MicroGrants

Sometimes the only thing between someone and a better life is less than $1,000.

MicroGrants make a big difference in the lives of low-income people. 

Every donation to MicroGrants is an investment in the long-term success and financial stability of people in our Twin Cities community who are working hard to develop their small businesses or get the tools and skills they need to find and keep stable jobs.  

• Education grants help with access to things like job-specific training programs and educational equipment/expenses that are not covered by financial aid  
• Business development grants cover start-up and ongoing expenses like advertising, supplies, and capital improvements 
• Transportation grants help people get drivers licenses or repair/obtain the vehicles they need to conduct their businesses or reliably attend their jobs and schooling

By distributing grants to eliminate financial barriers to gainful employment, we help people out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency. Many talented and motivated people just need a small boost to take that first step out of surviving into thriving.

• More than 90% of grantees meet their goals
• ~80% of grantees are people of color
• ~70% of grantees are women 
• ~80% of grantees have income below the federal poverty line 

We partner with 50 local partner organizations to distribute grants to people like students in trade programs, people seeking work, university students on the cusp of graduating, and other low-income individuals. Donations help individuals get their job, keep their job, pay for training, obtain reliable transportation, and purchase the tools they need.

“When you have money, a thousand dollars doesn’t seem like much. But when you have nothing, a thousand dollars feels like one million.”

Visit www.microgrants.net for more information including financials, annual reports and stories from our grantees. 

Lights On!

Donations to MicroGrants also support our Lights On! program which has had great success and is expanding nationwide.   Lights On! helps police rebuild trust in communities by empowering officers to give out repair vouchers instead of tickets for car safety issues like broken taillights.  Learn more by clicking on our fundraiser below or by visiting https://lightsonus.org/