Kingfield Neighborhood Association

Neighborhoods 2020-Action Item!

Advocate for Minneapolis Neighborhood Organizations!

Updated 11/16/20

The City has just approved a racial equity framework to be implemented by nonprofit neighborhood associations, but the budget allocated to this program is .25 of 1% of the entire City Budget.

Neighborhood organizations are a key connector between residents and the City, and these place-based nonprofits lead community building and organizing efforts and provide critical services while also focusing on informing and engaging ALL our City’s residents. During this time of multiple extreme crises, the work of neighborhood organizations is more important than ever and this work must be funded to a sustainable level.

Here’s how you can help if you believe that strong neighborhood-based organizations are vital to our communities:

  1. Choose one or more comment template provided below (or draft your own!) and submit it as part of the City Budget Process. Comments can also be submitted
    online at the City’s website and will be entered into the public record.
  2. Copy your comments to the entire City Council, who’s addresses can be found here.
  3. Share your comments on social media with the following hashtags to encourage your Minneapolis family, friends, and neighbors to submit one, too: #FundRacialEquity #FundNeighborhoodEquity #MPLSNeighborhoodEquityNow #FundMPLSNeighborhoods​

Public Comment Templates by Topic Area:

Creating and Maintaining Affordable Housing
Dear City Leaders,

The Kingfield Neighborhood Association has a long history of advocating for affordable housing in our neighborhood. KFNA administered an Exterior Matching Grant Home Improvement program that provided funds to homeowners at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). This program provided 58 grants and almost $150,000 to visible repairs; in some areas of the neighborhood KFNA also matched our own dollars to support families in financial need and spent an additional $19,000. Additionally, the Emergency Home Repair Grant provided another $150,000 to homeowners who earned at, or below, 50 % AMI to stabilize hazardous household conditions. Over the past two decades KFNA has also worked with, and supported, the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, PPL, Habitat for Humanity, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Housing, and Beacon Interfaith Housing to develop 50 units of affordable housing in our neighborhood.

To continue this work and advocate for this diversity of housing in our community, we need money to be at the table when projects are being proposed and planned. I urge you to increase the funding allotted to all neighborhoods by at least $3 million for a minimum total allocation of $7.1 million to ensure the Kingfield Neighborhood Association can continue to do their part of increasing economic and racial diversity by increasing affordable housing options in the city.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your Minneapolis address]

Encouraging Neighbors to Flex Their Civic Muscles
Dear City Leaders,

The Kingfield Neighborhood Association has organized Get Out the Vote efforts and educated on non-partisan voter issues, for the past 8 years. Involvement in the Vote No campaign in 2012 led to our first Polling Place Party, which turned Election Day into a celebration. In 2017, KFNA built on the success of these Polling Place Parties by launching our We are Kingfield We Vote yard sign campaign. In 2018, KFNA added a primary election Polling Place Party and GOTV Block Captains. Finding the personal outreach was hugely successful at increasing voter and building community connections, in 2020, KFNA added Make a Voting Plan flyers delivered to every household in the neighborhood. Â These resources and organizing plans are freely shared with multiple other Minneapolis nonprofits and because of KFN’s work, Kingfield neighbors know that voting isn’t a solitary act but rather a celebration of community.

To continue to organize and mobilize Get Out the Vote efforts, we need financial stability and support. I urge you to increase the funding allotted to all neighborhoods by at least $3 million for a minimum total allocation of $7.1 million to ensure the Kingfield Neighborhood Association can continue to do their part helping to create a more just and racially equitable community by educating voters and getting out the vote.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your Minneapolis address]

Emergency Response Work
Dear City Leaders,

It is my understanding that neighborhood organizations and their funding is coming up for approval soon. At a time when Minneapolis has experienced multiple emergencies in the last six months, it is more critical now than ever to fund hyper local organizations. Neighborhoods are uniquely positioned to respond in emergency situations in a way that other government agencies can not.

In response to COVID-19, the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) rejuvenated the block network system and has hand-delivered multiple flyers to every household with information on the disease, resources available, and also stressing the importance of watching out for our most vulnerable neighbors. KFNA also helped consolidate information for local businesses and share this information with our residents about changing rules and shifting hours.

Working with the Minneapolis Boomerang Bag network, KFNA shifted our volunteer grocery tote Sewists (sewing activists!) to making face masks instead. Providing free delivered fabric, supplies, and designs, since April 1st, the group has sewn and donated over 4100 masks to 75 local clinics.

KFNA also stepped in to provide ongoing support at a local church’s biweekly grocery distribution event, and collected Census information from participants when the federal Census workers were mandated to stay home. KFNA organized 25 bi-lingual volunteers, volunteering over 125 hours, to assist about 100 Spanish-speaking families complete the Census and avoid a knock on the door in August.

I urge you to increase the funding allotted to neighborhoods by at least $3 million for a minimum total allocation of $7.1 million to ensure neighborhoods can continue to do their important racial equity work through emergency response.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your Minneapolis address]

Undoing Racism / Racial Equity
Dear City Leaders,

The City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County have declared racism a public health emergency. Addressing racism begins on the block, and from neighbor to neighbor. In order to effectively combat racism, we must begin at a hyper local level. Racial equity work deserves funding from the City of Minneapolis. You can’t achieve more equity with less money.  I urge you to increase the funding allotted to neighborhoods by at least $3 million for a minimum total allocation of $7.1 million to ensure neighborhoods can continue to do their important racial equity work.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your Minneapolis address]

Resident Engagement & Organizing
Dear City Leaders,

For years, neighborhood organizations have been critical to outreach and engagement channels from the city and the county. This year, during the pandemic, that has expanded to communicating best practices and health updates on behalf of the State of Minnesota, as well. Efforts to reach residents on fundamental issues such as the census, voter registration, neighborhood development, elections for all local races, would fall flat without neighborhoods supporting them. KFNA works with local community leaders to help them understand the key issues, and also be able to address them and examine them to their neighbors. The work KFNA does develops leaders in the community. As we look at funding across the city, it is important to invest in hyper localized work.  I urge you to increase the funding allotted to neighborhoods by at least $3 million for a minimum total allocation of $7.1 million to ensure neighborhoods can continue to do their important engagement, leadership, and racial equity work.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your Minneapolis address]

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