Minnesota companies fund $3.5M in grants to help small businesses during ICE surge
The nonprofit Minneapolis Foundation will distribute money to help local businesses make payroll, pay rent and cover other costs. Companies like Target, General Mills and Ecolab contributed.
The Minneapolis Foundation announced the grants Jan. 27 and will start distributing money in the coming weeks. The nonprofit will allocate dollars to “established community organizations with deep experience in small business support,” according to a news release.
Grants will focus on “areas facing the most pressing needs,” including the metro area’s commercial corridors and possibly other parts of the state, such as St. Cloud, Duluth and Rochester, Rybak said.
The move marked a shift in messaging from Minnesota’s largest employers, many of which had said little publicly about the surge of immigration officials in the state and the killing of Renee Good.
The statement drew mixed reactions from the community. Some expressed disappointment in the letter’s perceived tardiness, its neutral tone and lack of specificity.
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-foundation-small-business-grant-immigration-ice-ceo-letter/601571704
It's a good start.