TST Grant Awardees

Innovation Grants award $50,000-$100,000 to established community nonprofits to provide programs that currently or will serve families or individuals in Ramsey County who are vulnerable to involvement in, or have been involved, in the child protection system. 

Alia, a Minnesota-based national nonprofit do-tank, awarded $100,000 to bring family voice, power and transformation to the child protection system. Alia and community members who have been harmed by the system will work with Ramsey County child protection supervisors and staff to build their capacity as trusted partners with communities served by child welfare systems.  

American Indian Community-Specific Board, which advises and assists the State’s Ombudsperson for American Indian Families, awarded  $100,000 to develop and implement a training for elders on child protection laws, including the Indian Child Welfare Act, and how to form circles of support for families. Elder circles will provide culturally responsive support for families and youth to strengthen family bonds, improve child safety, and reduce child protection system involvement. The Board will also develop a training about child protection laws for youth, parents and families, including a mock court experience. 

The ANIKA Foundation, which promotes health equity, civic engagement and economic empowerment in underrepresented communities, awarded $55,000 for their Jumpstart program to help Ramsey County young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. With these funds, the program will provide microgrants to help “jumpstart” 10 individuals to secure stable housing, enroll in post-secondary education and help with basic needs. The Foundation will also provide young adults with mentors who have shared lived experiences, help with communication and problem-solving and offer culturally competent counseling to process trauma. 

Cultural Wellness Center, a local organization that supports people and organizations in developing culturally-based solutions to real-world problems, awarded $100,000 to help Black/African American families navigate systems and access resources through their Community Caregiving Navigation System. 

ICWA Law Center, an organization that provides legal services and advocacy for American Indian families free of charge, awarded $77,650 to expand their Parent Mentor Program that provides mentors with lived experiences in the child welfare program and ICWA to help American Indian families navigate the legal and social services systems. Parent Mentors provide referrals, case management, advocacy, emotional support and hope for a path forward that recognizes the value of family preservation. 

Interfaith Action, an organization that provides shelter, food, clothing, coaching and legal assistance to those in need, awarded $100,000 to expand their family coaching program for American Indian families. The family coach will work with a team of staff within the Native American Economic Mobility Hub to offer strength, motivation and holistic support for a minimum of six months to help families thrive and reach their goals.  

Irreducible Grace Foundation, a nonprofit focused on creating healing safe spaces for youth of color, awarded $100,000 to create bi-weekly safe spaces and healing opportunities for youth and young adult BIPOC families. These events will include a shared meal with elders, youth and young adult parents and their children followed by activities that include movement, arts and social emotional skill development. 

Rebound Inc., a nonprofit that works with young people to build resiliency, awarded $100,000 to provide culturally specific trauma-focused, multifamily, skill-building groups to African American families in Ramsey County. Rebound will work to build social connections, support in times of need, social/ emotional competence and knowledge of parenting and child development. 

Standard Edition Women awarded $100,000 to provide African American caregivers and children during times of trauma coaching, advocacy, educational, healing and support with modest needs and transportation for up to one year. 

YMCA awarded $100,000 to provide parenting education and support to parenting youth in Ramsey County to prevent future or further involvement with child protection. The YMCA expects to serve a minimum of 15 parenting youth by providing group programming, connections to resources, direct assistance with baby supplies and new mom supplies.

Micro Grants award $10,000-$35,000 to community organizations and small/individual business owners to provide programs that will serve families or individuals in Ramsey County who are vulnerable to involvement in or have been involved in the child protection system. 

Accountable Cultural Brokers LLC, a small grassroots organization, awarded $35,000 to create healing conversation spaces for adults who were directly impacted by Ramsey County child protection as children. These conversations and experiences will be documented and shared back to Ramsey County’s Child Protection to inform future understanding of the community of people they are serving. 

Haven International, a nonprofit that provides support and referral services to families in need, awarded $20,000 to provide preparatory classes for African American preschoolers to ensure they are ready for kindergarten.

