Hometown Grantee Spotlights
We’re proud to support the work of the African American Leadership Forum (AAFL) and its mission to foster a just society that works better for all Americans by addressing disparities in economic development, health and wellness, education, and family & culture in the Black community. AALF convenes, supports and develops the leadership capacity of Black leaders across Minnesota and is a cross-sector network of thought leaders, influencers, builders and ambassadors providing technical assistance and capital to support Black-owned businesses through the Black Business Support Collective and other initiatives that support African American empowerment.
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“With support from the Target Foundation, the African American Leadership Forum (AALF) is continuing to provide assistance and resources to Minnesota’s Black community as it grapples with the impacts of the pandemic; this includes our work on the We Good? Virtual Town Hall on COVID-19 & Black MN (a bi-weekly program that brings Black leaders from across the state together to discuss issues facing our community), our Collective Impact program which utilizes Black-Centered Design to solve our community’s most pressing challenges, the Josie R. Johnson Leadership Academy (JRJLA), and other initiatives such as the Black Business Support Collective which seeks to assist Black businesses facing economic challenges related to the pandemic.”
Marcus Owens
Executive Director, AALF
We’re proud to support the work of Hope Community and its mission to create connections that strengthen the power of community members and communities—cultivating community leaders, building community capacity, caring for the places and spaces they develop and pursuing equity and diversity in all they do. Hope Community is a place-based provider of affordable rental housing and community space.
The Target Foundation’s general operating grant supports Hope Community’s work building community engagement to advance racial equity and systems change in the housing sector.
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"Hope is excited for the support and partnership of Target Foundation as we continue our work of advancing racial equity, making change at the individual, community, and systems levels in the Phillips Community and beyond. In particular, we are looking forward in 2021 to growing our Community Ownership program, which supports community members to become owner-occupants of duplexes and triplexes—an innovative strategy addressing wealth building, affordable housing, and anti-displacement, all of which advances racial equity in a tangible effort."
Ms. Shannon Smith Jones
Executive Director, Hope Community
We’re proud to support the American Indian OIC (AIOIC) and its mission to empower American Indians who wish to pursue career opportunities—providing individualized education, training and human services in a culturally rich environment.
The Target Foundation’s general operating grant supports AIOIC’s work to help people in poverty who are unemployed, assist and service individuals seeking advancement on their current job, and provide an educational foundation that secures employment in positions that have opportunities for professional and financial growth.
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“The Target Foundation’s gift could not have come at a more important time. Our technology systems were antiquated; causing inefficiencies in our service delivery and leaving us vulnerable to security threats. Because of the Foundation’s generous grant, we were able to update our IT infrastructure and are better equipped to deliver our services remotely during the pandemic shutdown. This means our students are graduating on time and are able to move forward and achieve their dreams. The Target Foundation is truly doing the hard work to bring equity to our community, and we are grateful for its support. Chi miigwech and wopila tanka.”
Dr. Joe Hobot
President & CEO, American Indian OIC