,000

Funding supports after-school academic support programming for Black K-8 students in St. Paul.

Above the EDGE

$20,000

Funding supports after-school leadership programming for middle and high school youth of color.

Banyan Community

$40,000/multi-year

Funding supports year-round leadership, and academic and SEL support for K-8 youth from the Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities

$350,000/multi-year

Funding supports general operations for one-on-one mentoring, career and college readiness support for mentored teens, and arts-based mentoring in partnership with community organizations.

Bolder Options

$100,000/multi-year

Funding supports general operations for one-on-one mentoring for middle school-aged youth.

Centro Tyrone Guzman

$20,000

Funding supports year-round, culturally centered programming for Latinx youth in grades six through 12.

Change Inc.

$25,000

Funding supports Crossroads, a school-based mentoring program focused on African American youth.

Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota

$40,000

Funding supports expanding training and support for partners in CDF’s Freedom Schools network in the Twin Cities.

College Possible Minnesota

$105,000/multi-year

Funding supports services to low-income high school and college students pursuing college admissions and graduation.

Cookie Cart

$87,500/multi-year

Funding supports a youth social enterprise that teaches life, leadership and employment skills to teens of color in North Minneapolis and the East Side of St. Paul.

Cultural Wellness Center

$10,000

Funding supports the Rites of Passage program for African American boys and young men.

DinoMights

$50,000/multi-year

Funding supports the expansion of quality mentoring, academic support and hockey development for youth in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Division of Indian Work

$25,000

Funding supports year-round out-of-school academic support, and cultural and recreational activities for urban American Indian youth ages 5 to 17.

EMERGE

$40,000/multi-year

Funding supports the North 4 program, which provides jobs and mentorship for young men in North Minneapolis.

Friends of the Children

$60,000

Funding supports the launch of Friends of the Children’s evidenced-based, long-term professional mentoring model in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

Girl Scouts River Valleys

$25,000

Funding supports girls and families of color through staff and volunteer-led Girl Scouts programming and engagement.

Greater Minneapolis Community Connections

$96,250/multi-year

Funding supports Genius Labs and GMCC Tech Teens, which provide tutoring support, digital learning experiences, mentors and career exploration opportunities.

Hospitality House Youth Development

$80,000/multi-year

Funding supported the Urban Learning Center, which serves students by providing supplemental, educational after-school services.

InnerCity Tennis Foundation

$35,000

Funding supports general operations that utilizes tennis as a vehicle to positively impact the physical, emotional and mental well-being of youth.

MENTOR Minnesota

$170,000/multi-year

Funding supports expanding the mentoring movement through engagement of youth voice, and increasing culturally relevant and trauma informed learning experiences to mentoring staff and volunteers.

MIGIZI

$40,000

Funding supports general operations for academic and cultural support for Native American middle and high school youth.

Minnesota Alliance With Youth

$10,000

Funding supports interventions for youth in grades six through 12 most at risk for dropping out of school.

Minnesota Urban Debate League

$60,000/multi-year

Funding supports resources and programming to support competitive academic debate in Twin Cities middle and high schools. 

New Vision Foundation

$35,000

Funding supports general operations for out-of-school STEM programming for East African and BIPOC youth in the Twin Cities.

NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center

$14,000

Funding supports the improvement of quality, professional development and the expansion of current youth programming.

One2One

$25,000

Funding supports general operations for a leadership development program that equips youth with communication, community-building and SEL skills.

Page Education Foundation

$35,000/multi-year

Funding supports Minnesota students of color who pursue post-secondary education in Minnesota.

Perspectives

$20,000

Funding supports out-of-school programming for K-12 youth in St. Louis Park.

Pillsbury United Communities

$50,000

Funding supports the Youth and Future Focus programming that engages K-12 youth through after-school clubs and camps, internships and academic support.

Plymouth Christian Youth Center (PCYC)

$25,000

Funding supports year-round youth development and academic programming for North Minneapolis K-5 youth.

Project DIVA

$25,000

Funding supports general operations for personal development programming for Black girls ages 11-18.

Project Success

$110,000/multi-year

Funding supported general operations to provide students with equitable access to developmental support and experiences that increase their academic achievement and engagement.

Propel Nonprofits

$35,000

Funding supports the Youth Leadership Institute, which provides leadership development for youth and training for youth-serving organizations.

Propel Nonprofits

$35,000

Funding supports Bridgemakers, which focuses on building the capacity and leadership opportunities of marginalized young changemakers in the Twin Cities.