LOGO Community Support Services, an organization that works to reduce chronic long-term housing instability, awarded $35,000 to extend their support services to provide housing stabilization, independent living skills, system navigation, employment services, and culturally supportive healing to African American youth, young adults, and families needing support in addressing barriers to health and stability. 

Montessori American Indian Childcare Center, a preschool that focuses on a culturally unique and holistic approach to lifelong learning, awarded $35,000 to provide transportation and tuition assistance for seven children who are identified as “at-risk.” Funds will also help provide support services for parents.

Neighborhood House, a Saint Paul-based nonprofit that assists refugees, immigrants and others in transition or crisis, awarded $34,500 to expand their Housing Trust Fund program. With this expansion, they will work ensure 12 families at risk of or navigating the child protection system are housed and able to maintain custody of their children.

Planting People Growing Justice, an organization that promotes social change through education and outreach, awarded $20,000 to address the unmet literacy and reading needs of Black/African American youth and families in Ramsey County who are vulnerable to involvement with the child protection system. Planting People will work to ensure youth and families have access to books with relatable characters and positive messaging and increased exposure to read-alouds to help bridge learning gaps and promote arts-based community development. 

Samuel Simmons Consulting LLC, an organization that assists individuals and organizations working in with the Black/African American community, awarded $26,050 to develop trainings for non-custodial African American fathers under 35 years old and local service providers. These culturally appropriate trainings will focus on increasing fathers’ understanding on the effects of early child early childhood exposure to violence while providing opportunities to develop fathers’ emotional intelligence/wellness so they can connect to their children’s emotional needs after exposure to violence. 

Think Self, a Minnesota-based nonprofit serving Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled and hard of hearing individuals from different backgrounds, awarded $10,350 to develop a training for professionals who are appointed by juvenile or family court to represent a maltreated child’s best interests in court proceedings (Guardian ad Litems) in Ramsey County. This training will focus on culturally appropriate and trauma-informed practices for working with Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, Late Deafened, and hard of hearing individuals involved in the child protection system. 

Individual Grants award up to $10,000 to individuals who do not have a nonprofit or business to provide unique services like telling stories, teaching culture and overseeing cultural ceremonies/ events for families or individuals in Ramsey County who are vulnerable to involvement in or have been involved in the child protection system. 

Alfreda McClain awarded $10,000 to help decrease or eliminate her part‐time work so she can devote time to mentoring children and families.

Latoya Ealy awarded $10,000 to provide support for youth in need through transportation assistance, homework help, health and beauty/hygiene products and education about mental health, life skills and healthy food. 

Patricia Azu-Domike awarded $10,000 to teach Igbo culture through language, stories, proverbs, idioms and cooking. She will help youth understand their background/identity and be more confident in who they are. 

Regina Jackson awarded $10,000 to develop a podcast to facilitate healing circles for restorative justice and conflict resolution. Her goal is to reduce community and family violence through safe places and help develop communication skills. The podcast will also provide opportunities for families and professionals to share resources available and how to access them. 

Steven Nelson awarded $10,000 to help expand or lease space to serve 20 African American and/or American Indian individuals with love and help them focus on their life goals and missions. Stipends will also be provided to support participants. 

Tamiko French awarded $10,000 to provide youth from underserved communities transformational performing arts and music education to help them develop self-esteem, self-love, confidence, teamwork, leadership, coachability and public speaking. 

Tarina Gordon awarded $10,000 to help young males in foster care or child protection become leaders within their own communities. Gordon will provide education and resources for establishing healthy connections to develop solid social networks through promoting extra after-school programs, career readiness, credit courses, trade programs and other methods that are community-driven and informed. 

Jaquelyn Layman awarded $10,000 to provide a location to serve kinship care providers who are currently caring for family members without any help from the county and are at risk of entering the system due to lack of resources and places to turn for referrals.