Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    MN350 IN 2020 CONTINUED ITS WORK TO EDUCATE AND ORGANIZE MINNESOTANS AROUND THE URGENCY OF ACHIEVING CLIMATE JUSTICE. IN THE MIDST OF A TURBULENT YEAR THAT INCLUDED A PANDEMIC AND AN UPRISING AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY, WE RESPONDED RAPIDLY AND STRATEGICALLY. WE NOT ONLY MOVED ALL OF OUR OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT WORK ONLINE BUT ALSO EXPANDED PROGRAMS AND CAMPAIGNS TO INSPIRE A GROWING BASE OF SUPPORTERS TO ACTION IN SUPPORT OF A JUST TRANSITION TO AN EQUITABLE CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE. MN350 SCALED TO A NEW LEVEL OF ORGANIZING BY GROWING OUR BASE TO MORE THAN 25,000 SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS WHO RAISED AWARENESS FOR OUR CAMPAIGNS AND ISSUES ACROSS THE STATE. WE ALSO EXPANDED OUR REACH GEOGRAPHICALLY BY SEEDING PLACE-BASED SATELLITES IN COMMUNITIES LIKE BURNSVILLE AND SAVAGE AND NURTURING THE GROWING VISIBILITY AND CLOUT OF OUR ST. PAUL 350 AFFILIATE. AFTER SIGNIFICANT YEAR-OVER-YEAR GROWTH IN 2019, OUR BUDGET NEARLY DOUBLED IN 2020, AS MORE MINNESOTANS JOINED THE CLIMATE JUSTICE MOVEMENT.MN350 HAS WORKED TIRELESSLY FOR YEARS TO BLOCK THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MASSIVE LINE 3 TAR SANDS PIPELINE THAT ENDANGERS OUR CLIMATE, WATER AND COMMUNITIES IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA. IN 2020, WE PROMOTED RESISTANCE TO THE PIPELINE THROUGH A PLEDGE THAT ATTRACTED 14,000 SIGNERS, A WIDELY CIRCULATED RESEARCH PAPER SPOTLIGHTING ITS DEVASTATING CLIMATE IMPACTS -- THE EQUIVALENT OF 50 COAL PLANTS -- AND DOZENS OF ONLINE EVENTS. WE ALSO WORKED IN TIGHT COALITION WITH AND CENTERED THE LEADERSHIP OF INDIGENOUS-LED CLIMATE GROUPS LIKE HONOR THE EARTH AND THE GINIW COLLECTIVE.WE ALSO DEEPENED OUR WORK WITH NATIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO UPHOLD TREATY RIGHTS. IN THE TWIN CITIES, MN350 VOLUNTEERS FURTHERED PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT HEALTH AND CLIMATE BENEFITS OF 100% CLEAN ENERGY LEGISLATION, REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, AND SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS ADVOCATED FOR THE ELECTRIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION IN MINNESOTA.MN350 RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY TO THE POLICE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD; WITHIN TWO DAYS, WE WERE THE FIRST CLIMATE JUSTICE GROUP IN THE COUNTRY TO DEMAND CRIMINAL PROSECUTION OF THE RESPONSIBLE POLICE OFFICERS. DURING THE ENSUING UPRISING IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN350 SERVED AS A CONDUIT OF INFORMATION, PROMOTING MUTUAL AID DRIVES LED BY COMMUNITY AND BIPOC GROUPS AND URGING OUR SUPPORTERS TO ADD THEIR VOICES TO CALLS FOR JUSTICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY.IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC, MN350 QUICKLY PIVOTED OUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS AND ESTABLISHED THE FRONTLINE FUND TO AID COMMUNITIES HIT FIRST AND WORST BY COVID. THE FUND ALSO PROVIDED EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS FOR THOSE DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY CLIMATE INJUSTICE. AFTER THE STATE'S PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION ANNOUNCED A BID TO EXPEDITE UTILITY PROJECTS TO SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, MN350 LED A COALITION OF GROUPS PRESSURING THE COMMISSION AND UTILITIES TO ENSURE THAT ECONOMIC BENEFITS WOULD BE REALIZED FIRST BY THE SAME FRONTLINE COMMUNITIES.OTHER 2020 HIGHLIGHTS: WE CONTINUED EMPHASIZING DIVERSITY IN STAFF HIRES AND BOARD PLACEMENTS. BY YEAR'S END, BOTH STAFF AND THE BOARD WERE