QUEERSPACE collective

$25,000

Funding supports a mentorship program serving LGBTQ+ youth ages 12-17 across the Twin Cities metro.

Sprockets

$40,000

Funding supports training and resources for youth-serving organizations in St. Paul.

St. Paul Youth Services

$35,000

Funding supports leadership development and advocacy programs for Black youth in the St. Paul area.

Treehouse

$50,000

Funding supports out-of-school programming and support for teens in the Twin Cities metro.

Urban Ventures Leadership Foundation

$150,000/multi-year

Funding supports educational, tutoring and mentoring programming for youth in primarily low-income neighborhoods in Minneapolis.

YMCA of the North

$70,000/multi-year

Funding supports the Beacons Program, which provides free academic and enrichment for youth through high-quality out-of-school programming.

Youthprise

$200,000/multi-year

Funding supports building the capacity of community-based, youth-serving out-of-school programming in Minnesota.

YWCA Minneapolis

$25,000

Funding supports girls and youth programs that equip youth with skills and experiences that nurture their confidence, relationships and power to be leaders in their lives and communities.

K-12 Schools

Great MN Schools

$250,000/multi-year

Funding supports a pilot with K-12 schools focusing on strong, student-centered and relationship-rich cultures that advance student outcomes.

Parents & Caregivers

Alia

$60,000

Funding supports efforts to disrupt the current child welfare system by co-creating new ways of keeping families safely together.

Vibrant Communities Grants

Youth Access

An Opera Theatre

$5,000

Funding supports ongoing Opera Immersion Residencies with Twin Cities schools.

Children’s Theatre Company

$50,000/multi-year

Funding supports free access to, and enrichment surrounding, a live theatre experience for all second-grade students in the Minneapolis Public School District.

The DIAL Group

$20,000

Funding supports providing at-risk Southeast Asian youth arts access and training, a safe space and mentorships with caring adults.

History Theatre

$20,000

Funding supports four Seats to Stage school-based residencies in the 2022-23 school year.

Hopewell Music Cooperative North

$5,000

Funding supports providing students on Minneapolis’ North Side the opportunity to work individually with a professional musician. 

Illusion Theater

$10,000

Funding supports the Theater Access for Youth (TAY) program during the 2022-23 school year.

Indigenous Peoples Task Force

$25,000

Funding supports training for Native teens, and travel expenses for actors and artists performing original, group-devised works celebrating Minnesota Native culture and teachings.

Juxtaposition Arts

$50,000

Funding supports comprehensive youth arts training and creative sector employment.

Kulture Klub Collaborative

$20,000

Funding supports the design of engaging artistic activities for youth experiencing homelessness.

MacPhail Center for Music

$30,000/multi-year

Funding supports connecting with K-12 schools throughout Minnesota to offer high-quality music education support and resources.

Minnesota Children’s Museum

$10,000

Funding supports general operations for programming at the museum.

Minnesota Orchestral Association

$30,000/multi-year

Funding supports live, professional classical music performances to 30,000+ students.

Muslim American Society of Minnesota

$10,000

Funding supports the establishment of a Youth Media Program to engage youth from immigrant and refugee families.

The Southeast Asian Diaspora Project

$20,000

Funding supports general operations for arts and culture programs, and leadership development with Southeast Asian youth.

TaikoArts Midwest

$10,000

Funding supports bringing the art form of taiko to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ homeless youth.

Twin Cities Public Television

$35,000

Funding supports the empowerment of teens through media creation and nurturing relationships.

Victoria Theater Arts Center

$16,000

Funding supports a team of youth to guide and produce youth-centered programming for the Victoria Theater Arts Center, with support from adult mentors.

VocalEssence

$50,000/multi-year

Funding supports general operations for inclusive access to arts and arts education.

Walker West Music Academy

$25,000

Funding supports general operations to provide culturally relevant music education.

Young Dance

$15,000

Funding supports general operations to provide creative movement and dance activities to underserved populations.

Economic and Social Health

The Great Northern

$15,000

Funding supports general operations for the Great Northern winter festival.

Minnesota Orchestral Association

$1,000,000/multi-year

Funding supports a suite of innovative community engagement and artistic initiatives to bring diverse communities together through musical exchanges.

Special Opportunities Grants

Lee Carlson Center for Mental Health & Well-Being

$150,000/multi-year

Funding supports general operations for affordable mental health services for families, children and youth in the Twin Cities.

Relate Counseling Center

$75,000/multi-year

Funding supports general operations for school-based prevention and early intervention mental health services.

Washburn Center for Children

$225,000/multi-year

Funding supports general operations to provide mental health care for children and families.



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