Foundation Issues Grants to 16 Police Departments in Inaugural Grant Program Launch

Foundation Issues Grants to 16 Police Departments in
​Inaugural Grant Program Launch

One of the priorities of the MN Chiefs of Police Foundation (MCPF) is to advance community partnerships and help build trust between police officers and communities in the state of Minnesota. The Community Partnerships Grant Program launched in late 2022 with this in mind. 

MCPF received grant applications from 29 police departments. While we could not fund all 29 projects (due to limited resources), we are proud to have supported 16 police department projects that will help them work toward strengthening their partnerships with the communities they serve.

First time projects were prioritized over repeat projects. Repeat projects were prioritized if they featured notable expansions or critical need.*

Grant Recipients - 1Q 2023

1. Blaine PD - Community Outreach Trailer, to offer mobile activities at events to connect with kids and overall community
2. Bloomington PD - Youth Citizens Academy for high school students
3. Foley PD - Fun with Police program, teaching kids 10 and under kindness, anti-bullying, with a tour of the police department
4. Glyndon PD - Afterschool program reaching at-risk youth, in partnership with a local thrift store
5. Willmar PD - Paws on Patrol program, partnering with, educating, training and engaging dog owners to participate in crime prevention and quality of life issues
6. Virginia PD - Shop with a Cop program, where Blue Santas will deliver holiday gifts to children
7. Lower Sioux PD - First time National Night Out, a community outreach event for the Lower Sioux Indian community
8. Maple Grove PD - Fair & Impartial Policing Community Session, offering community members an opportunity to experience the training program Maple Grove PD officers go through on the topic of bias, prejudice and cultural competency
9. Coon Rapids PD - Cops & Cardinals program, a youth outreach program where cops are paired with high school students for 1:1 mentoring
10. Akeley PD - National Night Out, expanding this annual outreach event with the addition of a scavenger hunt and school supplies/backpack giveaway in order to broaden reach
11. Faribault PD - Safe Summer Kick Off, an outreach event in partnership with the school district and nonprofits
12. Belle Plaine PD - School Partnership Program, focused on bringing new internet safety presentations to classrooms
13. Blue Earth PD - New Police Activities League program, funding various educational and relationship building activities between police and kids
14. West St. Paul PD - Badges and Bobbers, a new outreach and mentorship event where police officers take at-risk youth fishing, in partnership with a local nonprofit
15. Hopkins PD - SPEEDS program, a new community outreach program offering traffic safety education as a way to build new partnerships with multi-cultural residents who may be unfamiliar with MN laws
16. Sartell PD - Movie in the Park with Police, a first time event designed as a relationship cultivation event with youth

The Foundation will offer additional grant opportunities to police departments in the future as funds are raised from generous donors from the community. We are on our way toward making statewide impact as we enable our police departments to build trust, transparency and stronger community partnerships. We look forward to hearing all the positive stories from our grant recipients in the next several months!

*Grant funding decisions were made by the MN Chiefs of Police Foundation Board of Directors, independent of the MN Chiefs of Police Association.

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