MAJORITY BIPOC. WE CONTINUED RAISING AWARENESS FOR AN INITIATIVE LED BY THE POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY TO MAKE MINNESOTA THE FIRST STATE IN THE MIDWEST TO ADOPT CLEAN CAR STANDARDS. WE SOLICITED HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS FROM SUPPORTERS AND PROMOTED ATTENDANCE AT A DOZEN PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE LAUNCHED A PLANNING PROCESS ANTICIPATING MULTIPLE CLIMATE SCENARIOS THAT INVITED THE PERSPECTIVES OF LEECH LAKE, RED LAKE AND WHITE EARTH LEADERS, ALONG WITH BELTRAMI COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BEMIDJI CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE MAYOR OF BEMIDJI, AND EDUCATORS AND ENTREPRENEURS IN THE REGION. WE DEVELOPED A TREATY RIGHTS PLEDGE AND INVITED ALL MINNESOTANS TO RECOGNIZE THAT DEFENDING THESE RIGHTS OFFERS THE STRONGEST ARTICULATION OF CLIMATE JUSTICE IN MN. OUR FOOD SYSTEMS TEAM ATTRACTED SCORES OF NEW MEMBERS, BECOMING OUR LARGEST VOLUNTEER-LED CAMPAIGN. THE TEAM PLANNED AND LAUNCHED A CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE THE HEADWATERS COMMUNITY FOOD AND JUSTICE BILL. WE PARTNERED WITH THE NATIONAL 350.ORG TO SHARE A STAFF PERSON FOCUSED ON CLIMATE ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNS IN THE MIDWEST. THE STAFFER ALSO HELPED CONCEIVE AND PLAN 350.ORG'S CLIMATE REPARATIONS WORK.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $938K

  • Community Engagement and Program Management

    IN 2024, MN350 HAD A DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY IMPACT POSITION, MW, WHO STREAMLINED THE MANAGEMENT OF RUNNING PROGRAMS BY ADAPTING TO ITS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE. THIS YEAR PRESENTED NUMEROUS CHALLENGES, INCLUDING CHANGES IN STAFF, SHIFTING PROGRAM PRIORITIES, LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS, AND THE LOOMING THREAT OF FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES THAT COULD IMPACT THE ORGANIZATION'S OPERATIONS. DESPITE THIS, THE ORGANIZERS QUICKLY EMBRACED NEW WORK PLANS, TACTICS, AND TOOLS TO ENHANCE FUTURE VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES.TO ENHANCE OUR HUD EXPANSION EFFORTS, WE PLAN TO EVALUATE OUR STRATEGIES TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT IN EARLY 2025. ENGAGING WITH THE ROCHESTER COMMUNITY IS ESSENTIAL FOR ESTABLISHING AN OPERATIONAL HUB. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS, INCLUDING BUDGETING, KEY STAKEHOLDERS, AND TIMELINES, WHILE ACTIVELY INVOLVING MN350'S ROCHESTER VOLUNTEERS. EFFECTIVE DATA COLLECTION PRACTICES ARE CRUCIAL FOR DRIVING OUR ORGANIZATIONAL PROGRAMS AND CAMPAIGN INITIATIVES. TO FACILITATE THIS, WE WILL IMPLEMENT MANDATORY QUARTERLY INDEPENDENT CAMPAIGN STRATEGY SESSIONS FOR EACH ORGANIZER IN THE COMING YEAR, SETTING NEW EXPECTATIONS THAT FOSTER SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGNS AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES. CREATING BENCHMARKS, ESTABLISHING QUANTITATIVE GOALS, AND MAINTAINING REGULAR EVALUATION PRACTICES HAVE ALREADY YIELDED POSITIVE RESULTS FOR MN350. BY ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION AMONG PROGRAMS, WE AIM TO IDENTIFY A CENTRALIZED, TANGIBLE GOAL FOR MN350. BY ARTICULATING A SPECIFIC TARGET, WE CAN FOCUS OUR COLLECTIVE EFFORTS. WHETHER WE CONCENTRATE ON PROTECTING BOUNDARY WATERS, SERVING MINNESOTANS, OR PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, SELECTING A UNIFIED GOAL WILL BE OUR PRIORITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD. IN 2024, THE LEADERSHIP AND STAFF SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED A NEW UNION CONTRACT, RESULTING IN THE STAFF'S UNIONIZATION.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $774.8K